Bill > H3892

This bill establishes two new nonpartisan offices within the Massachusetts General Court: the Office of Legislative Research and the Office of Fiscal Analysis. The primary purpose is to provide high-quality, professional support to legislators by offering comprehensive research, analysis, and bill-drafting services. The Office of Legislative Research will assist members by conducting policy analysis, legal research, fact-finding, bill drafting, reviewing legislation, maintaining legislative histories, and continuously reviewing state laws for potential improvements. The Office of Fiscal Analysis will prepare revenue and expenditure forecasts, analyze the fiscal impact of proposed legislation, create fiscal notes for bills, and perform budgetary and economic analyses. Each office will be led by a director appointed jointly by legislative leadership for a five-year renewable term, who must be nonpartisan and cannot hold political office. The directors will hire professional staff based solely on qualifications and will have the authority to prioritize research requests from members and committees. The offices will make their reports publicly available electronically, with certain confidentiality protections for communications with legislators. This legislation aims to enhance the legislative process by providing impartial, expert research and analysis to support more informed decision-making in the Massachusetts General Court.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3892