Office of Legislative Counsel

V.S.A. tit. 2, ch. 13, subch. 1

in effect

2 V.S.A. § 401 Creation and purpose

401. Creation and purpose The Office of Legislative Counsel is created as a permanent agency to serve the General Assembly with nonpartisan legislative drafting, research, and other professional legal and editorial services. Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

2 V.S.A. § 402 Director and Chief Counsel; employees

402. Director and Chief Counsel; employees (a) The Joint Legislative Management Committee shall employ an individual to be the Director and Chief Counsel of the Office of Legislative Counsel. The Committee may conduct the hiring process itself or it may delegate this duty to a special hiring committee comprising an equal number of members from the House and Senate, not all of whom shall be from the same political party; however, the Joint Legislative Management Committee shall make the final hiring decision. (b)(1) The Director and Chief Counsel shall employ legal, editorial, and other professional staff as needed to carry out the duties of the Office of Legislative Counsel, except that requests for new, permanent positions shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (2) All individuals employed by the Office of Legislative Counsel shall be subject to the personnel policies adopted by the Joint Legislative Management Committee. (3) The provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 13 (classification of State personnel) shall not apply to employees of the Office of Legislative Counsel. Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1973; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

2 V.S.A. § 403 Functions; confidentiality

403. Functions; confidentiality (a) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall provide legal services to the General Assembly and its staff, including: (1) drafting bills, resolutions, amendments, and other legal documents; (2) providing legal research and analysis in relation to current or anticipated legislative matters; (3) providing policy analysis of current or anticipated legislative matters; (4) maintaining a reference library; (5) maintaining confidential documents and other confidential materials provided to or generated by the Office in the course of business; (6) providing contracting and other legal services to the Joint Legislative Management Committee and other legislative offices; and (7) furnishing such other information and legal assistance with respect to legislative matters as may be required by a member, member-elect, committee or similar entity of the General Assembly, a chamber of the General Assembly, or the General Assembly as a whole, in the performance of its duties. (b)(1)(A) All requests for legal assistance, information, and advice from the Office of Legislative Counsel; all information received in connection with research or drafting; and all confidential materials provided to or generated by the Office shall remain confidential unless the party requesting or providing the information or material designates that it is not confidential. (B) Any draft of a report or other work in progress generated by or submitted to the Office of Legislative Counsel shall remain confidential until it has been finalized. (2) Recordings and minutes of committee meetings, bills and amendments that have been approved for printing or introduction, and material appearing in the journals or calendars of either house are official documents and materials and shall not be confidential under this subsection. Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 1983, No. 88, § 13, eff. July 3, 1983; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2023, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § E.125.1, eff. May 23, 2024.

2 V.S.A. § 404 Budget

404. Budget The Director and Chief Counsel shall propose a budget for the Office of Legislative Counsel to the Joint Legislative Management Committee. Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 1973, No. 60, § 1, eff. May 13, 1973; 1981, No. 178 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2013, No. 142 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2015, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 18; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

2 V.S.A. § 405 Intergovernmental cooperation

405. Intergovernmental cooperation For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the Office of Legislative Counsel shall have access to and the right to copy any public record of all executive, administrative, and judicial departments of the State, except income and franchise tax returns and other documents classified as confidential by law. Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/02/013Fetched: 10/21/2026