H.R. No. 3476
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
 
         WHEREAS, For more than a century, the Legislative Reference
  Library has provided invaluable assistance to Texas lawmakers; and
         WHEREAS, Signaling to the world that the Texas Legislature
  early on understood the value of a reference library, leaders of
  this state reserved a special place at the core of the 1888 Capitol
  to house this vital resource for current and future generations;
  the Legislative Reference Library was established on the second
  floor in the north wing to assist members of the legislature and
  their staff, and its resources are also available to the lieutenant
  governor, speaker, and their staffs, to the staff of the governor's
  office, to legislative officers, agencies, and committees, to state
  agencies and commissions, to librarians and legislators from other
  states, to members of the press, and to Texas citizens; and
         WHEREAS, The tools may change through the decades, but the
  need for information endures, and the library's electronic data
  systems currently expedite the delivery of knowledge to the
  legislative community in both direct and indirect ways; the
  creation, compilation, and utilization of information in a reliable
  and timely fashion are provided today in a manner unimaginable by
  the legislature in 1888, yet the importance of the LRL's continued
  proximity to the seat of Texas government was reaffirmed during the
  restoration of the Capitol in the 1990s, thus underscoring the
  intrinsic value of this treasured institution; and
         WHEREAS, The effectiveness of the library would not be
  possible without the talented people who staff it; these
  individuals provide in-depth analyses of legislation from all 50
  states, respond to historical legislative queries, and create ad
  hoc legislative statistical reports for staff in the speaker's and
  lieutenant governor's offices; during legislative sessions, the
  library plays an integral part in the legislative process; staff
  develop electronic records in the Texas Legislative Tracking System
  for each bill or resolution filed and furnish real-time information
  to the legislative community, to executive agencies, and to
  citizens of this state through such proprietary applications as
  TLIS and TLO; and
         WHEREAS, Stationed on the floor of the house and senate
  chambers, library staff enter legislative actions as they occur,
  and they work closely with the senate and house parliamentarians,
  senate and house journal clerks, chief clerk of the house,
  secretary of the senate, and their staffs to ensure that records are
  accurate and complete; library staff members are also responsible
  for assigning and entering subject terms and companion
  relationships, and they review enrolled legislation for effective
  dates of each measure; in addition, the library operates a
  toll-free bill status hotline; and
         WHEREAS, The LRL maintains the most comprehensive physical
  repository of information relating to the Texas Legislature,
  including original legislative bill files from the 63rd Session to
  present, historical and current publications of legislative
  committees, state agencies, and institutions of higher education,
  legislative legal resources, journals, law reviews, and
  periodicals; a circulating collection of materials is also made
  available to the legislative community; and
         WHEREAS, Each business day, the library compiles select
  articles from newspapers statewide for the legislative community,
  and it generates weekly listings of important journal articles and
  quarterly listings of newsworthy additions to the library's
  collection; the LRL strives to provide accurate and up-to-date
  legislative information electronically through a number of
  databases; the Texas Appointment System contains information on
  members of state councils, boards, and committees appointed by the
  governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker; the Legislative
  Archive System holds the only electronic version of original
  legislative bill files and documentation, while the Index to
  Sections Affected is the sole source of information detailing the
  proposed statutory effect of bills; moreover, the library maintains
  Texas Legislators: Past & Present, highlighting legislative
  membership information from 1846 to today, as well as a legislative
  reports database covering that same period, and it archives
  gubernatorial executive orders, messages, and proclamations; and
         WHEREAS, Guided skillfully by director/librarian Mary Camp,
  the LRL staff includes assistant director/librarian Catherine
  Wusterhausen, administrative/legislative staff Donald Brower, Jay
  Young, Julia Walden, Michelle Martinez, PJ Ellison, and Lindsey
  Johns, clipping service staffers David Wood, Karen Wright, and
  Kathy Powell, librarians Adrienne Sonder, Ana Sifuentes-Martinez,
  Becky Johnson, Brandon Vasquez, Ia Wood, Jesse Saunders, Karen
  McBurney, Kay Schlueter, Lindsay Wickham, Melanie Harshman, Nancy
  Watson, Penelope Dukes-Williams, Rona Mertink, and Sally Harlow,
  library clerks Leah Alejandro and Vincent Cowan, and bill status
  clerks Emily Fankell, Kali Palmer, Katie Oncken, and Leo Casanova;
  and
         WHEREAS, These hardworking professionals demonstrate an
  unyielding commitment to excellence as they carry on the long and
  storied tradition of their agency, and they may take justifiable
  pride in the important services they provide to the legislature and
  to the citizens of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby honor the Legislative Reference Library and
  extend to the staff members sincere appreciation for their
  outstanding contributions; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for the library as an expression of high regard by the
  Texas House of Representatives.
 
  King of Hemphill
 
  ______________________________
  Speaker of the House     
 
         I certify that H.R. No. 3476 was adopted by the House on May
  31, 2015, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House