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 Legislative Histories: U.S.
  A Guide To Resources In CSUF's Pollak Library
 
Introduction
  What Are Legislative Histories
  Legislative History Example

Legislative Histories: ONLINE
  Congressional Universe
  Thomas Legislative Information
  Congressional Record: History of Bills
  Public and Private Laws

Legislative Histories: PRINT
  CIS Index
  USCCAN
  Slip Laws
  U.S. Statutes at Large
  U.S. Code
  U.S. Code Annotated
  Calendars of the U.S. House
 

 Finding Aids
  Committee Prints
  Committee Reports
  Congressional Bills
  Congressional Debates
  Congressional Hearings
  Congressional Record, 1789-present
  Congressional Record: Bound
  Federal Register
  House Journal
  Senate Journal
  Presidential Documents
  Congressional Publications
  GPO Access: A-Z Resources

Periodicals (Articles)
  CQ Weekly
  CQ Almanac
  Congress and the Nation
  Congressional Digest

Web Sites: Research Guides

Introduction:   top
What Are Legislative Histories and How Are They Used?

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY refers to the various steps and proceedings that occur as a bill makes its way through the legislative process. Legislative histories are compilations of documents that are produced by Congress as a bill is introduced, studied, and debated prior to enactment of the bill into law. These documents include committee reports (including the conference report), debates, earlier texts of the bill, floor amendments, congressional hearings, committee prints, and presidential signing statements. Legislative histories are used by federal agencies and courts to determine the Congressional intent of a particular statute. Legislative documents are persuasive legal authority only. For an in-depth description of the legislative process, go to The Legislative Process.

THIS GUIDE lists resources that identify legislative history documents and in some instances provide links to the full text of documents. In general, information before 1970 will be found in print; information after 1970 is often available online and may also be available in print. An exception is historical information on the Web site A Century of Lawmaking, which presents digitized files of many Congressional publications from 1774-1875.

AN EXAMPLE OF A LEGISLATIVE HISTORY of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 follows. Note that it lists the bill numbers, House reports, Senate reports, citations to Congressional Record sections, and the issue of Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents in which the presidential signing statement appears. Each of these documents can be located in the CSUF Library by using the resources listed in this guide.

Example of legislative history of Public Law 104-104: Telecommunications Act of 1996:

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 652 (H.R. 1555):
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 104–204, Pt. 1 accompanying H.R. 1555 (Comm. on Commerce).
SENATE REPORTS: Nos. 104–23 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transportation) and 104–230 (Comm. of Conference).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 141 (1995): June 7, 8, 12–15, considered and passed Senate. Aug. 2, 4, H.R. 1555 considered and passed House. Oct. 12, S. 652 considered and passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 1555.
Vol. 142 (1996): Feb. 1, House and Senate agreed to conference report.
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 32 (1996): Feb. 8, Presidential remarks and statement.

SOURCE: Public and Private Laws, GPO Access

ONLINE RESOURCES     top

LexisNexis Congressional Universe: CIS Index (CSUF only)     top
Go to Congressional Universe: CIS Index

  • Links to original bill, to enacted law, debates in Congressional Record, committee reports, hearings, and miscellaneous publications (presidential signing statements, for example). Many links go to full text of documents.
  • Coverage: 1970-date.
  • Updated annually.
  • Search by public law number, by statutes-at-large, by bill number, or by keyword.
    .
  • To access Congressional Universe:     top
    • CSUF Library Home Page - www.library.fullerton.edu
    • Click on: Databases A-Z (left frame)
    • Click on: LexisNexis Congressional
    • Click on: Connect to Congressional Universe
    • Click on: CIS Index
    • Select Legislative Histories by number or by keyword

Thomas Legislative Information [Library of Congress] (free to everyone)
Go to Thomas      top

  • Thomas provides:
    • Text of bill
    • Text of public law
    • Information on its process through Congress
    • Coverage: 1973-currrent date
    • For current legislative session, see option at top of Thomas logon screen.
  • To access Thomas:
    • Log on to Thomas at http://thomas.loc.gov/
    • Under LEGISLATION, click on Public Laws by Law Number
    • Select Congress (at top of screen) to locate public law by number.
    • Click on History or Status or Committees or other options as available.
      .
  • To find a Public Law number:     top
    • Online: Google Unclesam
           Sample search: "megan's law" and "public law"
      .
    • Print: Shepard's Acts and Cases by Popular Name
           REFERENCE  KF90 .S52 1999       CATALOG RECORD
      .
    • Print:  United States Code Annotated: Popular Name Table
           REFERENCE        KF62 .W48x Popu 2002 CATALOG RECORD    

Congressional Record: History of Bills & Resolutions, 1983-current date [GPO Access]
Go to History of Bills      top

  • Brief digest of the legislation, sponsor, committee to which legislation was referred, references to debates, committee reports, and passage.
  • Coverage: 1983-current date.
  • Print version also available: DOCS/US X/a CATALOG RECORD

Public & Private Laws [GPO Access]     top
Go to Public and Private Laws

  • Legislative history is given at the end of each law.
  • Coverage: 104th-108th Congress (1995-2004)
  • Search by Congress or by Keyword.
Statutes at Large, 1789-1875 (Volumes 1-18) [American Memory]
Every law, public and private, enacted by the Congress is published in the Statutes at Large in order of the date of its passage. Until 1948, all treaties and international agreements approved by the Senate were also published in the set.

PRINT RESOURCES 

CIS Index (1970-1999)     top

PRINT

  • 3rd Floor North—Shelved on CIS INDEX TABLES CATALOG RECORD
  • Citations to original bill, to enacted law, debates in Congressional Record, committee reports, hearings, and miscellaneous publications (presidential remarks on signing, for example).
  • INDEX and ABSTRACTS volumes are print. Full text documents are on microfiche.
  • For years 1985-1999:
    • Legislative Histories print volume for each year.
    • Coverage: PL 98-216 to PL 108-170.
  • For years 1970-1983:
    • CIS Annual print volume--see Table of Contents for section Legislative Histories.
    • Coverage; PL 91-1 to PL 98-215.

ONLINE

  • LexisNexis: CIS Index
    Search for legislative histories by number or by keyword. Links to some full-text documents are available.

USCCAN—U.S. Code Congressional & Administrative News       top

  • USCCAN
    REFERENCE  KF63 U5x     (1946-date)     CATALOG RECORD
  • Full text of law, committee reports, conference reports, joint explanatory statements, and statements by legislative leaders explaining the background, history, and purpose of the legislation.
  • For each year, two volumes are published:
    • 1) public laws (full text)
    • 2) legislative histories (full text documents)

Slip Laws (recent laws)      top

  • Print: REFERENCE KF 50 .U5 CATALOG RECORD (Shelved after the bound volumes of Statutes At Large)
  • Slip laws are distributed immediately after passage of a law and make the text of laws available before bound volumes are issue.
  • At end of each slip law there is a legislative history summary:
    • Citations to original bill.
    • Citations to committee reports.
    • Dates of consideration and passage of bill by both houses of Congress.
    • Citation to presidential signing statement, if any.
  • Online: Public and Private Laws [GPO Access]
    • At end of each law there is a legislative history summary.

U.S. Statutes at Large    top

  • 1789-1875 (Volumes 1-18):
    Statutes at Large, 1789-1875 [American Memory]
    .

  • 1789-1962 (Volume 1-76):
    LOCATIONS: DOCS MICROFILM CABINETS (3rd Floor North)
    DOCS/FILM/US AE 2.110:
    .
  • 1974-current date (Volume 61-date):
    REFERENCE  KF 50 .U5
    .
  • 1995-current date (104th Congress-date):
    Public and Private Laws [GPO Access]
    .
  • For Years 1975-current date:  
    Citations to original bill, committee reports, and dates of consideration and passage appear at the end of each statute as it appeared in the slip law.
    .
  • For Years 1963-1974:
    Each volume has section GUIDE TO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF BILLS ENACTED INTO PUBLIC LAW which gives citations to original bill, committee reports, dates of consideration and passage..
    .
  • 1988-current date
    LexisNexis Congressional Universe [CSUF only]
    Select Laws and then Public Laws by Number.

U.S. Code    top

  • Print: DOCS/US Y 1.2/5:2000 CATALOG RECORD
  • Online: U.S. Code | Search U.S. Code
  • At the end of each section of the code, there is a list of public laws, statutes-at-large, historical and revision notes, and amendments to the code section.

U.S. Code Annotated    top

  • Print: REFERENCE  KF62 .W48x CATALOG RECORD
  • At the end of each section, see Historical and Statutory Notes.

Calendars of the U.S. House of Representatives & History of Legislation [GPO Access]       top

FINDING AIDS
The following resources help in locating the full text of documents identified in legislative history summaries.

 

Committee Prints     top
NOTE: Committee prints are research reports with background information.

  • Congressional Committee Prints  [GPO Access]
    • Coverage: 105th Congress forward
    • A small number of committee prints is available online here.
  • House Committee on Ways and Means Committee Prints  [GPO Access]
    • 104th Congress forward
    • Selected committee prints are available here.
  • CIS Index
    • Print: 3rd Floor North - Shelved in CIS INDEX TABLES
      • Coverage: 1970-current date.
      • Start with Indexes, Abstracts, or Legislative Histories print volume to find CIS number. Write down the CIS number.
      • Go to microfiche cabinets and locate CIS number and view full text of the document.
    • Online: See Congressional Universe: CIS Index (CSUF only).
      • Coverage: 1970-current date.
  • U.S. Congressional Serial Set & Index      top
    • Serial Set: DOCS/US  Y  1.1/2:
    • Index: DOCS/US  Y 1.1/2:C 74* [Note: Index is shelved at the end of the Serial Set]
    • Committee prints designated as House or Senate documents are available in the Serial Set.
    • See SUBJECT INDEX to find references to Senate Journals, Senate Documents, House Journals, and House Documents.
    • Pollak Library's holdings of U.S. Serial Set volumes prior to 1961 are incomplete. See stacks for holdings.
    • Online: American Memory: United States Congressional Serial Set [Library of Congress].

Committee Reports—House & Senate      top
Committee Reports are primarily recommendations by committees on the passage of a bill. Committee Reports usually reprint the text of the bill, describe its purposes, and gives reasons for the committee's recommendations. Committee Reports and Conference Reports are the most important source of legislative history.

  • GPO Access: Senate, House and Executive Reports
    • Coverage: 104th Congress forward
    • House, Senate, and Executive Reports. Includes conference reports.
    • House, Senate, and Treaty Documents. Includes conference reports.
  • Thomas
    • Coverage: 104th Congress forward
    • At logon screen, see COMMITTEE INFORMATION links to view Committee Reports. Because some committee home pages give links to reports, also search under House Committees and Senate Committees.
  • Congressional Universe: CIS Index [CSUF only]
    • Coverage: 1970 forward
    • Full text online of some committee reports. [CSUF only]
  • CIS Index
    • Print: 3rd floor North - Shelved on CIS INDEX TABLES
    • Coverage; 1970-1999.
    • Full text on microfiche.
      •
    • Start with Indexes, Abstracts, or Legislative Histories print volume to find CIS number. Write down CIS number.
    • Go to microfiche cabinets and locate CIS number and view full text of committee print.
  • USCCAN - U.S. Code Congressional & Administrative News
    • PRINT: REFERENCE  KF63 U5x CATALOG RECORD
    • Full text of law, committee reports, conference reports, joint explanatory statements, and statements by legislative leaders explaining the background, history, and purpose of the legislation.
    • For each year, two volumes are published:
      • 1) public laws (full text)
      • 2) legislative histories (full text documents)
  • U.S. Congressional Serial Set & Index
    • Serial Set: DOCS/US  Y  1.1/2:
    • Index: DOCS/US  Y 1.1/2:C 74* [NOTE: Index is shelved at the end of the Serial Set]
    • Committee prints designated as House or Senate documents are available in the Serial Set.
    • See SUBJECT INDEX to find references to Senate Journals, Senate Documents, House Journals, and House Documents.
    • Pollak Library's holdings of U.S. Serial Set volumes prior to 1961 are incomplete. See stacks for holdings.
    • ONLINE: American Memory: United States Congressional Serial Set [Library of Congress].
  • Pollak Library Catalog
    • Pollak Library owns many hearings, reports, and committee prints in print.
    • If you have the title of a report, search Library Catalog by title.
    • If you do not have a title, search Library Catalog  by KEYWORD and  limit by author (keyword in committee name) or year of publication if known.
    • Ask at Documents Desk for additional search strategies.

Congressional Bills      top

  • Congressional Bills, 103d Congress forward (1993-date) [GPO Access]
  • Thomas, 101st congress forward (1989-date)
  • Congressional Universe [CSUF only], 1970-date.

Congressional Debates   top
Note: Transcripts of debates on the floor of the House and Senate are recorded in the Congressional Record.

Congressional Hearings    top
NOTE: Hearings include testimony before Congressional committees.

Congressional Record      top
NOTE: The Congressional Record contains transcripts of legislative proceedings and debates on the floor of the House and Senate. The Congressional Record sometimes contains arguments for or against an issue.

  • ONLINE: Congressional Record Bound (new as of 12/2007):
                  Volume 145 (1999; first session of the 106th Congress)
              Volume 146 (2000; second session of the 106th Congress)
              Volume 147 (2001; first session of the 107th Congress)
              Additional volumes will be added in the near future.
  • ONLINE: Congressional Record, vol. 141 forward (1994-date) [GPO Access]
  • ONLINE: Congressional Record Index, 1983-date [GPO Access]
     
  • ONLINE: Thomas (1989-date)
     
  • POLLAK LIBRARY HOLDINGS--PRINT, MICROFILM, & MICROFICHE:
                  ON DOCUMENTS MICROFILM 1873-1976,1984-TO CURRENT DATE.
              ON DOCUMENTS MICROFICHE 1977-TO CURRENT DATE.
              IN DOCUMENTS STACKS, INDEX 1961,1963-1977,1980-TO CURRENT DATE
     
  • PRINT & MICROFORM: Congressional Record (1789-date) CATALOG RECORD

Federal Register    top

  • ONLINE: Federal Register (1994-date)
  • PRINT: REFERENCE  KF70 .A24 (current year) CATALOG RECORD
  • PRINT: DOCS/FILM/US  AE 2.106: (1936-year before current year)
    .
  • PRINT: Federal Register Index—DOCS/US AE 2.106:INDEX CATALOG RECORD

House Journal     top

  • ONLINE: House Journal, 1991-1998
  • PRINT: DOCS/US XJH CATALOG RECORD
    • CSUF owns 1822-date in paper.
    • See SUBJECT INDEX and HISTORY OF BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS section.

Senate Journal     top

Presidential Documents      top
NOTE: When the Presidents signs a bill into law, he will often issue a statement stating why he is approving the law. Signing statements are available in Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

Periodicals      top
Search the following journals for articles about legislation by retrieving issues during and following the time the bill or act was being debated and enacted.

Web Sites—Guides to Finding Federal Legislative Histories    top

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Library Home Page       
An instructional page of Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton.
(c) 2007 California State University, Fullerton. All rights reserved.
This guide created and maintained by Catherine Kaye.
URL of this page: http://guides.library.fullerton.edu/docslinks/legislativehistoriesus.htm
Created 02/20/03.  Updated: 11 Aug 2008.