SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 613          WHEREAS, For 75 years, the Texas Legislative Council has   provided professional, nonpartisan support to the Texas   Legislature and legislative agencies; and          WHEREAS, The council was created by the 51st Legislature in   1949 as part of a growing national movement to establish   independent fact-finding and advisory agencies to aid the work of   state legislatures; the council's governing body--initially led   by the acting president of the Texas Senate and the speaker of the   House--held its first organizational meeting on October 19 of   that year; inaugural executive director John D. Moseley soon took   charge of the agency's operations, and council staff members   began their duties in the spring of 1950; and          WHEREAS, In its early years, the agency completed a number   of major research projects, including surveys of higher   education and taxation in Texas and an inventory of water   problems; it also analyzed proposed legislation and processed   hundreds of requests for memoranda, bill drafts, and other   materials; the drafting of legislation became a more prominent   focus beginning with the 56th Regular Session in 1959, as the   council adopted the bill-drafting function that had primarily   been handled by the Office of the Attorney General in the years   prior; today, the drafting of bills and related legislative   documents remains an essential responsibility for the agency and   is ably managed by the attorneys and support staff of the TLC   legal division; in addition, the division oversees the permanent   statutory revision program that eliminates invalid, duplicative,   and otherwise ineffective provisions, an initiative that began   in 1963; and          WHEREAS, The council's oversight of the computer   technology used by the Texas Legislature dates back more than a   half century; the digital era dawned in the interim between the   62nd Regular Session in 1971 and the 63rd in 1973; TLC staff   readied a room at the State Capitol to house mainframe equipment   and began the formidable task of applying computerization to the   legislative process; the revolutionary developments in   information technology in the decades since have made this   component of the TLC mission increasingly important, and the   information systems division is now the agency's largest; its   responsibilities include the maintenance of network   infrastructure, the development of applications, and the   provision of equipment, software, training, and technical   assistance to the legislative community; and          WHEREAS, Legislative research was one of the first tasks   undertaken by the council, and by the early 1970s, the agency had   established a dedicated research division to oversee this   multifaceted area; its staff provide policy research and bill   analysis services, perform statistical and demographic research,   produce resolutions, publications, and mapping materials, and   maintain a number of websites; moreover, the division supports   the legislature's redistricting responsibilities and works   extensively with the RedAppl district modeling computer system;   this innovative resource was developed by council computer   programmers with input from the agency's legal and redistricting   specialists and was launched in its initial form in 1990; and          WHEREAS, The processing and delivery of the wide variety of   print and electronic materials prepared by the council are   managed by the document production division; the council's print   shop operations date back many decades, and the agency assumed   the document processing responsibilities for the Texas House in   advance of the 65th Legislature in 1977; by the early 1980s, the   document production division had been established, and today its   employees produce thousands of drafts, House official printings,   and other documents and publications; in addition to the print   shop, the division encompasses the data transcription,   proofreading, and document processing personnel that facilitate   this essential aspect of the agency's work; and          WHEREAS, Over the course of the council's history, staff   have operated out of offices in a number of different Capitol   Complex locations, and from the 1950s through 1990s, they often   resided in the Texas Capitol itself; the "cozy" surroundings that   existed in the statehouse in that era were a frequent topic in   council reports, with references to the "elbow-to-elbow" working   conditions and "cubbyhole" confines of the building; the   agency's oft-voiced request for additional room was finally   satisfied with the completion of the Robert E. Johnson Building   in 2000, which remains the council's home and also houses other   legislative support agencies; and          WHEREAS, Fittingly, the building is named in honor of the   legendary Robert E. Johnson, who served as the agency's executive   director during a remarkable 17-year tenure from 1963 to 1980 and   also held the office of House parliamentarian; through the years,   the council has benefited from the skilled leadership of numerous   other executive directors, and today that tradition is continued   by Jeff Archer with additional guidance provided by assistant   executive director Kimberly Shields, general counsel Jon   Heining, and chief legislative counsel Brett Ferguson; Kim   Shields also oversees the administration division, which   encompasses the human resources, accounting and purchasing, and   assurance services sections; the agency operates under the   supervision of its governing body, which is composed of the   lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House as joint chairs   as well as six senators, the chair of the House administration   committee, and five other state representatives; and          WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Texas Legislative   Council has worked tirelessly to ensure that lawmakers have the   information, resources, and support they need to most   effectively advance the interests of the people of the Lone Star   State, and it is indeed fitting that the agency be recognized for   its vital contributions; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby commemorate the 75th anniversary of the   Texas Legislative Council and extend to all those associated with   the agency sincere appreciation for their outstanding record of   public service; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be   prepared for the council as an expression of high regard from the   Texas Senate.     Hughes                 ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on May 31, 2025.                 ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate                 ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate