sentences:  The LAO was the first such institution in the United States that was designed to help both houses of a legislature manage the state budget in a strictly nonpartisan fashion; it inspired the creation of many similar agencies in other states, as well as the creation of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office in 1974.The LAO should not be confused with the California Legislative Counsel (a position established in 1913) which does not focus primarily on the budget.The LAO is overseen by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), a 16-member bipartisan committee.