1418                        JOINT RESOLUTIONS.

lator to secure the most accurate information and the most
expert advice which are available; and

WHEREAS, Experience indicates the necessity for an inter-
state legislative reference bureau to serve as a clearing house of
information between all of the legislative reference services
which are now being conducted by numerous states, and also
to serve as a. clearing house of information between the legis-
latures and all other agencies which are engaged in the study
and analysis of legislative problems; and

WHEREAS, Every individual legislator in the United States
shares the responsibility for improving the present inadequate
and unsatisfactory condition of the legislative process, but
neither any individual legislator, nor any group of legislators
from one State, can bring about such improvement without the
co-operation of legislators of other States; and

WHEREAS, Such an interstate legislative reference bureau
cannot be maintained by any one State alone, without the co-
operation of the legislators of other States; and

WHEREAS, In order to set the machinery in motion to secure
the necessary co-opertion of the forty-eight legislatures, members
of each legislature are working together in the development
of the project of the American Legislators' Association; and

WHEREAS, The said American Legislators' Association has
now established in the vicinity of the University of Chicago,
the Interstate Legislative Reference Bureau, which by explicit
pledge is without color of politics, partnership or propaganda,
is conducted without profit, and is engaged upon three prin-
cipal purposes:

First: To procure promptly for all inquiring state legis-
lators, and their agents, whatever information or advice they
desire in connection with any legislative problem, primarily
by assisting them to secure, without cost, the benefit of all
researches conducted by governmental departments, universi-
ties, associations, legislative reference bureaus, and other
agencies throughout the United States.

Second: To conduct a systematic study of the legislative
processes of each of the States, in order to ascertain the prac-
tices which contribute: most to efficient and economical organ-
ization and procedure; and to render all possible assistance to
each legislature—and to each legislative reference bureau—
which is endeavoring to improve its organization.