About CRB

The California Research Bureau provides customized and deadline-driven reference and information services, research, and analysis to the Governor’s Office and Legislature.

Mission

The mission of the California Research Bureau is to provide nonpartisan and confidential public policy research for the Governor’s Office and the State Legislature and to advance equitable access via statewide initiatives, including CRB Nexus and the California Homeless Youth Project.

History

When Proposition 140 created legislative term limits in 1990, legislative leaders worried that more frequent turnover of legislators and staff might lead to a loss of institutional memory and recommended establishing a special research agency to serve the Senate and Assembly that would be modeled after the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, providing rapid reference services and nonpartisan research and analysis to policymakers.

To solve this challenge, the 1991 California budget included a line-item allocation of $3.6 million to the California State Library, with the task of creating a “Legislative Research Service Bureau.” However, Governor Pete Wilson thought this new Research Bureau should be available to the Governor’s Office as well, so he included a line-item veto to strike out the word “legislative” and created the California Research Bureau.

Whenever staff ask me for advice on learning the ins and outs of state policy, I tell them the same thing: the California Research Bureau is your new best friend.

Steven Stenzler, Office of Timothy S. Grayson

The research provided was more than incredible and exceeded my expectations by so much. I would not hesitate to ask for help again and am truly in awe by how well done and impressive the research was, and by how the research was laid out for my team.

Jorge Silva, Office of Senator Ben Hueso

Thank you so much for rushing this request! Having this info all compiled by CRB saves us a ton of time. I love many parts about working in the Legislature and one of them is having access to amazing research resources like the CRB.

Sandra Nakagawa, Assembly Committee on Housing & Community Development

CRB, the State Library, and its professional staff provide top-notch services and resources that help me see the forest from the trees on complicated issues.

Gino Folchi, Assembly Republican Caucus