Senate Clerk's Office

About the senate clerk's office

The Clerk of the Senate is an officer of the Connecticut General Assembly and is elected on opening day of the odd-year regular session for a two-year term. The Clerks' Offices are charged with the publication of the Journals, Calendars, Bulletins, Bill Indices and other documents of the General Assembly. The Assistant Clerk has the same powers and performs the same duties as the Clerk, subject to the direction of the Clerk. The General Statutes provide that each house have a full time Permanent Assistant Clerk. In addition to the Permanent Assistant Clerk, each office has a Journal Clerk, Calendar Clerk, Bill/Computer Clerk and an Office Assistant. During sessional periods, additional personnel are added as necessary.

A bill is not officially filed until it is presented in proper form to the Clerk of the introducer's chamber and signed by the introducer. Senators and Representatives file their bills in their respective Clerk's Office where they are processed for printing and introduction. Any member may be added as a co-sponsor to a bill by going to either Clerk's office and signing a form to that effect. The information is then entered into the introducer file in the computer. If the bill has already been photo-offset, the additional sponsors will be listed only in the computer and their names will not appear on the original bill.

The Journals, which are published in accordance with the Constitution, the Senate Rules, and the Joint Rules, contain all of the legislative actions taken on each session day including the text of all amendments acted upon. The roll call vote on each action in the Senate or House appears in that chamber's Journal immediately following the write-up of the bill or amendment.

During regular sessions, the Clerks' Offices are responsible for the operation of the Information Room. During the interim, information is provided by the two offices.