By Sheeva Azma

As the saying goes, “all politics is local.” While national politics seem most glitzy and glamorous (at least on TV), state and local policymaking are other areas where scientists can contribute – and with even greater influence. That’s because while you often have to travel all the way to Washington, DC to meet with your federal lawmakers, your state lawmakers are likely much closer, and since they serve fewer people, you are more likely to be able to actually meet them and talk about issues that are near and dear to you. They also have more time to listen since they’re only dealing with state issues, not federal issues affecting the whole state.

There’s no shortage of science-containing legislation being considered at state capitols all across the United States. As I recounted in my Stand Up for Science speech at the Oklahoma Capitol, I was visiting my state lawmakers one day when I encountered an anti-renewable energy protest against windmills. 

States receive federal funding, which they don’t have a lot of flexibility in using, since the federal government has specific requirements. However, states also have their own budgets and other sources of funds, such as from state taxes, and so the states appropriate funds each year. These funds can go to science activities, whether that is industry, or to state universities, or elsewhere. The implementation of state laws involving topics such as health, agriculture, environment, technology, and the like also often involve science.

Why You Shouldn’t Discount State-Level Science Policy

Working in the US Congress, I dreamed I would get a job and stay there, but that wasn’t the case. Wanting to get involved in state-level community engagement (mostly since I wouldn’t have to move back to DC while getting to do something I love), I visited my local state capitol with my local Democratic party in January 2025 and met some state lawmakers. I was surprised that the level of access you have with state lawmakers is much more than that of federal lawmakers. While I have never been able to meet with (or even be in the same room as) my actual federal lawmakers in several years of Hill Day visits, for example, I have already met nearly a dozen state lawmakers.

In March 2025, I organized Oklahoma City’s Stand Up for Science event. This event drew a crowd of about 100 people, mostly scientists, concerned about federal science funding. 

To plan the event, I called tons of state lawmakers to ask them to speak, and even though many could not, they all reiterated their support for science. It was also way easier to get in touch with them than with the federal lawmakers I contacted!

That’s how I learned that state and local science policy can be much more accessible than federal science policy: for most people, traveling to their state capital is less time- and resource-intensive than traveling to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Sure, the jurisdiction of laws is a bit different, but each state has appropriations each year to fund various institutions and organizations – for example, funding from our state legislature goes to fund various public K-12 and university institutions each year. There are also laws pertaining to how we do different things in our states, like where we place windmills and other renewable energy resources, that are influenced by state law as well as federal law.

If you are a Democrat living in a red state, as I am, you can still work in science policy on the state level. Science policy, and policy in general, is a form of knowledge co-creation across different stakeholders with different political views. There’s an art to engaging in science policy work with people who have different views than you, as I have previously blogged. While compromise is tough, it’s not impossible, and is a standard part of policymaking.

How to Get Involved in State-Level Science Policy

There are many ways to get involved in state-level science policy. You can work to help elect a state legislator you support, or you can visit your state lawmakers at the state capitol. You can keep track of the bills being debated in your state legislature and show up to the debate when they are being discussed. You can also, like I did, host events and invite lawmakers to speak.

Many states also have independent science advisory organizations which provide information to state legislatures to provide science policy analysis, conduct independent research studies on the impacts of state and federal laws, and generally help the state and federal government make the best decisions, informed by science and research. I gave examples from California, Connecticut, and Washington State’s science advisory organizations to their state legislatures in a previous blog called “Science-Informed Policymaking for State Governments.” Below, you can read more about state-level science policy fellowships, where they are available.

Not all states have these science advisory groups on the state level, but the ones that do also often offer science and technology policy fellowships, similar to the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships that are highly selective and require you to move to Washington, DC. If you want to work in science policy but enjoy where you live, a state science policy fellowship could be for you – that is, assuming your state offers one! If not, it might take a bit more effort to read up on what is happening in your state legislature, but there is no shortage of opportunities to contact your lawmakers and stay engaged on the issues.

Does Your State Have a State-Level Science Advisory Board? Find out here!

I compiled this list based on my own independent research. If I am missing information on this list, please let me know.

(If you are visiting this page from a desktop device, use the shortcut Ctrl+F to search for your state’s name to quickly access information. On iPhone, using the Safari app, you can tap the “share” button and go to “find on page” to be able to search for your state. On Google Chrome, tap “More” (the three dots) at the top right, then select “Find in page” to search.)

Despite what you might think, if your state does not have a substantive state-level science policy analysis ecosystem, that can be a great opportunity for you, as a scientist or person with a science background, to get involved with state-level science policy. This work may likely be on your own time and will be unpaid, but it can be very useful for state policymaking (and can help you develop important science policy skills, to boot).

Alabama

Alabama’s Legislature does not have a state-level science advisory organization. The Legislative Services Agency provides non-partisan fiscal and legal advising, including on policies relating to science, but does not provide science advising.

Alaska

Alaska’s Legislative Research Services is a nonpartisan source of independent research and analysis, including, but not limited to on science issues, for Alaska’s lawmakers and committees.

Arizona

Arizona’s state legislature does not have a state-level science advisory organization, but the Legislative Council provides nonpartisan support for bill drafting and policy analysis. The Senate Research Staff writes research reports, including on science topics, for the AZ Senate. There are also paid staffers providing non-partisan, objective research, including on science topics, in the AZ House. 

A science and technology policy fellowship is in the works for Arizona graduate students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) which will, among other objectives, put trained scientists in the AZ legislature.

If you are interested in performing your own legislative analysis pertaining to Arizona state legislative activities, you can learn more here.

Arkansas

The Arkansas State Legislature has the Bureau of Legislative Research which provides “general research” for bill drafting and presentation help with state legislation, including on science bills, but does not have a dedicated arm advising on science policy.

California

California is one of the states that has a state-chartered science advisory organization to help its state legislature make science-informed decisions. 

The California Council on Science and Technology is a nonpartisan non-profit organization, CCST was formed by the California Legislature in 1988 so that California scientists and research institutions could provide expert, objective policy advice on science subjects. The CCST has job opportunities on its website including a paid science and technology policy fellowship.

To learn more about CCST’s science policy advising role to California’s state legislature, check out this recap of the 2024 AAAS session on state-level science advisory bodies featuring CA, CT, and WA.

The California legislature also has the Legislative Analyst’s Office which produces policy reports.

Colorado

The Colorado Science & Engineering Policy Fellowship was founded by a pair of Democrat and Republican lawmakers, both with engineering backgrounds. It allows undergraduate and graduate science students to work in the Colorado government, including the state legislature, to gain exposure to public policy.

The Colorado General Assembly’s Legislative Council Staff also prepares reports, including on science topics, to inform policymaking.

Connecticut

Connecticut is one of the states that has a state-chartered science advisory organization to help the state legislature make science-informed decisions.

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was established in 1976 by the Connecticut General Assembly as a private non-profit modeled after the National Academy of Sciences. CASE’s mission is to advise the state government as well as industry groups in applying science and engineering knowledge to help Connecticuters prosper socially and economically. CASE has various job opportunities listed on its website, including a science and technology policy fellowship that places scientists in the state legislature.

To learn more about CASE’s science policy advising role to Connecticut’s state legislature, check out this recap of the 2024 AAAS session on state-level science advisory bodies featuring CA, CT, and WA.

The Connecticut General Assembly also has the Office of Fiscal Analysis to help support the analysis and preparation of the state budget, and the Legislative Commissioners’ Office performs general research for the Assembly.

District of Columbia

The District of Columbia has the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs to provide research and other analysis to the DC City Council.

Delaware

The Delaware state legislature does not have a dedicated science advisory organization to support science-informed lawmaking, though its Division of Legislative Services nonpartisanly assists with “legislative and legal research, bill drafting, and committee staffing, as well as the development, production, and distribution of public information concerning the General Assembly.”

Florida

The Florida State Legislature has a guide on communicating with state lawmakers for any scientists wishing to be more engaged. The Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research provides the state legislature with research into economic and social trends affecting Floridians.

Georgia

The Georgia General Assembly has two research offices: one for the GA Senate and one for the GA House. In the Senate, the Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis provides nonpartisan “quality, specialized, objective” information for Senators and the state’s Lieutenant Governor. The House Budget and Research Office provides fiscal and policy analysis, which has included one-pagers on science topics, to the state’s House of Representatives; there is also a Senate Budget and Evaluation Office providing non-partisan analysis to support the development of an annual budget.

Hawai’i

The Hawai’i State Legislature publishes reports generated from different state agencies and organizations to help lawmakers in policymaking; they can be read at the “Reports to the Legislature” link on this page. They also do special studies, which are in-depth legislative investigations of topics, including topics in science.

Idaho

Eligible scientists, social scientists, and/or engineers with Idaho ties and a PhD or Master’s + equivalent work experience may apply to the Idaho Science and Technology Policy Fellowships to work in the Idaho legislature.

Idaho’s Legislative Service Office provides non-partisan analysis on policy, especially related to fiscal concerns, for state lawmakers.

Illinois

Graduate students from UIUC, UIS, or UIC can apply for the Illini Science Policy Program to work in the Illinois General Assembly or various state agencies. 

Fiscal and economic research happens at the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which has its own research unit. Many states’ legislative advisory body websites do not specifically mention science issues, but science is listed as a specific area of advisory for the Illinois state legislature.

Indiana

The Indiana Academy of Science is a non-profit organization established in 1885 by a group of Indiana scientists. It oversees the INSPECT Fellowship program, which recruits graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in state government positions including at the Legislative Services Agency of the Indiana General Assembly.

Iowa

The Iowa Legislature is supported by the Legislative Services Agency and handles all fiscal and general research requests from Iowa’s state legislature. 

Kansas

The Kansas Legislative Research Department provides nonpartisan information on topics including science, with regards to research as well as fiscal analysis, to the Kansas Legislature.

According to a one-pager from the California Council on Science and Technology, a science and technology policy fellowship is in the works for the state of KS that could put scientists and/or science students in the state’s legislative branch.

Kentucky

The Kentucky General Assembly’s Kentucky Legislative Research Commission provides nonpartisan legislative services to lawmakers. According to a one-pager from the California Council on Science and Technology, a science and technology policy fellowship is in the works for the state of KY which would potentially place scientists and/or science students in the state’s legislative branch.

Louisiana

The Louisiana State Legislature has the House Legislative Services and Senate Legislative Services, for which no website was available at the time of writing. These are nonpartisan advisory services within the state legislature of Louisiana which provide insights to help with policymaking.

Maine

The Maine Legislature has a Legislative Information Office which oversees reports on various policy issues, which are compiled by various state organizations, often at the request of the legislative branch itself. The Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library, established by Maine law in 1971, provides reference documents to members of the Legislature, including legislative-mandated reports, for use of all “state government agencies, the judiciary, the bar, and the citizens of Maine.”

Maryland

The Department of Legislative Services within the General Assembly of Maryland provides “legal, fiscal, committee, research, reference, auditing, administrative, and technological support” for the Maryland state legislature.

The Maryland Sea Grant sponsors a year-long State Science Policy Fellowship Program in conjunction with state agencies and legislative leadership as well as the University System of Maryland for students with relevant graduate degrees in science (or a law degree). This opportunity puts fellows in policy positions, including in the state legislature, relating to environmental policy, with a focus on coastal management and sustainability.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the only state that does not have a state legislative research bureau, despite the state’s rich scientific talent. The Scientific Citizenship Initiative has established the Massachusetts Science and Technology Policy Fellowship to support the legislative infrastructure through the expert advising of scientists. The program selects STEM PhDs to serve full-time in the Massachusetts State House, providing non-partisan scientific guidance.

Michigan

The Michigan Legislative Service Bureau, established as a nonpartisan agency by the Michigan Legislature in 1941, provides research and other services for the Michigan legislature.

A science and technology policy fellowship for graduate students in science is also in the works at the Ford School of the University of Michigan.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Legislature has the Minnesota House Research Department, providing nonpartisan research and legal services for the state House, and the Senate Counsel, Research, and Fiscal Analysis that writes research reports and memos for the state Senate.

Work is underway to develop a coastal/marine science policy fellowship to put scientists and/or students of science in the Minnesota Legislature.

Mississippi

According to Ballotpedia, the Mississippi Legislature has both a House and Senate Legislative Services Office. As detailed in the Mississippi House Rules, the House Legislative Services Office can assist with bill research and preparation, as well as the preparation of reports of House standing and interim committees. The Mississippi Senate Rules are less clear on the role of the Senate Legislative Services Office.

Missouri

The MOST Policy Initiative has a MOST Legislative Policy Fellowship program that helps the Missouri General Assembly by providing nonpartisan science policy research. provide rigorous, nonpartisan science policy research for members of the Missouri General Assembly.

In Missouri’s state legislature, the Joint Committee on Legislative Research provides fiscal analysis related directly to legislation, prepares annual reports, and evaluates state agencies.

Montana

Montana state legislature’s Legislative Services Division performs various functions for the state legislature, including policy research and analysis via the Office of Research and Policy Analysis (ORPA) & Legislative Environmental Policy Office (LEPO).

Nebraska

The Nebraska legislature is the only unicameral legislature in the United States. The Nebraska Unicameral Legislature’s senators are elected in nonpartisan elections; furthermore, the Legislature does not formally recognize members’ political parties.

Fiscal analysis for the Nebraska Legislature happens at the Legislative Fiscal Office and general research needs are addressed by the Legislative Research Office.

Nevada

The Nevada Legislature has the Legislative Council Bureau to serve both the State House and Senate to draft bills, research information, and, in its words, remove bias in information-gathering and “free legislators from dependence upon the executive branch of state government and lobbyists for information and assistance.”

New Hampshire

According to Ballotpedia, the General Court of New Hampshire has the Office of Legislative Services, though as of March 27, 2025, the website Ballotpedia listed did not work. You can read more about the NH OLS in this local news article, though according to this article, they are more focused on drafting bills than providing in-depth research.

According to a one-pager from the California Council on Science and Technology, a science and technology policy fellowship is in development in New Hampshire to put scientists in the state’s legislative branch.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Legislature has an Office of Legislative Services to provide “professional, nonpartisan” support to the lawmakers, including on “general, legal and fiscal research and analysis.”

The Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers has a Science and Politics Fellowship Program that puts PhD-level scientists in various state government positions, including in the NJ legislature.

New Mexico

The New Mexico Legislature has bill drafting and legal research done by the Legislative Council Service.

According to a one-pager from the California Council on Science and Technology, a science and technology policy fellowship is in development in New Mexico that could put scientists in the state’s legislative branch.

New York

The New York State Assembly has support for drafting bills thanks to the New York Legislative Bill Drafting Commission, but legislative and fiscal research is handled by the legislators and their staff.

The Rockefeller Institute of Government’s Science and Technology Fellowship places science, technology, and engineering PhDs in the state legislature to lend their skills to policymaking.

North Carolina

The General Assembly of North Carolina’s Legislative Analysis Division provides nonpartisan general research to support the state legislature’s needs.

The North Carolina STEM Policy Post-Graduate Fellowship enables students “from North Carolina colleges and universities with opportunities to serve full-time (40 hours per week) for a year in high-level state government offices, focusing on policy topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

North Dakota

The North Dakota Legislative Branch has the Legislative Council to perform various functions, including nonpartisan research, for lawmakers, though this research is mostly focused on preparing bills.

Ohio

The Ohio Legislature has the Ohio Legislative Service Commission to help with “drafting, research, budget and fiscal analysis, training, and other services.”

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Legislature has the Legislative Service Bureau, which has three divisions: the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), the Information System Division, and the Photo Division. LOFT provides budget information to set policy, while Information Systems maintains computer/app resources such as the online bill tracking system, and the Photo Division provides photography services. None of these three divisions are focused on providing general, non-partisan research beyond setting fiscal policy.

Oregon

The Oregon State Legislature’s bill drafting and general, non-partisan research needs are taken care of by the Oregon Legislative Counsel, while the state’s Legislative Fiscal Office provides research and analysis relating to Oregon’s state budget.

Pennsylvania

The Legislative Reference Bureau provides nonpartisan, general research; fiscal analysis is conducted by the majority party of the Appropriations committee, according to Ballotpedia. 

Pennsylvania has several fellowships available with state government agencies, though no information is given on fellowships specifically within the Pennsylvania legislature. However, opportunities are available to work in the Pennsylvania House for college students studying in the state and college students that are residents of PA but studying elsewhere. 

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island General Assembly has their Legislative Council to perform research, mostly as related to drafting of bills. Fiscal research is conducted by committee staff in the state’s House and Senate.

South Carolina

The South Carolina Legislature relies on its Legislative Council for bill drafting, revising the state code, legal services, and a legislative library to assist with information gathering.

South Dakota

The South Dakota Legislature has an all-encompassing Legislative Research Council which is tasked with state code revisions, fiscal analysis, and research analysis, according to Ballotpedia. The South Dakota LRC was founded by a political science professor, according to Wikipedia.

Tennessee

The Tennessee General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Systems deals with bill drafting, general research, and other essential functions for the Tennessee state legislators. 

College and graduate students can also apply to intern in the Tennessee General Assembly during the general session, but they must be “Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students in law, political science, history, administration, social work, economics, sociology, journalism, and related fields.”

Texas

The Texas Legislature has the Legislative Budget Board for fiscal policy analysis, the Legislative Reference Library to assist lawmakers in general research, and the Texas Legislative Council to help Texas’s state lawmakers to draft and analyze bills and tackle various legislative issues.

Opportunities such as the Texas Legislative Internship Program enable undergraduate and graduate students to work in the state legislature.

Utah

The Utah Legislature Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel is one of four nonpartisan staff offices in the state legislature. Its stated goals are “drafting and processing all legislation, performing policy research and analysis, providing legal counsel, and staffing legislative committees.”

Opportunities for students to gain direct legislative experience in the state exist, such as with the Utah Legislature Internship Program.

Vermont

Vermont General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Counsel is primarily focused with providing legal and bill drafting services for state lawmakers.

Virginia

Virginia is a state that has a dedicated science advisory body to support the state legislative branch in science-based decisionmaking. The Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine was established to provide non-partisan, expert information for Virginia’s General Assembly and its executive branch. They run the COVES Fellowship which places scientists and technical professionals in state government, including the General Assembly.

There is also a Commonwealth Coastal & Marine Policy Fellowship which partners with state and local agencies to place scientists in those agencies, though it is unclear to what extent the state legislative branch is involved.

The Virginia Division of Legislative Services has a smaller-scope role in research and analysis, specifically focused on drafting bills and resolutions and performing policy analysis (primarily focused on legal analysis, according to their guide for VA lawmakers) to support that mission.

Washington

Washington is one of the states that has a state-chartered science advisory organization, called the Washington State Academy of Sciences, to support its state legislature. 

According to the WSAS website, it is “a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established by the Washington State Legislature in 2005 to advise state policymakers – including, but not limited to, state agencies, the Legislature and the Governor’s office – on public policy issues involving science and technology.”

WSAS posts various job opportunities on its website. 

To learn more about WSAS’s science policy advising role to Washington’s state legislature, check out this recap of the 2024 AAAS session on state-level science advisory bodies featuring CA, CT, and WA.

The Washington State Legislature’s Office of the Code Reviser also provides in-house services to support the state legislature that primarily concern revisions to state code. To our knowledge, there is no dedicated in-house research entity in the Washington state legislature.

West Virginia

The West Virginia Legislature Office of Reference and Information “serves the general public, lawmakers and the media by producing written and electronic educational materials, publications and news releases regarding the actions of the Legislature” for both the Senate and the House of Delegates. 

The West Virginia Science and Technology Policy Initiative works to advise the state government on science and technical issues and runs a fellowship placing scientists in the state legislature.

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin State Legislature Legislative Reference Bureau provides information gathering services to support the lawmakers and the public through its Research and Analysis services.

According to a one-pager from the California Council on Science and Technology, a science and technology policy fellowship is in development in Wisconsin so that scientists can work in the legislative branch.

Wyoming

Wyoming’s state legislature has a Legislative Service Office that performs many different functions, including research and analysis. Its list of services is more broad than most on this list, including media training for lawmakers as well as budgetary and fiscal services and legal analysis.

Conclusion

State-level organizations advising on science issues have, often, been chartered by the state legislature, and in other cases, are a small arm of the state legislature to provide timely advice on topics including, but not limited to, science. 

While not focused exclusively on science issues, and often focused on providing fiscal analysis or other support, such as bill writing, state legislative research agencies dedicated to providing timely research and analysis exist in 49 states and Washington, DC, according to Ballotpedia. Many are concerned with fiscal and legal analysis, while others are wholly dedicated to updating state codes and writing bills.

Members and committees seeking more information on technical topics can often obtain such resources through legislatively-affiliated libraries that have access to a wide range of publications from state agencies, local universities, and other sources. However, lawmakers typically do not have a science background, and science is often one of many competing priorities in the policymaking process. This is why scientific expertise can be so valuable on the state level of government in the United States.

Beyond the federal and state level, laws can also be passed on the inter-state level, such as compacts. Compacts are entered into by a minimum of two states; they are ratified by each participating state legislature, and then signed into law by the governor of each participating state. For more information on compacts, check out the Uniform Law Commission, a non-profit that “provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law.”

If your state does not have a dedicated science research advising agency, perhaps you might consider visiting your state lawmakers or organizing a visit to the state legislature with your institution to talk about the importance of science. We can help — get in touch!

If you have any opportunities or information that can be added to this list, please contact us.