When Thomas Jefferson wrote that "with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times," he stated a proposition which we have largely ignored in the area of legislative facilities and procedures. The General Assembly today operates in a manner not unlike that at the turn of the century. The basic structure of our law-making body framed by the Constitution of 1902 remains intact today.

Yet we need look no further back in time than one decade to see that circumstances have changed although the institution has not. In 1958 when the General Assembly adopted the appropriation bill which was one of the 1078 measures introduced and 642 finally enacted into law, it appropriated some $365 million from the General Fund for the maintenance and operation of state government in the next biennium. In 1968 when the Legislature adopted House Bill No. 20 which was one of 1724 measures considered and 807 finally enacted, it appropriated over $1.3 billion for maintenance and operation during the present biennium.

There is little need to garner statistics to prove what every member of the Legislature knows and what the 1968 General Assembly affirmed in adopting Senate Joint Resolution No. 20 which created this Commission -- vast changes have taken place to increase the volume and complexity of the work of the General Assembly and it is proper and necessary to examine our legislative process, to tune it to present needs and circumstances and to revamp it where required. The Resolution under which this Commission has functioned states in part:

"Whereas, it is a matter of great concern that, under the existing legislative process, the members of the General Assembly no longer have the time, information or facilities to consider the vastly increased volume and complexity of subjects of legislation in the efficient and effective manner which the people of Virginia have a right to expect and demand;...

"Resolved by the Senate of Virginia, the House of Delegates concurring, That a commission is hereby created to be known as the Commission on the Legislative Process;... The Commission shall make a study of the legislative process in Virginia and shall make recommendations for its improvement. Such study shall include, without limitation, such matters as: (1) facilities and space for the performance of legislative functions; (2) compensation of the members of the General Assembly; (3) staff assistants to members of the General Assembly and.to the committee of each house thereof; and (4) staffing of legislative service agencies..."

The full text of this Resolution appears in Appendix I.

Our investigations pursuant to this Resolution have shown that the means are at hand to accomplish many useful and desirable improvements in our legislative process. The activities of other states in fostering improved techniques and procedures for processing legislation and in modernizing legislative facilities have provided much valuable background for our study. The work done by national groups, such as the Citizens Conference on State Legislatures, concerned with the strengthening of the state legislative branch of government has been of much interest and assistance.

The Report which follows contains specific commentary on our recommendations concerning the constitutional provisions relating to the Legislature, the physical facilities of the Legislature, the processing of bills, staffing for the Legislature, compensation for legislators and the continuation and expansion of this study.

Before proceeding to a discussion of these various special fields, it is appropriate to review several basic conclusions reached in the course of our study.