Library Guides: Federal Legislative History: Compiling Your Own Legislative History

Steps

To compile your own legislative history, follow these steps.

1. Identify the bill number.

2. Locate a history of the bill using one of these sources. The bill history will indicate whether there were any reports, hearings, related bills or other documents.

Congress.gov
The Congressional Record History of Bills and Resolutions (HeinOnline)
These charts are collected from the 61st Congress to the 11th (1909-2009). They are part of the Congressional Record Index.
Lexis+ Bill Tracking Reports
Coverage from the 101st Congress (1989) to present.
Westlaw Bill Tracking Reports
Coverage from the 109th Congress (2005) to present.
ProQuest Congressional
Bill tracking from 100th Congress (1987) to present.
Congressional Information Service (CIS) Annual
These print volumes have information for enacted bills only. Coverage starting with the 91st Congress (1970).

3. Collect the documents, working backwards from enactment to introduction. The documents are listed in order of importance for purposes of determining legislative intent.