research unit statutory duties

Although the Research Unit is mentioned in various acts throughout the Illinois Compiled Statutes, our controlling statute is the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984, the full text of which is available at 25 ILCS 130. The Research Unit's primary statutory duties include:

collecting information and conducting research

• The Research Unit is required to collect information concerning the government and general welfare of the State, examine the effects of constitutional provisions and previously enacted statutes, consider important issues of public policy and questions of state-wide interest, and perform research and provide information as may be requested by the members of the General Assembly or as the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services considers necessary or desirable. (25 ILCS 130/10-2)

  intergovernmental functions

• The Research Unit is the State of Illinois' contact agency for the state's participation in the Council of State Governments and the National Conference of State Legislatures. We are also charged with encouraging and assisting the legislative, executive, administrative, and judicial officials and employees of this State to develop and maintain friendly contact by correspondence, by conference, and otherwise, with officials and employees of the other states, of the Federal Government, and of local units of government. (25 ILCS 130/4-2)

  federal program functions

• The Research Unit is the information center for the General Assembly in the field of federal-state relations. Working with the assistance of all state agencies, the Research Unit tracks and reports on federal grant funding applied for and received by state agencies, the most recent of which are available here. (25 ILCS 130/4-2.1)

  state board and commission appointment tracking and reporting

• Public Act 86-1324 (25 ILCS 110/1) requires anyone authorized by law to make an appointment to any agency, board, commission, or other body of state government to report the appointment to the Research Unit. The Research Unit maintains an up-to-date computerized record of this information and compiles various reports, the most recent of which are available here. (25 ILCS 130/10-2)

  administering legislative staff internship programs

• Working in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Springfield, CGFA administers two legislative staff internship programs: the Illinois Legislative Staff Internship Program (ILSIP), and the Zeke Giorgi Internship Program. Information about these programs is available here. (25 ILCS 130/10-3, 10-4, 10-5)

  reporting abstracts and indexes of reports filed with cgfa to members of the general assembly

• Four times per year the Research Unit must submit a report to each member of the General Assembly that includes abstracts and indexes of reports filed with the Research Unit. These can be found in our publication, First Reading, issues of which are available here. (25 ILCS 130/10-6)