Legislative Research Services


Confidential Services Available to All Legislators

Legislative Research Services responds to requests for information and research from individual legislators and their staff as well as from legislative committees. Our office is nonpartisan and is a source of independent, objective information, research, and analysis. We provide short email responses when appropriate, as well as assistance for legislators and staff conducting their own research. Frequently, we provide written reports with more substantial analyses. All requests are confidential.

Due to staffing reductions the Legislative Council has directed us to concentrate on helping legislative staff find materials and carry out their own research. In this regard we can provide timely help in several ways, including:

  • Quick answers to many short or straightforward questions. Legislative Research maintains an array of general reference materials focusing on state and federal governments, programs, and public policy issues.
  • A plan of action—contact names and telephone numbers to get you started. Legislative analysts interact with government offices at the federal, state, and local levels; private companies and trade groups; and national lobbying and advocacy groups.
  • Useful Internet sites, including data provided by state agencies. Legislative analysts have substantial expertise in conducting online research. On our website you can access bookmarks to numerous Internet sites on a variety of topics at Research Links. Also, our familiarity with state government allows us to help you access information provided by state agencies.

Additionally, as mentioned Legislative Research provides written responses with more substantial analyses on topics of interest to legislators, such as the following:

  • Analysis of model legislation and/or legislative precedents in other states.
  • Summary and analysis of reports, studies, or bills affecting public policy and programs.
  • What were the revenues from the sales tax in Juneau during the last three years?
  • Legislative history of laws or provisions in Alaska and other states.
  • Examination of state or state-supported programs.
  • Analysis of federal legislation or regulations affecting Alaska

For historical and background information, we can also tap our in-house archives containing over 35 years of previous research work by our office. Reports that legislators have released are available online through http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/laa/research/public.cgi. You can also obtain digital or hard copies by contacting our office with the request number and title of the report you desire.


Confidentiality of Inquiry

All legislators' research requests are confidential (AS 24.20.100).

Legislative analysts vigorously guard the confidentiality of legislators' requests. If we receive an inquiry from another party about a confidential report, even if the caller appears to be certain that a report has been prepared, our staff will neither confirm nor deny that a report exists. Likewise, when contacting state executive branch agencies, our analysts do not reveal the requestor's name, the intended use of research or information, or the factors that prompted the request without explicit permission from the requesting legislator. The index of previously prepared Legislative Research reports lists only those reports that legislators have authorized for release to the public. Since 2015, we no longer identify the requesting legislator’s name on a report. In other words, regardless of whether a report is kept confidential or released, the name of the legislator does not appear on the document.

The fact that research conducted by our staff is confidential may, in itself, be a service you find useful. Sometimes you may want information without other legislators or executive branch officials knowing that you have asked for this information. For example, we can help if you would like to know the possible ramifications of new revenue measures before legislation is introduced. Likewise, if you wish to know how many fish were harvested by sport anglers on the Kenai, but, for whatever reason, you don't want division officials to know you are asking, we can help.

Again, to request information, you or your staff can simply complete our research request form, online at http://akleg.gov/docs/pdf/Research_Form.pdf.

We take pride in providing accurate and objective information to lawmakers to help in their vital mission of governance.