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Minnesota Senate Offices
Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis
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| The Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis Office is a nonpartisan organization that provides legal, research and fiscal analysis services to the Senate. |
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Key Resources
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Bill Summaries
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Bill Summaries of selected Senate and House files are available here.
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Act Summaries
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Act Summaries of selected Laws Chapters are available here.
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Bill Comparisons
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Bills that are heard in both houses of the legislature but differ
in their content between bodies are reviewed in conference committees.
A comparison of the Senate and House versions of the bill is
drafted for use in committee.
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Budget Tracking Spreadsheets
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These pages contain spreadsheets developed during legislative sessions to record
state budget decisions or to provide analyses of specific budget proposals.
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Budget Summaries and Fiscal Issues Briefs
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These papers provide post-session summaries of budget decisions, including the annual
Fiscal Review, and reports and analyses on specific budget topics.
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Research Reports
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Research reports present issues currently being considered in the Legislature.
Some of these reports are requested by senators or required by law.
Other reports are the product of interim work by staff on issues
that are of interest to legislative committees, including the annual
Fiscal Review.
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| Senate Counsel are sometimes asked to prepare a detailed explanation
of a particular area of the law for presentation to a legislative
committee or to a continuing legal education program for legislative
attorneys. |
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Treatises
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Papers that may be of interest to persons outside the
office are posted here.
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Presentations
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Slide shows that may be of interest to persons
outside the office are posted here.
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Role Within The Legislature
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The Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis Office
is a nonpartisan organization that
provides legal, research, and fiscal analysis services to the Senate. The
staff, under the direction of Jo Anne Zoff Sellner, includes attorneys,
legislative analysts, fiscal analysts, and support personnel. Each
professional staff member is assigned to one or more Senate committees or
budget divisions. Staff services are available to all members of the Senate for
matters of public business. The office supports the Senate in four general
ways:
- The staff assigned to each committee or budget division work as
a team to support the work of the committee or division. They attend committee
meetings, present information, answer Senators' questions, draft legislation,
and conduct research requested by members.
- Members of the staff provide services to individual Senators on
request. All staff maintain a confidential relationship with Senators; a
project requested by one Senator is discussed with others only if the
requesting Senator approves.
- During the interim, staff work with Senators to anticipate,
define, and study emerging issues. Staff members may focus on policy questions
broader than those relating to specific bills and conduct original research in
areas of importance to the Senate.
- Staff members serve as general experts for the Senate in
assigned subject areas.
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Functions and Services
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| Legal, research and
fiscal analysis services are provided to Senators and Senate committees and budget divisions on
request, in anticipation of requests, and as a continuing role of the office.
Some more specific examples include:
- Policy research - Staff collect, analyze, and
disseminate information on legislative issues and concerns. An analysis may
include policy alternatives and descriptions of approaches taken by other states.
- Legal research - Staff may explain the law on a
particular topic, and provide analysis, including advice on constitutional issues.
- Budget and statistical analysis - Staff use computer
hardware, simulation programs and other software to provide information,
conduct research, and prepare
Budget Tracking Spreadsheets
and Budget Analysis and Fiscal Issue Briefs.
- Bill drafting and bill summary preparation - Staff draft
bills and amendments to accomplish particular purposes. Staff also summarize
bills being heard in committee.
- Review of bills - Staff review all bills heard by
committees and work with authors to be sure that bills are drafted correctly
and carry out the author's intent.
- Committee meetings - Staff attend all committee and division
meetings, including conference committees, and provide legal and research
support to members and the committee. On request, staff draft amendments to
bills being heard in committee. (Committee and floor sessions run more
efficiently when amendments are prepared in advance of the meeting.)
- Floor sessions - The office has an assigned desk in the
Senate Chamber. One or more staff will be there when the Senate is in session
to answer legal, policy and fiscal questions and to draft amendments.
- Legislative oversight - Staff members monitor
implementation of laws to help the Senate fulfill its executive branch
oversight responsibility.
- Budget oversight
- Review the use of appropriations and the implementation of fiscal language to determine if legislative intent is being met.
- Gather and coordinate information on issues of fiscal policy and practice.
- Maintain historical perspective on agency budgets and activities.
- Maintain effective lines of communication with top-level administrators involved in the development of operating and capital plans for state agencies, political subdivisions, or other organizations seeking or receiving state money.
- Monitor and analyze developments in federal, state, and local governments for their effects on Minnesota state programs.
- Special projects - Staff may design, organize, or
conduct seminars, conferences, or workshops for the Senate or Senate committees.
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Timeline and Calendar Highlights
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| Date timeline |
Description |
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| July 1 |
State fiscal year begins each year, and in odd-numbered years, state fiscal biennium begins. |
| July through December |
Groundwork is laid for upcoming legislative session. Ongoing budget activity, budget-related events, trends, and issues are analyzed for their fiscal policy implications. Budget divisions, committees, and legislative commissions hold special meetings to examine pending issues. |
| End of November |
Department of Finance issues November Forecast of state revenues and expenditures. |
| Beginning of January |
Legislature convenes, begins official budget hearings and committee hearings to discuss pertinent issues and bills. Staff drafts bills and amendments upon request of Senators. |
| Fourth Tuesday in January in odd-numbered years, or third Tuesday in February, if a new governor has just been elected |
Governor issues detailed budget for following biennium. |
| Mid February |
Governor issues detailed budget and policy bills for the next biennium. |
| End of February |
Department of Finance issues February Forecast of state revenues and expenditures. |
| March to June |
Legislature finishes committee and budget hearings, bills are debated and voted on in floor sessions, and conference committees meet to finalize bills. Governor signs or vetoes legislation. |
| Monday following third Saturday in May |
Constitution mandates end of regular session. |
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Related Links
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St. Paul, MN 55155-1606