Legislative History
The legislative history of a statute is the set of documents that is generated as a bill is proposed in Congress (or a state legislature), and as it makes its way toward a vote, and possible enactment. Federal legislative history is pretty simple to find in the databases below. State legislative history varies state-by-state. For help with state legislative history, please contact the law librarian.
- Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new windowIndexes publications of the U.S. Congress such as hearings 1824+ (including previously unpublished hearings: Senate 1824-1992 and House 1833-1982), committee reports, documents and prints. Material is available in microfiche and/or electronic. Essential tool for doing legislative history research. Includes Congressional Research Reports from 1916+, Bills & Laws 1789+, U.S. Serial Set from 1789+, Annals of Congress from 1789-1824, Register of Debates from 1824-1837, Congressional Globe from 1833-1873, and Congressional Record from 1873+. Also includes Executive Branch Documents 1789-1948 and Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations 1789+.
- U.S. Congressional Documents (Hein Online) This link opens in a new windowDigital access to Congressional Record (Bound and Daily), Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, Congressional Globe, American State Papers, Journals of the Continental Congress, and Territorial Papers of the United States. "Daily-to-Bound Locator" provides citation to Bound version from the Daily Congressional Record.
