Pennsylvania Code › Title 107 - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF PENNSYLVANIA › Chapter 101 - LEGISLATIVE OFFICE FOR RESEARCH LIAISON › Section 101.1 - Establishment

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
In the House of Representatives, February 8, 1982
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of Pennsylvania is faced
				with many complex public issues having scientific, technologic or technical
				components; and
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the House of Representatives of
				Pennsylvania to provide its individual members or their staff and committees
				with proper resources to evaluate these public issues including sources of
				independent, nonpartisan information and expertise; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is blessed with many
				great colleges and universities and other organizations with vast scientific
				and technical resources; and
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
				Pennsylvania in November 1976, and with partial funding from the National
				Science Foundation, in cooperation with Drexel University, Lincoln University,
				Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, the University of
				Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh established the Legislative
				Office for Research Liaison to provide the House of Representatives with an
				independent, nonpartisan source of information and expertise on public issues
				having scientific, technologic or technical components; and
WHEREAS, During the first five years of operation, the
				Legislative Office for Research Liaison has completed over 1,200 projects in
				response to inquiries initiated by over 200 legislators and their staff;
				and
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of Pennsylvania has been
				a national leader as evidenced by the fact that the Legislative Office for
				Research Liaison has served as a model for other state legislatures in Alabama,
				Arkansas, Maryland, Michigan, Puerto Rico and Texas, each of which has
				established its own research agency that is formally linked to academic
				institutions; therefore be it.
RESOLVED, The House of Representatives of Pennsylvania does
				hereby establish a Legislative Office for Research Liaison, hereinafter
				referred to as LORL, to provide the House of Representatives with an
				independent, nonpartisan source of information and expertise on public issues
				having scientific, technologic or technical components; and be it further
				RESOLVED, The operation of LORL shall be under the control and direction of the
				Legislative Committee for Research Liaison, hereinafter referred to as the LORL
				Committee, which shall consist of the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
				the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, one member of the Majority
				Party of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker, the
				Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Minority Whip of the House
				of Representatives, one member of the Minority Party of the House of
				Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker after consultation with the
				Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and two representatives from
				among the participating organizations to be appointed by the Speaker after
				consultation with the University Committee for Research Liaison. The Speaker,
				the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader and the Minority Whip of the House of
				Representatives may designate another member of their respective caucuses to be
				a member of the LORL Committee in their stead or to temporarily act on behalf
				of such officer. Members of the LORL Committee who are members of the House of
				Representatives shall serve during each regular session of the General Assembly
				and shall continue as members until the first Tuesday in January of the next
				odd-numbered year and until their respective successors shall qualify, provided
				they continue to be members of the House of Representatives. Members of the
				LORL Committee who are representatives of a participating organization shall
				serve during a regular session of the General Assembly and until their
				respective successors shall qualify. Such members of the LORL Committee who are
				representatives of participating organizations shall be chosen from the
				University Committee for Research Liaison, but no such member may serve on the
				LORL Committee for two consecutive regular sessions of the General Assembly.
				The LORL Committee has a continuing existence and may meet and conduct its
				business during sessions of the Legislature or any recess thereof and in the
				interim between session; and be it further
RESOLVED, The LORL Committee shall organize immediately after
				the final enactment of this resolution, and thereafter within 30 days after the
				convening of the regular session of the General Assembly. The Speaker of the
				House of Representatives or his designee shall be the Chairman and the
				Executive Director of LORL shall serve as the recording secretary for the LORL
				Committee. The LORL Committee shall elect a Secretary and such other officers
				as it deems necessary. The LORL Committee shall meet at least semiannually
				during each calendar year. The time and place of meetings of the LORL Committee
				shall be at the call of the chairman. Five members of the LORL Committee shall
				constitute a quorum and an affirmative vote of five members shall be necessary
				to pass on any matter requiring action; and be it further RESOLVED, The LORL
				Committee shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To establish and operate LORL.
(2) To appoint and employ an executive
			 director, who shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the LORL Committee, and
			 to fix the compensation for such Executive Director in accordance with the job
			 classification and pay plans adopted by the Bipartisan Management Committee.
			 The LORL Committee shall seek the advice of the University Committee for
			 Research Liaison in the selection of an Executive Director of LORL.
(3) To determine the number of permanent
			 professional and support staff deemed necessary in the performance of its
			 duties. In addition, the LORL Committee shall establish job qualifications and
			 descriptions for each permanent position as well as personnel policies
			 consistent with the rules and regulations adopted by the Bipartisan Management
			 Committee for promulgation and administration of personnel policies and
			 procedures, and job classification and pay plans.
(4) To determine the terms and conditions for
			 the appointment of visiting scientists and student interns and the appointment
			 of part-time staff as the LORL Committee deems necessary in the performance of
			 its duties.
(5) To enter into
			 contracts for such professional, expert, or technical services as the LORL
			 Committee deems necessary in the performance of its duties.
(6) To purchase or rent such equipment and
			 supplies as the LORL Committee deems necessary in the performance of its
			 duties.
(7) To make such rules and
			 regulations as the LORL Committee deems necessary to properly fulfill its
			 powers and duties including, but not limited to, the determination of the terms
			 and conditions to be met by any participating organization.
(8) To receive applications and to prepare
			 for ratification by the House of Representatives, prior to the beginning of an
			 odd-numbered calendar year, the list of new participating organizations, if
			 any, deemed appropriate for carrying out the purposes of this
			 resolution.
(9) To determine the
			 long-term research projects to be undertaken by LORL. Such determination shall
			 be made after consultation with the University Committee for Research
			 Liaison.
(10) To monitor and
			 evaluate the performance of LORL.
(11) To accept on behalf of LORL monetary aid
			 or grants from the Federal Government, any college or university, or any
			 foundation or agency. Such aid or grants shall be appropriated to LORL to carry
			 out the purposes of this resolution; and be it further
RESOLVED, the Executive Director of LORL shall perform such
				duties as shall be assigned by the LORL Committee including, but not limited
				to, the day-to-day operation of LORL and the administration of approved
				personnel policies. Visiting scientists and interns may be appointed by the
				Executive Director in compliance with the terms and conditions applicable to
				said part-time positions. In addition, the Executive Director of LORL shall be
				responsible for:
(1) The preparation
			 of an annual expenditure plan for the review and approval of the LORL
			 Committee.
(2) Conveying and
			 assigning legislative inquiries to the LORL staff and issuing completed
			 responses/reports to the appropriate Legislators or their staff and committees
			 of the House of Representatives.
RESOLVED, The Executive Director shall have the following
				minimum qualifications to be eligible for appointment:
(1) An earned doctoral degree from an
			 accredited institution of higher learning in the physical, life, or social
			 sciences.
(2) Direct working
			 experience in the legislative process and experience in higher education as an
			 administrator and teacher/researcher.
(3) The ability to translate complex
			 scientific or technical information into language that is reasonably
			 understandable.
(4) The tact,
			 diplomacy, and credentials to form a good working relationship between the
			 House of Representatives and the various participating organizations in LORL.
In lieu of the above qualifications, the LORL Committee may
				determine that the educational background and experience of a person is such
				that they are equivalent to the above qualifications and that such person is
				capable of performing the duties of Executive Director of LORL; and be it
				further
RESOLVED, The interaction of the participating organizations
				with LORL shall be coordinated by the University Committee for Research
				Liaison, hereinafter referred to as the University Committee. The University
				Committee shall consist of the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader of the
				House, one member from each participating organization appointed by the
				Chairman of the LORL Committee after consultation with the chief administrative
				officer of each participating organization, and the Executive Director of LORL
				who shall serve as Chairman of the University Committee. The designated
				Legislators may each name another member of their respective caucuses to serve
				in their stead on the University Committee. Such members of the University
				Committee shall serve during each regular session of the General Assembly and
				until their respective successors shall qualify; and be it further
RESOLVED, The University Committee shall meet at the call of
				the chairman and shall be responsible for recommending to the LORL Committee
				those policies and procedures which would contribute to the objectives of LORL;
				advising the Executive Director of LORL on means to facilitate and make more
				mutually beneficial the relationship of LORL with the participating
				organizations in their use of resource personnel and data in responding to
				inquiries from LORL; and handling those matters specifically referred to it by
				the LORL Committee; and be it further
RESOLVED, The following shall be the initial participating
				organizations for purposes of this resolution:
Drexel University.
Lincoln University.
Pennsylvania State University.
Temple University.
University of Pennsylvania.
University of Pittsburgh; and be it further
RESOLVED, Within 60 days of the enactment of this resolution,
				the chief administrative officer of each of the above-named colleges and
				universities shall submit in writing to the Chairman of the LORL Committee a
				statement including, but not limited to,
(1) The name, title, address, and phone
			 number of the person on his campus designated as the contact for the processing
			 of legislative inquiries received from LORL;
(2) agreement to provide the services without
			 cost to the House of Representatives of visiting scientists according to a
			 master schedule for visiting scientists as developed and approved by the LORL
			 Committee;
(3) The name, title,
			 address, and phone number of the person on his campus designated as the person
			 responsible for government relations between his institution and the
			 Commonwealth; and
(4) a statement
			 indicating that his institution is willing to continue as a participating
			 organization during the remainder of the regular session of the General
			 Assembly in which this resolution is enacted; and be it further
RESOLVED, The chief administrative officer of any other
				organization, unnamed herein, seeking membership as a participating
				organization for purposes of this resolution shall submit in writing, not later
				than August 31 in any even-numbered year, to the Chairman of the LORL
				Committee, an application for membership including, but not limited to,
				evidence of ability to meet the terms and conditions as required by the LORL
				Committee for any participating organization; however, no organization having
				an apparent advocacy interest in any public issues handled by LORL shall be
				considered for membership as a participating organization; and be it
				further
RESOLVED, The House of Representatives, not later than December
				31 in any even-numbered year, shall consider for ratification by appropriate
				resolution the list of new participating organizations, if any, as submitted
				and recommended by the LORL Committee and, upon ratification by the House of
				Representatives, those organizations so approved by the House of
				Representatives shall be considered as participating members as of January 1 in
				the following odd-numbered year; and be it further
RESOLVED, The House of Representatives, its members or their
				staff, and committees may request assistance from LORL on any public issue
				having scientific, technologic or technical components and LORL shall have
				access to the Legislative Information Service of the National Conference of
				State Legislatures (NCSL). A response to each inquiry shall be made according
				to guidelines developed and approved by the LORL Committee; and be it
				further
RESOLVED, the comptroller of the House of Representatives shall
				be responsible for the processing of all payrolls and expenses of LORL as
				authorized by the LORL Committee; and be it further
RESOLVED, All prior unspent appropriations to LORL shall not
				lapse and are hereby reappropriated to LORL established by this resolution; and
				be it further
RESOLVED, The members of the LORL Committee and the University
				Committee, except the Executive Director of LORL, shall serve without
				compensation. Only legislators shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses
				incurred while attending sessions of the committee of which they are members or
				any subcommittee thereof; and be it further
RESOLVED, This resolution shall take effect
				immediately.