Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 41–Assemblymen Perkins, Buckley, Dini, Hettrick, Anderson, Angle, Arberry, Bache, Beers, Berman, Brower, Brown, Carpenter, Cegavske, Chowning, Claborn, Collins, de Braga, Freeman, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goldwater, Gustavson, Humke, Koivisto, Lee, Leslie, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, Mortenson, Neighbors, Nolan, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Parnell, Price, Smith, Tiffany, Von Tobel and Williams

 

Joint Sponsors: Senators Raggio, Titus, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Coffin, Jacobsen, James, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, O’Connell, O’Donnell, Porter, Rawson, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Assembly Concurrent RESOLUTION—Commending the staff of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

   Whereas, As early as 1945, when the Legislative Counsel Bureau was created, the Nevada Legislature recognized the need for additional information, advice and assistance in securing sufficient details to act advisedly on legislative matters and accommodate increasingly complex legislative tasks that were impossible to complete without support; and

   Whereas, The functions assigned to the Legislative Counsel Bureau, which was composed of only three members in 1945, were restricted mainly to the appointment of a Legislative Counsel whose principal duties were to assist the Legislature by conducting a survey relating to the needs and functions of the existing entities of the state government and by providing advice for proposed legislation concerning those matters; and

   Whereas, Since those early days, the Legislative Counsel Bureau has evolved into an organization of more than 200 professional employees, and during legislative sessions, almost 300 public servants, who provide a full range of services for the “people’s branch” of government; and

   Whereas, The goal of the Legislative Counsel Bureau in the modern era is to continue to meet the ever-increasing challenges of providing nonpartisan, centralized services to members of both houses of the Legislature and their constituents in the most efficient, professional manner possible; and

   Whereas, The 2001 legislative session, like the historic session of

 1999, was limited to 120 calendar days, placing extra time constraints

 upon the staff; and

   Whereas, The ability to meet this time limitation is dependent upon the

 coordination of staff assignments and, ultimately, the participation of each

 staff member to accomplish in 120 days what had been completed in the

 longer sessions of the past; and

   Whereas, The staff of each division and unit of the Legislative

 Counsel Bureau contributed to the success of the 2001 session and met the

 various challenges with unparalleled skill, resourcefulness, diligence and,

 when necessary, humor; and

   Whereas, In the Administrative Division of the Legislative Counsel

 Bureau, the staff of the Information Systems Unit and the Media Services

 Unit continued to improve technology for the legislative process, the staff

 of the Buildings Unit, the Grounds Unit and the Janitorial Unit prepared

and meticulously maintained the building and its grounds as a showplace in

Carson City, and the staff of the Accounting Unit, the General Services

 Unit, the Legislative Police, the Las Vegas office and the Director’s office,

 and the session staff in the message center, the public bill room, the bill

 mail room, lobbyist registration and the lobbyist center kept the

 Legislature functioning smoothly; and

   Whereas, The staff of the Audit Division continued to provide the

 Legislature with independent and reliable information about the operations

 of state agencies, programs, activities and functions by presenting audit

 reports and by testifying on legislation to promote accountability in state

 government, and continued to produce their high-quality audits while

 reviewing all legislation within the time limitations in a quick and efficient

 manner; and

   Whereas, The staff of the Fiscal Analysis Division reviewed the ever

-increasing budget, bills relating to the budget and budget amendments

 within the condensed period, maintaining their usual accuracy and

 efficiency, reviewed fiscal notes in half the time available in sessions

 before 1999, provided staff support for the Committees on Taxation and

 responded to Legislators’ requests for information concerning budgets and

 taxation promptly and efficiently; and

   Whereas, The staff of the Legal Division exceeded their high

 standards by meeting all deadlines for the drafting of bills and

 amendments, preparing an increasing quantity of work without sacrificing

 quality or their meticulous attention to detail, while providing legal advice

 on the usual wide range of issues to the Legislature and its staff, fully

 aware that their dedication and long hours were essential to the success of

 the 120-day session; and

   Whereas, The staff of the Research Division, assisted by its Research

 Library, provided research and analysis of current and proposed public

 programs and policies, furnished thorough and prompt background

 information for use in committees and on the floor of each legislative

 house, aided committee chairmen by providing administrative and

 technical assistance in the hearing and processing of bills to meet the

 rigorous scheduling demands established as a result of the condensed

 session, and responded to an increased number of Legislator and

 constituent requests in a timely, efficient and thorough manner despite

 strict time constraints; and

   Whereas, Although the demands on legislative staff were even greater

 this session because of the reapportionment and redistricting of both

 legislative houses, the congressional districts and the districts of the State

 Board of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada,

 the duties pertaining thereto were provided in an efficient, impartial,

 professional and coordinated manner by several different divisions and

 units of the Legislative Counsel Bureau; now, therefore, be it

   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

 Concurring, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

 Legislature do hereby express their sincere appreciation to the outstanding

 staff of the Legislative Counsel Bureau and commend the dedication,

 cooperation and exceptional work of each person on the staff; and be it

 further

   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit

a copy of this resolution to Lorne Malkiewich, Director of the Legislative

 Counsel Bureau.

 

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