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LIS News and Notes For the New Year

January 4, 2010

Some bill research does not include the Governor's file because at the time we researched the bill, the sitting Governor had not released his chaptered bill file. If the Governor's file is not included with this particular research, please contact our office (1-530-666-1917 or quote@legintent.com) and we will be happy to provide this file at no charge if it is available. Please Note: Governor files did not exist prior to 1943.

Happy New Year!  While post-holiday consumers are likely looking at their credit card “bills,” we at LIS are looking at “bills” enacted by states and federal legislatures. Credit cards and legislation both can run up lots of costs, but legislative bills also relate to protection, policing, public policy, problem solving, and plain old politicking, just to name a few important features. So, when interpretation of any state or federal statute is an important part of your case, finding answers may require to you learn the legislature’s intention by examining the problem faced when it considered the bill, the public policy issues under consideration, and the drafting solutions that emerged during legislative review of the bill. Hunting down legislative intent documents is challenging because of the number of different source locations and the semi-private nature of many of the holdings. With over 35 years of experience, LIS’ research staff knows how to find legislative information. After these many years, we have available for rapid response tens of thousands of legislative documents from our own private archives and collection.  In these days of restricted budgets and law offices rebounding in a recovering economy, using LEGISLATIVE INTENT SERVICE, INC. to provide legislative history makes good economic sense.

State Legislatures Reconvene:  California’s 2010 Legislature convenes today while other states such as Virginia and Delaware convene on January 13, 2010, Illinois on January 14, 2010, and Louisiana on March 29, 2010, other states such as New York continue their two year legislative session, but other states skip 2010, such as Nevada and Texas which will not meet unless a special session is called because these states do not hold an even-year session. 

Federal Health Bill:  The U.S. 111th Congress began on January 6, 2009 and is scheduled to continue through October 31, 2010.  H.R. 3590, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” is the health care bill at the center of current congressional activity.  The December 24th Senate version of the bill is 2,409 pages long and covers numerous health care issues, with the main “titles” of the Senate version of the bill addressing:

•    Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans
•    Public Programs
•    Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Health Care
•    Health Care Workforce
•    Transparency and Program Integrity
•    Improving Access to Innovative Medial Therapies and
•    Strengthening Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans

At this time, H.R. 3590 moves to conference, bringing together “conferees” from the Senate and the House in an attempt to reach a compromise on a bill’s language which is acceptable to both.

And the Survey Says . . .  Last year we sent out a survey and were gratified by the response from our clients who helped shape important changes in the way we provide legislative history research in 2009.  We have another survey coming next Monday, January 11, 2010, which has fewer questions this time and a deadline of January 15, 2010.  Like last year’s survey, we will be offering a 25% discount to everyone who completes and returns the survey.  The 25% discount will be good for one custom legislative history anytime during 2010. 

Winter Engrossment:  We have published at our website the Winter/2010 issue of our quarterly newsletter, Engrossment.  In this issue, you will find discussion of three 2009 court cases addressing legislative intent and history documents as well as a review of a popular 2009 bill being ordered for research.  Look for this and any previous Engrossment newsletters at our website at:  http://www.legintent.com/engrossment.php.

Tweeter Up!  Ever want to take a peak at the tweets sent out by our lawmakers?  Go to Congressional Quarterly Politics’ website at: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=161 and scroll through the latest congressional tweets. The twitter topics range from political and pertinent to pedestrian and pedantic.  It’s quite interesting!

Legislative Intent Research Savings for Our Clients:
•    When you place a customized research order for two legislative measures (state or federal) in January and February, use our New Year/2010 20% discount available at:  http://www.legintent.com/discount.php.    
•    Referring new contacts to us may result in a 10% discount for your next legislative history research request.  Beginning in January, if any new contact tells us that you referred them to LIS, we will email a 10% discount to you for each referral. 
•    Our Online Research store offers legislative histories for a reduced rate of $300 per bill.   Go to legintent.com to learn more!
•    Recovering your fees for LIS research is possible if your position prevails.  (Van de Kamp v. Gumbiner, 221 CA3rd 1260 (1990)).  LIS has been cited in over 60 court opinions.  See: http://www.legintent.com/cases.php.
•    Those clients who respond to our January/2010 Survey by the deadline date will receive a 25% discount that they can use anytime in 2010.  Coming January 11th!
•    Our free State Bar-approved self-study exam qualifies for 1.0 MCLE credit and is available online 24/7.  Need 1.0 hour of MCLE?  Simply go to:  http://www.legintent.com/mclemain.php