Federal Legislative History: Documents & Sources

suggestions, hearings, messages

bill
(as originally introduced and as amended)

microfiche collection: 96th Cong. (1984–85) to current (Fiche D-S 0035)

• GPO Access → Legislative → Congressional Bills (103rd Cong. (1993–94) to current)
• Thomas (101st Cong. (1989–90) to current)

• LexisNexis Congressional (1989 to current)
• LexisNexis → Legal → Legislation & Politics – U.S. & U.K. → U.S. Congress → Congressional Full Text Bills, Current & Historical (101st Cong. (1989–90) to current)
• Westlaw → Directory → U.S. Federal → Bill Tracking → Congressional Bills (104th Cong. (1995–96) to current)

committee hearings
(may occur in either House or Senate)

CIS Index (KF 49 .C62) → CIS (1970–83, Fiche H-S 0001) or GPO (1983 to current, Fiche D-S 0253) microfiche collections

• GPO Access → Legislative → Congressional Hearings (104th Cong. (1995–96) to current, selected)
• Thomas → available through links to committee pages on House and Senate websites

• LexisNexis Congressional (1988 to current, selected)
• LexisNexis → Legal → Legislation & Politics – U.S. & U.K. → U.S. Congress → Committee Hearing Transcripts (1988 – current, coverage varies)
• Westlaw → Directory → U.S. Federal → Legislative History → U.S. Congressional Testimony (1993–96, selected coverage; 1996 – current, full coverage)

committee report(s)
(may occur in either House or Senate)

• CIS Index → CIS (1970–83, Fiche H-S 0001) or GPO (1983 – present: House reports, Fiche D-S 0054; Senate reports, Fiche D-S 0055) microfiche collections
• United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) (KF48 .U5) (arranged by P.L. No.; selected reports only)

• GPO Access → Legislative → Congressional Reports (104th Cong. (1995–96) to current)
• Thomas (104th Cong. (1995–96) to current)

• LexisNexis Congressional (1990 to current (limited coverage for 1990))
• LexisNexis → Legal → Legislation & Politics – U.S. & U.K. → U.S. Congress → Committee Reports (1990 to current (selected coverage of 101st & 102nd Cong.))
• Westlaw → Directory → U.S. Federal → USCCAN → Legislative History Reports. (1948–89, selected reports; 1990 to current, complete)

transcript of debate

Congressional Record
(KF35 .A5) (Use “History of Bills and Resolutions” in Index volume to find pages on which debate occurs)

• GPO Access → Legislative → Congressional Record (vol. 140 (1994) to current)
• Thomas (101st Cong. (1989–90) to current)

• LexisNexis Congressional (1985 to current)
• LexisNexis → Legal → Legislation & Politics – U.S. & U.K. → U.S. Congress → Congressional Record (99th Cong. (1985–86) to current)
• Westlaw → Directory → U.S. Federal → Legislative History → Congressional Record (99th Cong. (1985–86) to current)
• HeinOnline → U.S. Congressional Documents → Congressional Record (1873–1920; 1978–2003)

conference report

same as 4

same as 4

same as 4

presidential message
(when signing or vetoing the legislation)

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (J80 .A284)

• GPO Access → Executive → Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 29 (1993) to current)

• LexisNexis → Legal → Federal Legal – U.S. → Executive Branch Materials → Public Papers of the Presidents (1979 – current)
• Westlaw → Directory → U.S. Federal → USCCAN → Presidential Messages and Signing Statements (1986 to current)