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