Our Historical Background
The New York Legislative Service, Inc. was established in 1932 as the only research group to exclusively focus on the legislative intent and purpose of historical and current legislation of New York State. After working at the Foreign Policy Association and the National Municipal League, Elizabeth McKibbin Scott (1897 - 1976) founded the Service and thereupon guided it for 42 years. She is remembered as a charismatic woman who believed that citizens should be more knowledgeable and concerned with what their legislators were doing in Albany. She used her own money, along with modest fees, to support the Service and relied upon the support of friends and volunteers to help run the organization. From its founding, the Service had alliances with many organizations such as the Citizens Union, Rand School of Social Sciences, Central Trades, and Labor Council, League for Industrial Democracy, Women's Trade Union League, and various Labor Unions. On September 16, 1975, the Service was established as a section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. In 1977, the New York Legislative Service expanded its focus on legislative intent and purpose to include New York City legislation. Today, after nearly 90 years of existence, the New York Legislative Service is still the only research group that is exclusively focused on the legislative history and current legislation of New York State and New York City.
The original objective of the New York Legislative Service was to disseminate primary sources of information on New York State and City legislative activities, revealing legislative intent and purpose, to both legal professionals and private citizens alike. Thus, the Service was attuned to the needs of lawyers, interest groups, unions, lobbyists, and state and private libraries. Today, this value is still upheld and the Service is proud to perform research that no other entity can accomplish. To find out more, please view Our Services.
In 1946, the New York Legislative Service began publishing the NYS Legislative Annual, which was the only book published on NYS legislative intent, comprised of the sponsor's explanatory memorandum for each new chapter law enacted in the most recent year. In 1980, the first NYC Legislative Annual was published as the only reference book published on local laws, containing the full texts and later adding the Committee Reports for each new local law enacted in the most recent year. Today, both the NYS Legislative Annual and the NYC Legislative Annual have evolved into unparalleled guides for NYS and NYC legislative intent and purpose, and are still the only fully comprehensive research guides regarding such matters. For more information, please view Our Legislative Annuals.
In 2019, the New York Legislative Service announced its library collection as the NY Library of Legislative Intent. After decades of accruing books, documents, and resources resulting from daily legislative research and generous donations from other libraries, the New York Legislative Service is now proud to possess nearly 1,000,000 documents within its NY Library of Legislative Intent. To learn more, please view our NY Library of Legislative Intent.
The New York Legislative Service and its research team are forever grateful to the following former and present leaders and members of our Board who each in their own way have helped to shape the Service into the exemplary organization that stands today:
Executive Directors (Current & Emeritus):
Board Presidents (Current & Emeritus):
Board of Directors (Current):
The original objective of the New York Legislative Service was to disseminate primary sources of information on New York State and City legislative activities, revealing legislative intent and purpose, to both legal professionals and private citizens alike. Thus, the Service was attuned to the needs of lawyers, interest groups, unions, lobbyists, and state and private libraries. Today, this value is still upheld and the Service is proud to perform research that no other entity can accomplish. To find out more, please view Our Services.
In 1946, the New York Legislative Service began publishing the NYS Legislative Annual, which was the only book published on NYS legislative intent, comprised of the sponsor's explanatory memorandum for each new chapter law enacted in the most recent year. In 1980, the first NYC Legislative Annual was published as the only reference book published on local laws, containing the full texts and later adding the Committee Reports for each new local law enacted in the most recent year. Today, both the NYS Legislative Annual and the NYC Legislative Annual have evolved into unparalleled guides for NYS and NYC legislative intent and purpose, and are still the only fully comprehensive research guides regarding such matters. For more information, please view Our Legislative Annuals.
In 2019, the New York Legislative Service announced its library collection as the NY Library of Legislative Intent. After decades of accruing books, documents, and resources resulting from daily legislative research and generous donations from other libraries, the New York Legislative Service is now proud to possess nearly 1,000,000 documents within its NY Library of Legislative Intent. To learn more, please view our NY Library of Legislative Intent.
The New York Legislative Service and its research team are forever grateful to the following former and present leaders and members of our Board who each in their own way have helped to shape the Service into the exemplary organization that stands today:
Executive Directors (Current & Emeritus):
- Elizabeth McKinney Scott (1932 - 1976)
- Pamela Sibener (1976 - 1992)
- Laird Mark Ehlert (1993 - 2014)
- Steven Duanne Harvey (2014 - Present)
Board Presidents (Current & Emeritus):
- Louis J. Merrell (1953 - 1965)
- Robert M. Morgenthau (1966 - 1975)
- David Baker (1975 - 1996)
- Ross Sandler (1997 - 2014)
- Roderick Hills, Jr. (2015 - Present)
Board of Directors (Current):
- Chairman: Ross Sandler
- President: Roderick Hills, Jr.
- Vice President: H. Hedley Stothers, Jr.
- Treasurer: Kathryn McRae
- Mark Zaleck
- Gretchen Feltes
- Meghan O'Connor Gill
- James Dunning