Subject Librarian: Janet Crane, jmurphy@uno.edu, 504.280.6548

Scholars and legal analysts track legislative history to determine what Congress was attempting to accomplish ("legislative intent") in passing a particular law.

Where to look for Federal Legislative Histories:
Note: Guide for Finding Louisiana Legislative Histories - Law Library of Louisiana

Locate already compiled histories:

• Online Catalog (ilink)
  Search the UNO Library's online catalog for already compiled legislative histories.
• Monthly Catalog of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GP 3.8: FEDDOC floor 3, aisle 4)
  Coverage: 1941 - present
  Online coverage: 1994 - present
  Check for compiled legislative histories. Search hint: Use quotation marks around the phrase "legislative history" in order to search the database for these words as a phrase. Combine other terms in the search with the boolean operator AND.

Locate the citations of legislative histories:

• GPO Access
  The history of bills is part of the Congressional Record Index but is searched separately through GPO Access.
  Coverage: Volume 129 (1983) - present
  A typical entry includes a bill number, title, summary, names of sponsors and cosponsors and a chronological list of actions on the bill.
  A sample citation: S5798[9JN] means, page 5798 in the Senate section of the Congressional Record from the June 9 issue of that year.
• U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (KF48 .W45 REFERENCE)
  Coverage: 1960 - present
  Legislative history tables are given in the last bound volume of each year.
• Public Laws (AE 2.110: FED REFERENCE floor 1)
  The Library retains "slip" laws until the receipt of the corresponding volume of Statutes-at-Large.
  Citations to legislative history materials appear at the end of each public law.
• CIS Index (KF 49 .C62 INDEX)
  Coverage: 1970 - 1983
  There are 2 volumes for each year. The abstracts volume has a section at the back for legislative histories.
  Note: Always check the abstact volume of the bill passage year and the following year after a bill passage for any updated congressional materials.
• Statutes-at-Large (AE 2.111: FED REFERENCE floor 1)
  Volumes with legislative histories: Volume 77 (1963) through Volume 83 (1974). Each of these volumes has a table at the back titled "Guide to Legislative History of Bills Enacted into Public Law."
  

• GPO Access
  Congressional Record Index is used to find citations for legislative activities.
  Coverage: Volume 129 (1983) - present
  A typical entry includes a bill number, title, summary, names of sponsors and cosponsors and a chronological list of actions on the bill.
  A sample citation: S5798[9JN] means, page 5798 in the Senate section of the Congressional Record from the June 9 issue of that year.
  Legislative Calendars Can also be used to locate the daily activities of congress. Coverage: 104th (1995/96) - present Congress
  Congressional Hearings 105th (1997/98) - present Congress
  Congressional Committee Prints 105th(1997/98) - present Congress
  House Committee on Ways and Means Prints 104th (1995/96) - present Congress
  House, Senate and Treaty Documents 104th (1995/96) - present Congress. Originate from congressional committees.
  House, Senate and Executive Reports 104th (1995/96) - present Congress. Proposed legislation and issues under investigation.
• Thomas - Legislative Information on the Internet
  Bill Text 101st (1989/90) - present Congress
  Committee Reports 101st (1989/90) - present Congress
  Bill Summary and Status 93rd (1973) - present Congress
  Description information about bills and amendments including detailed legislative history.
• U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (KF48 .W45 REFERENCE)
  Coverage: 1960 - present
  Publishes many of the House, Senate and Conference Committee reports.
• CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index (Z 1223 .Z7 C57 FEDDOC Floor 3, Aisle 4)
  Coverage: 86th Congress (1959) - 91st Congress 1st Session (1969)

Locate the full-text of committee markups

LexisNexis Academic
Coverage: Political Transcripts from 1995 - current. Also LINKs™ to BLTRCK (bill track) when a transcript pertains to a bill pending in Congress.

Click on the Guided News Search tab
Step one: select News Transcripts
Step two: select Political Transcripts.

Sources for this information include:
FDCH Congressional Press Releases
FDCH News Service Capitol Report (1995-99 archival)
FDCH Political Transcripts
Federal News Service
National Narrowcast Network Transcripts (1993-2000)
Presidential Campaign Press Materials (1995 - only during
campaign election periods)

Other resources:

Electronic Sources of Legislative Histories compiled by Richard J. McKinney, Assistant Law Librarian, Federal Reserve Board. The UNO Library will not have access to all of the commercial resources listed.