National Association of Legislative Information Technology

Are you a legislative staff member looking to expand your network, enhance your skills, and stay updated on the latest legislative issues? Look no further! The National Association of Legislative Information Technology (NALIT) offers a vibrant community of peers dedicated to supporting and advancing legislative IT work nationwide.

If you are a legislative staff person with information technology responsibilities, you're already a member and have access to:

• Networking Opportunities: Connect with colleagues from different states, share ideas and forge valuable relationships.
• Professional Development: Take advantage of workshops, seminars and resources tailored to legislative staff professionals.
• Legislative Insights: Stay informed about emerging legislative trends, best practices and policy developments.

Ready to get involved?

1. Create an NCSL Profile: Create your NCSL profile if you do not already have one.
2. Express Interest: Use the email icon at left to let NALIT know you are a legislative staff member eager to get involved.
3. Confirmation and Onboarding: Your NCSL liaison will reach out to confirm your membership and guide you through any onboarding processes.

For inquiries or assistance, feel free to reach out to NALIT liaison Kae Warnock using the email icon at left.

Article 1: Name

The name of the organization shall be the National Association of Legislative Information Technology (NALIT), a recognized professional staff association in the legislative staff division of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), hereinafter referred to as the Association.

Article 2: Purposes

1. NALIT recognizes and values its membership from diverse geographic regions, professional experiences, and personal backgrounds. NALIT leadership, operations, and program activities operate with the goal of an inclusive and collaborative environment that encourages participation by all members.
2. To promote the exchange of ideas and information on all aspects of legislative information technology. This includes, but is not limited to, the management and technical development of these operations.
3. To provide a network of information exchange among persons involved in providing management and technical support for legislative information technology.
4. To provide improved communications and foster better relations between legislative information technology management and staff, and the legislators and legislative staff they serve.
5. To promote the services of the Association membership on the various committees, subcommittees, task forces, etc., of NCSL.
6. To enhance the professionalism of the members of the Association through activities supporting the purposes noted above.

Article 3: Membership

There are two classes of membership in the Association. The classes are as follows:

1. General Members: General members are legislative information technology professionals employed by a legislature of one of the fifty states, insular possessions, or territories of the United States. General members are voting members in the Association.
2. Associate Members: Associate members are persons interested in legislative information technology, including legislators and other staff serving a legislature of one of the fifty states, insular possessions, or territories of the United States, legislative staff of provincial governments and representatives of private vendors. Associate members are non-voting members in the Association.

Article 4: Meetings of the Members

1. Annual Business Meeting: The Annual Business Meeting shall normally coincide with the NCSL Legislative Summit or, when needed, be held in-person, virtually, or both at the earliest opportunity thereafter as deemed appropriate by the NALIT Executive Committee. The tenure of officers and Director shall be adjusted to account for changes to the Annual Business Meeting date.
2. Professional Development Seminar: The professional development seminar shall be held annually in the fall.
3. Other NALIT Meetings: Other meetings, virtual or in person, may be authorized by the NALIT Executive Committee.
4. Notice: Written notice of the Annual Business Meeting, the professional development seminar, and all other meetings shall be distributed by the NCSL staff liaison at least 30 days in advance of the meeting in writing or digitally.
5. Voting: Issues on Association policy and operations raised at a meeting shall require a majority vote of the general members present at the meeting before being declared passed.

Article 5: Executive Committee

1. Membership: The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Association, the immediate past Chair, and the Directors.
2. The Executive Committee Shall:
   • Work with the Chair in managing the activities of the Association;
   • Prepare a cause to be presented the staff association’s programs at the Association’s Professional Development Seminar and the NCSL Legislative Summit.
   • Develop and implement programs for professional development activities for the members of the Association;
   • Approve or object to nonfinancial agreements, to be executed by NCSL, as necessary to conduct the business of the Association;
   • Reserve the right to approve or object to financial agreements, to be executed by NCSL, as necessary, relating to NALIT meetings and seminars;
   • Adopt policies of a continuing nature in the form of standing orders;
   • Approve Association sponsorship of meetings and training conferences for legislators and their staff;
   • Review the goals and programs of the Association and recommend changes as needed, which will be brought before the membership;
   • Keep the Association membership informed of developments that relate to special interests of the Association’s members;
   • Encourage members of the Association to apply to serve on the NCSL Executive Committee.
3. Meetings: The Executive Committee shall hold its meetings upon the call of the Chair at such time and place as they shall agree upon, and, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, the meeting may be held by any means including video or teleconferencing.
4. Notice: Notice of all Executive Committee meetings including video or teleconferencing shall be sent by e-mail by the NCSL staff liaison, if possible, at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.

Article 6: Officers

1. The officers of the Association are the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and the Immediate Past Chair. Each officer shall be a general member of the Association.
2. Chair: The Chair serves a one-year term; and,
   • The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Association, including meetings of the Executive Committee;
   • The Chair has general management and control of the business and affairs of the Association, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee;
   • The Chair shall represent the Association on the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee during the term of office;
   • The Chair shall submit to the NCSL Staff Chair recommendations for appointments to each of the Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee committees, subcommittees, task forces, etc., involved in activities related to the purpose of this Association;
   • The Chair shall appoint Association Standing Committees and delegate responsibilities to other Association members in order to carry out the duties of the Chair listed here and any other place in the Bylaws.
3. Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair, who is also the Chair-Elect, serves a one-year term; and
   • The Vice-Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Association in the absence of the Chair;
   • The Vice-Chair shall represent the Association on the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee during the term of office;
   • The Vice-Chair shall review the written standing orders of the Association and suggest any needed changes to the Standing Orders;
   • The Vice-Chair shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair.
4. Secretary: The Secretary, who is also the Vice-Chair-elect, serves a one-year term:
   • The Secretary shall record minutes, written or digital, of the Annual Business Meeting
   • The Secretary shall deposit a copy of the minutes of the Annual Business Meeting with the NCSL staff liaison who shall distribute a copy of these minutes to all of the members of this Association within 30 days of the next Annual Business Meeting;
   • The Secretary shall preside at all meetings of the Association in the absence of the Chair and the Vice-Chair;
   • The Secretary shall work with the NCSL staff liaison in publishing and distributing the Association blog style newsletter as articles are written;
   • The Secretary shall solicit articles and items of interest to the membership of the Association and NCSL;
   • The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair.

Article 7: Nomination, Election and Terms of Officers

1. Nominating Committee: Prior to each Annual Business Meeting of the Association, the Chair shall appoint three Directors, or from the general membership if Directors are not able to serve, to a Nominating Committee and designate one of the three members as the Chair of the committee. A Director who plans to run for Secretary is not eligible to serve on the Nominating Committee.
2. Duties of Nominating Committee: No later than 90 calendar days prior to each Annual Business Meeting, the Nominating Committee shall distribute to the general membership a notice soliciting candidates for the positions of Secretary and three Directors. The Nominating Committee shall determine whether each nominee has the support of their supervisor/director to run for the position. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for the positions to be presented to the general members of the Association at the Annual Business Meeting for a final vote.
3. Election: The slate of nominees shall be submitted by the Chair of the Nominating Committee to the Association at the Annual Business Meeting. The slate of nominee shall be elected by a simple majority of the general members of the Association present and voting.
4. Terms of Officers: The terms of officers of the Association shall commence at the close of the Annual Business Meeting at which they are elected and shall continue through the next ensuing Annual Business Meeting.

Article 8: Directors

1. Number and Term of Office: There shall be six Directors and each Director shall serve a two-year term of office. Three Directors shall be elected each even-numbered year and three Directors each odd-numbered year.
2. Terms of Office: The terms of office of the Directors shall commence upon their election and shall continue two years until the next Annual Business Meeting.
3. Vacancy: In the event of death, disability or resignation of a Director, the Chair shall appoint a new Director to serve the remainder of the term of the former Director.
4. Notice of Election: Within 30 days of the close of the Annual Business Meeting, the NCSL staff liaison shall make known to the Association membership the new Executive Committee.
5. Duties: Each Director has the following duties:
   • Attend Executive Committee meetings whenever possible;
   • Serve on any committees assigned by the Chair; and
   • Perform other duties as assigned.

Article 9: Vacancies - Officers

1. Chair: In the event of the death, disability or resignation of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall also serve as the Chair for the remainder of that term until the election of at the next Annual Business Meeting. In the event of the absence of the Chair at a meeting, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair at the meeting.
2. Vice-Chair: In the event of the death, disability or resignation of the Vice-Chair, the Secretary shall also serve as the Vice-Chair for the remainder of that term until the election at the next Annual Business Meeting. In the event of the absence of both the Chair and the Vice-Chair at a meeting, the Secretary shall perform the duties of the Chair at the meeting.
3. Secretary: In the event of the death, disability or resignation of the Secretary, the Chair shall appoint a new Secretary to serve the remainder of the term of the former Secretary.
4. All Officers: In the event of the death, disability or resignation of all three elected officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary), the NCSL staff liaison shall call a meeting of the existing Directors within 30 days, and they shall elect by a majority vote a new Chair, a new Vice-Chair, and a new Secretary to serve until the election of their successors at the next Annual Business Meeting.

Article 10: Professional Development Seminar (PDS) Fund

1. NCSL has granted a special fund to NALIT to hold profits from NALIT professional development seminars. Funds raised for a professional development seminar that remain after all expenses have been paid may be carried over for use in future seminars, other professional development such as webinars, faculty, rainy day funds when meetings do not break even, or other authorized purposes approved by the Executive Committee.
2. The PDS Fund should be used as follows:
   • A rainy-day fund, within the PDS Fund, of $50,000 shall be maintained in case a NALIT meeting does not break even or must be canceled with penalties.
   • Funds in excess of $50,000 may be used in accordance with section 3 of this portion of the Bylaws to benefit the NALIT membership.
     • When the PDS fund reaches $60,000, the NALIT Executive Committee should consider ways to utilize some of the excess above the rainy-day fund.
     • When the PDS fund reaches $65,000, the NALIT Executive Committee must find ways to utilize some of the excess above the rainy-day fund.
3. With the exception of the rainy-day fund, the NALIT PDS Fund should be allocated as follows:
   1. The surplus revenues from NALIT Professional Development Seminars should be used for professional development purposes. The NALIT Executive Committee, by majority vote, will determine the appropriate use of any surplus funds.
   2. Up to twenty-five percent of net surplus revenues from NALIT Professional Development Seminars may be designated for a NALIT discretionary fund. These funds are to be used for miscellaneous NALIT expenses, such as NALIT lapel pins, color printing of the NALIT Newsletter or printing or purchase of other NALIT materials, or other related purposes as approved by the NALIT Executive Committee.
4. The NCSL staff contact shall monitor the fund and shall make an annual report to the Executive Committee no later than at the next Annual Business Meeting.

Article 11: Conflict of Interest

1. If any officer or Director has a financial or personal interest in any matter coming before the Executive Committee, the affected person shall
   • fully disclose the nature of the interest and
   • withdraw from discussion and voting on the matter. The majority of disinterested members of the Executive Committee may vote to waive recusal by the interested member. In all other cases, any action involving a potential conflict of interest shall be approved only when a majority of disinterested members of the Executive Committee determine that it is in the best interest of NALIT to do so. The minutes of meetings at which such votes are taken shall record such disclosure, abstention or waiving of recusal, and rationale for approval.

Article 12: Standing Orders

1. Purpose: Document the policies, procedures, activities, or decisions of the Executive Committee.
2. Expiration Dates: Standing orders shall remain in effect until amended or repealed by the action of the same or a succeeding Executive Committee.
3. Record of Standing Orders: Standing orders shall be recorded by a majority vote of the Executive Committee as an addendum to the Bylaws until repeal or expiration.
4. Permanent Standing Orders: Permanent activities of the Association that shall be maintained in the standing orders include, but are not limited to:
   • NALIT Legislative Staff Achievement Awards: Provides for the selection of annual Legislative Staff Achievement Award Winners.
   • NALIT Website: Provides for oversight of the NALIT website.
   • Appointment of Standing Committees: Provides for the procedures to appoint standing committees when necessary.

Article 13: Amendment of Bylaws

1. Vote: The Bylaws of the Association may be amended by a majority vote of the general members present at any meeting of the Association.
2. Copy of Bylaws Available: A digital copy of the Bylaws with amendments shall be made available to all general members 30-days prior to the Annual Business Meeting of the Association at which the vote to amend will occur. A printed or digital copy of the Bylaws with amendments shall be made available to the general members at the Annual Business Meeting at which the vote to amend will occur.

Originally adopted 11/12/92; amended 7/20/95; amended 10/12/00; amended 7/26/03; amended 8/15/06; amended 8/08/07; amended 8/08/2019, last amended 08/02/22.

Officers: 2024-2025

Directors: 2023-2024

Directors are appointed by the NALIT chair. Directors serve staggered two-year terms, i.e., three are appointed in even years; three are appointed in odd years. The terms of office of the NALIT directors commence at the close of the annual NALIT Business Meeting after which they are appointed and continue two years until the next Business Meeting.

Professional Development Seminar Planning Committee 

The committee plans session content and activities, identifies speakers, and conducts other tasks that contribute to the success of the Professional Development Seminar. Committee members serve a one year term of office.

Legislative Staff Achievement Award Committee

The annual Legislative Staff Achievement Award was created by the Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee to recognize excellence in supporting the work of a state legislature and strengthening the legislative institution. Each staff section associated with NCSL may name up to two recipients–individuals, teams or legislative offices–for recognition each year. The NALIT Staff Achievement Award Committee solicits nominations and recommends award recipients for the NALIT Legislative Staff Achievement Award, based on criteria outlined on the NALIT website. Committee members serve a one year term of office.

Nominating Committee

The NALIT Nominating Committee is responsible for compiling a slate of nominees for the offices of chair, vice chair and secretary. This slate is submitted by the chair of the Nominating Committee for a vote of the general members of the Association at the NCSL Legislative Summit. Nominees are elected by a simple majority of the general members of the association present and voting. Committee members serve a one year term of office.

Online Democracy Award Committee  

The Online Democracy Award is sponsored by NCSL’s Legislative Information and Communication Staff Section (LINCS) and the National Association of Legislative Information Technology (NALIT). Each year, the Selection Committee, made up of past winners, considers nominations from official legislative websites developed and maintained by or under the authority of (a) a state legislature, (b) a legislative chamber, or (c) an officially-recognized legislative partisan caucus. Committee members serve a two-year term of office.

NALIT and Legislative Information Technology: From the Way We Were to the Way We Are

By Pamela Greenberg and Kae Warnock

The National Association of Legislative Information Technology began as a group of legislative staff who worked on computer applications and in 1980 petitioned NCSL to form a legislative staff association ('staff section').

That is the same year Commodore released the VIC-20 home computer-the first computer to sell more than a million units.

NCSL's governing body agreed there was a need, and the Computer Applications Staff Section was born. The first bylaws for the group extended membership not just to legislative staff, but also to state executive agency employees with responsibility for legislative systems. Most states didn't have a separate legislative computer support agency until 1975, and some still operated under executive branch support in the 1980s.

By 1985, CASS had adopted new bylaws that removed mention of executive branch employees, reflecting a growing movement toward establishing independent computer systems and support for legislatures.

CASS published its first 50-state roster of legislative computer contacts that year, and began publishing regular newsletters. Members of CASS, according to one article, were "somewhat evangelical in their attempts to get clerks, secretaries, fiscal analysts, bill drafters and researchers-many of whom viewed IT as an unnecessary evil-to use computers."

During the late '80s and early '90s, the CASS newsletter articles highlighted how state legislatures were offering online access to legislative information via telephone and computer dialup. Wang PCs, mainframe computers and voting boards kept CASS members busy.

For example, a 1987 CASS Newsletter article reported that "Iowa legislators can now use their own personal computers and modems to access the legislative computer from their homes," but "the PCs used must run software to emulate a VT-100 terminal."

In 1992, CASS members voted at their annual business meeting to change the name of the association to the National Association of Legislative Information Technology to "accurately reflect the role of staff managing diverse information technologies in legislatures today."

Those early expanding technologies included providing email for legislators and staff to use and providing legislative information for the public via internet servers. NALIT members were developing and managing networks and databases, chamber automation, fiscal systems, and bill status and drafting systems. And by the end of 1997, 46 state legislatures had a website.

By the mid-1990s about half the states were drafting bills on mainframe computers using TextDBMS, a database management system that was designed to store and search through large volumes of textual data. But 16 states were using WordPerfect in part of the bill drafting process. This shift to using word processing software continued and NALIT members were eager to share information and ideas.

As NALIT members began sharing information and ideas, they looked for information that only their colleagues in other legislatures could provide. Initially, NALIT provided members with a listserv and NALIT sessions on important IT topics at NCSL annual meetings.

As the technology expanded, so did the membership of NALIT and they needed more in-person opportunities to share information The association held its first professional development seminar in fall 1997 in St. Paul, Minn., and has continued these successful seminars since.

By 1995, a few states were already making decisions on whether to provide computers for members on the floor, ways to scan amendments so that members could see them at their desks and providing near real-time bill status information. Forty-seven states were using electronic voting systems in at least one chamber.

Public access to legislative information has always been a significant goal and IT staff developed tools to support that mission. In the mid-1990s more than 40 legislatures provided access to legislative information via a subscription or the internet. Several legislatures were selling their statutes on CD-ROM. However, public access shifted steadily over time to legislative websites where the public was granted the ability to access bill information in real time and view the statutes for free.

Jim Greenwalt was among the founding members of CASS and NALIT. He is a former director of Senate Information Systems in Minnesota and a past NCSL staff chair. Almost 27 years ago, Greenwalt was asked by NCSL's State Legislatures magazine about technological changes coming to legislatures. His forecast:

"Jim Greenwalt predicts that early in the next century, as bandwidth and computer speeds increase, video mail will be as common as email is now. You will be able to reach anyone, anywhere, anytime through pocket-sized or smaller devices. The convergence of these technologies will provide instant access and, potentially, information overload. 'We are wrapping an electronic chain around our necks and will not be able to get away,' says Greenwalt.

"Technology could also dramatically alter how legislators make decisions. 'In the future, it will be possible to create expert systems that will sort through information, assess options and make recommendations with respect to policies.'"

Greenwalt's predictions for technology have been proven pretty accurate. Legislative IT shops supported Zoom and Teams meetings for legislative committees during the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued video conference support ever since.

In 2012, Oregon voters approved a constitutional amendment aimed at dealing with disasters. Wisconsin also had a constitutional provision within their continuity of government laws allowing remote sessions. Both constitutional provisions gave these legislatures an easy way to transition to remote meetings during the pandemic in 2020. By March 2020, one or both chambers in at least 28 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands had provisions allowing remote participation, voting or proxy voting for floor sessions or committee meetings.

While many of these temporary provisions have sunset, either by gubernatorial declaration or legislative decisions, 11 legislatures, six senates and three house or assembly chambers still have provisions allowing them to meet remotely if needed.

To facilitate these remote meetings, legislative IT staff became experts in using Zoom, YouTube, Microsoft Teams and many other products to support their legislatures.

In 2023, at least 32 chambers reported using closed captioning for their chamber proceedings. By 2024, all state legislatures and several territories provided live webcasts of floor proceedings. Most legislatures also provided webcasts of some or all committee hearings. Many kept archives of floor proceedings and committee hearings for online viewers to watch on demand.

NALIT members have been at the forefront of innovation for their legislatures. Every legislature uses some type of bill drafting software either built in-house or provided by a private company, most chambers have electronic voting systems and new applications are created whenever a need arises.

Databases to sort information about policy issues, bills and legislation are now commonplace. As innovations move toward artificial intelligence, legislative IT shops are using the technology to support cybersecurity and, in a few states, summarization of bills.

Many legislatures have a variety of IT professionals on staff including network administrators, analysts, developers, cybersecurity specialists, and help desk support. Without these important staff, legislatures would not be able to provide the broad range of technological support to state legislatures. NALIT has helped these important legislative professionals connect and share innovative solutions to support the legislative process.

Pam Greenberg followed technology issues for NCSL and was liaison to the National Association of Legislative Information Technology. Kae Warnock is a senior policy specialist for NCSL and the current liaison to the National Association of Legislative Information Technology.