Office of Policy and Legal Analysis – Augusta, ME

Office of Policy and Legal Analysis (OPLA)

Role and Responsibilities

The Office of Policy and Legal Analysis (OPLA) is a nonpartisan staff office of the Maine State Legislature. Operating under the authority of the Legislative Council, OPLA provides essential professional services to the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committees, Select Committees, and various study commissions. The office is dedicated to offering objective, nonpartisan policy and legal research to assist lawmakers in the legislative process. Unlike partisan staff, OPLA does not advocate for specific political positions but focuses on the technical and legal aspects of legislation.

Key Services

OPLA staff perform a variety of critical functions to support the legislative branch:

• Committee Staffing: Providing primary staffing support for legislative committees, including analyzing bills, drafting amendments, and preparing committee reports.
• Legal Research: Conducting in-depth legal and policy research on issues before the legislature.
• Bill Drafting Assistance: Working with the Revisor of Statutes to draft complex legislative proposals.
• Legislative Studies: Staffing interim study commissions and preparing final reports on specific policy topics.
• Review of State Agencies: Assisting committees in their oversight roles, including the review of agency budgets and operations under the Government Evaluation Act.

Location and Access

The Office of Policy and Legal Analysis is physically located in the Burton M. Cross State Office Building, which is connected to the State House in the Capitol Complex.

• Physical Location: Room 215, 2nd Floor, Cross State Office Building.
• Mailing Address: Correspondence should be directed to 13 State House Station.
• Access: The office is open to the public during regular business hours, though much of their work is conducted within the committee rooms of the State House and Cross Building. Visitors to the Cross Building must pass through security screening.