Legislative History Report and Analysis

(right-click here and select "save link as" to see a sample)

Every research product that LEGISLATIVE INTENT SERVICE transmits begins with analysis, the instrument to enable your best use of the legislative history documents.

We start with our Legislative History Report and Analysis on each enactment researched. Because there is no recognized protocol for the labeling of legislative analyses or for the maintenance of legislative records, the documents themselves, without organization and explanation by our staff attorneys, all legal history experts, can be overwhelming. In addition, the type of documentation available on a legislative enactment varies from decade to decade. Thus, LEGISLATIVE INTENT SERVICE provides a detailed Report and Analysis, narrating the legislative activity on the bill from the time of introduction right up to the Governor´s Office. Subtleties of the legislative process are explained and pertinent competing or preceding bills are identified and usually included for comparison purposes.

Declaration and Documents

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The materials usable as evidence of legislative intent are, of course, the documents themselves. And yet, if they came unprocessed in a large envelope, you would have a daunting task trying to make sense of the material. At LEGISLATIVE INTENT SERVICE we organize the documents by source, and stamp each document with a unique identification number. In many cases, courts have simply adopted our numbering of the documents in taking judicial notice of the material.

The documents are itemized in a declaration, executed by a staff attorney, and provided with our Report and Analysis. This itemization serves to identify the documents transmitted and provide a first step to authenticating the materials.

We can provide our Report and Analysis, Declaration and the documents in a binder format to allow easy work with the materials, and removal of pages while keeping the documents organized. If you wish to receive a hardcopy, the distinctive blue binder makes it easy to spot even when placed within a box of documents. We also encourage electronic delivery, by CD or download, which is also available and widely popular.

Points and Authorities

To assist our clients in every way possible, LEGISLATIVE INTENT SERVICE has developed an exhaustive Points and Authorities that we include in each research report. Containing more than 700 cases using legislative history documents as an aide to statutory construction, it is text searchable and subject to annual update. The Points and Authorities are presented in two documents, (a) Legislative History and Intent as Aides to Statutory Construction and (b) Authority and Procedure for Judicial Consideration of Legislative History and Intent, - Our goal is that you be given the best possible guidance to assist you in making effective use of the material. You can view our Points and Authorities by clicking here. There you will also find guidance on judicial notice of legislative history materials and a sample motion.