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Congressional Research Resources: Congressional Publications

Legislative Histories
Hearings
House and Senate Reports
House and Senate Documents
Committee Prints
Bills
U.S. Congressional Serial Set

Legislative Histories:

Legislative histories are an extremely valuable resource.  They compile dates, actions, and publications attendant upon the passage of a particular bill.  The resources listed below assist in finding legislative histories from about 1963 to the present.  Legislative histories before 1963 generally must be compiled by the researcher.  Legislative histories are not an official Congressional publication themselves; rather, each legislative history is like a bibliography that refers to some or all of the following: bill numbers, hearings, committee prints, House and Senate reports, and House and Senate documents.  There is no absolute standard as to what belongs in a legislative history and histories for the same law, compiled by different people, may not match in all respects.  For legal purposes, the most important components of any legislative history comprise committee reports, floor debate, and committee hearings; all help to establish legislative intent.  Procedures for finding the various publications are described below under separate headings for each.  Information on floor debates appears separately.

  • LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional  [CSU users only]
    Path: Advanced Search/[select] Legislative Histories.  Includes legislative histories from 1970 to the present.  It is important to note that before 1983/84 the legislative histories may include only references to the CIS microfiche set, which the CSU Library does not own.  These fiche card numbers usually begin with H or S.  From 1983/84 forward, the legislative histories include Superintendent of Documents call numbers. Watch Out!
    For publications 1789-1969 also select "Serial Set."
  • Thomas (Library of Congress)
    Path: Bill Summary and Status.  Available from 1973 to the present.  Searchable by Public Law, bill number, word/phrase, and sponsor, among others.
  • GPOAccess
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/History of Bills.  Available from 1983 to the present.  Searchable by bill number and keywords.
  • CIS Index.  KF49 .C62 Ref
    Available for 1970 through 1997, this is the print equivalent to LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional, described above.  Like the electronic version, the print set shares the same division between indexing details available before and after 1983. Watch Out!
  • United States Statutes at Large.  AE2.111 Law/Tax
    Volumes from 1963 through 1974 include at the back a "Guide to Legislative History of Public Laws."
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Hearings:

Hearings are conducted by congressional committees and represent a fact-finding mission in regard to proposed or existing legislation.  Testimony is gathered from citizens, experts, and interested parties.  Hearings can also include supporting documentation.

  • GPOAccess
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/Congressional Materials/Congressional Hearings.  Provides complete hearings from 1997 to the most recent published.
  • LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional [CSU users only]
    Path: Advanced Search/[select] Hearings.  Fulltext is available from approximately 1988 to the most recent published.  Indexing with Superintendent of Documents call numbers extends back to 1970.  Fulltext includes prepared witness statements and sometimes the verbal portion of the hearing.  Complete text, including supporting documents, appears only in GPOAccess, print, or microfiche. Watch Out! 
    For fulltext prepared testimony of individual witnesses from 1988 to the most recent published, select "Witness" from the drop-down box and enter the person's name.  For publications 1789-1969 also select "Serial Set."  Search by subject or other parameter.  If call number is not included, try Chinook or the Monthly Catalog (described below).
  • Chinook (CU Boulder library catalog)
    Path: select "keyword," and enter appropriate search terms, combining them with "hearing*" and setting "Location" to "Government Pubs."  CU Boulder has a very complete set of hearings in print and microfiche and makes them available on interlibrary loan.  Check "Marc Display" if the Superintendent of Documents call number does not appear otherwise.
  • Monthly Catalog of US Government Publications.   GP3.8 Doc Ref
    Provides call numbers for 1895 through 1976.
  • CIS Index.   KF49 .C62 Ref
    The print equivalent of LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional for 1970-1997.

  • Quick Links to House and Senate Committee Hearings
    Handy compilation of links to current committee work.

Finding hearings:
Published hearings are not part of the US Congressional Serial Set but receive instead individual Superintendent of Documents call numbers.  The CSU library owns many hearings from 1940 to the present.  Newer hearings and their call numbers are often found on Sage.  If the hearing cannot be found on Sage but you have the call number in hand from one of the sources above, check the shelf list card file on the second floor.  That indicates if we own the hearing even if it is not listed on Sage.  If it is not on the document shelves on the third floor, request it manually from storage.  Hearings not owned can be requested on interlibrary loan.  The CU Boulder library has an excellent collection and will provide a microfiche copy if that is the only format available.

Unpublished hearings do not receive call numbers and normally must be obtained on interlibrary loan.  Again, CU Boulder is a resource for these.

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House and Senate Reports:

Reports are the publications through which Congressional committees convey their findings and recommendations to the House or Senate as a whole.  Reports are important for establishing legislative intent.

  • LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional  [CSU users only]
    For full text reports from 1989 to the present, use this path: Advanced Search/[select] House & Senate Reports.    Before 1981 the indexing retrieves the report number, which can be used as an access point.  From 1981 to the present, the call number is retrieved. Watch Out!  For publication 1789-1969 also select "Serial Set."  Provides Serial Set volume number, which can be used to retrieve the report from storage.

  • US Congressional Serial Set  (Readex) [CSU users only]
    Full text searchable database beginning with 1817.  Completion of the entire Serial Set for 1789-1980 is scheduled for 2008.

  • GPOAccess
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/Congressional Reports.  Fulltext since 1995.

  • Thomas (Library of Congress)
    Path: Committee Reports.  Fulltext since 1995.

  • CIS Index.  KF49 .C62 Ref
    The print equivalent to LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional for 1970-1997.  Before 1981 the indexing retrieves the report number, which can be used as an access point.  From 1981 to the present, the Superintendent of Documents call number is retrieved. Watch Out!

  • Monthly Catalog of US Government Publications.  GP3.8 Doc Ref
    Provides bibliographic information and report numbers, 1895-1976.

  • Schedule of Volumes to the US Congressional Serial Set  (LLSDC)
    1970 to the present.  This site provides the linkage between report numbers and serial set volume numbers, a necessary step to find reports from 1970 through 1978.

Finding House and Senate Reports:
The retrieval process varies by date:

1989 to the present: full text available through electronic resources listed above.

1981-1988: Sage catalog and/or LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional provide Superintendent of Documents call number.  Some may be on microfiche.

1979-1980 (96th Congress): Sage catalog and/or LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional provide report number but not call number.  Call number prefixes are as follows: Watch Out!
Y1.1/5:[report number]  (Senate reports)
Y1.1/6:[report number] (Senate Executive reports)
Y1.1/8: [report number] (House reports)
Some may be on microfiche.


1970-1978: these are in storage as part of the Serial Set.  Three steps are necessary to retrieve the report:
1.  Obtain the report number using LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional. 
2.  Match the report number to the Serial Set volume number using the Schedule of Volumes to the US Congressional Serial Set (LLSDC).
3.  Use a manual request form to request the appropriate Serial Set volume(s) from storage.  (NOTE: House and Senate Reports for the 94th and 95th Congresses, 1975-1978, are represented in Sage, but lack a call number or the Serial Set volume number.  These records include the report number, but otherwise must be retrieved using the three-step process outlined above.) Watch Out!

1817-  US Congressional Serial Set (Readex): this full text searchable database begins with 1817, with the entire Serial Set from 1789-1980 scheduled for completion in 2008.


1789-1969: all reports from these years appear in the Serial Set; there are no call numbers.  Obtain the Serial Set volume number using LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional.  Path: Advanced Search/[select] "Serial Set."  Use a manual request form to obtain the appropriate Serial Set volume(s) from storage.

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House and Senate Documents:

The definition of House and Senate documents varies by time frame.  In the 20th and 21st centuries, such documents are normally issued by the full chamber rather than by a committee and pertain to presidential messages, executive branch matters, and biannual committee activities.  In the 18th and 19th centuries, "documents" encompasses a great variety of reports issued by executive branch agencies and included in the US Congressional Serial Set.  These Serial Set documents are a rich primary historical resource.  Note that House and Senate documents are a specific type of publication; the use of "document" throughout this section refers to these specific publications, not to government documents as a whole.

  • GPOAccess
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/Legislative Resources/Congressional Documents.  Fulltext from 1995 to the present.

  • LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional  [CSU users only]
    Path: Advanced Search/[select] House & Senate Documents.  Fulltext from 1995 to the present.  For indexing from 1970 forward, use this path: CIS Indexing/[search by subject or other parameter].  Note that indexing for 1970-1980 includes the document number only; it can be used as an access point.  Indexing from 1981 forward includes the Superintendent of Documents call number. Watch Out!  For publications 1789-1969 also select "Serial Set."  Includes the Serial Set volume number required for retrieval from storage.

  • US Congressional Serial Set  (Readex)  [CSU users only]
    Full text searchable database from 1817 forward.  Completion of the entire Serial Set for 1789-1980 is scheduled for 2008.

  • CIS Index.   KF49 .C62 Ref
    The print equivalent of LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional 1970-1997.  Note that indexing for 1970-1980 includes the document number only; it can be used as an access point.  Indexing from 1981 forward includes the Superintendent of Documents call number.

  • Monthly Catalog of US Government Publications.   GP3.8 Doc Ref
    Provides bibliographic information and the document number, 1895-1976.

  • Schedule of Volumes to the US Congressional Serial Set  (LLSDC)
    1970 to the present.  This site provides the linkage between the document number and the Serial Set volume number, necessary for retrieving documents for 1970-1978.

Finding House and Senate Documents:
The retrieval process varies by date:

1995 to the present: fulltext available through electronic resources listed above.

1981-1994: Sage catalog and/or LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional provide Superintendent of Documents call number.  Some may be on microfiche.

1979-1980 (96th Congress): Sage catalog and/or LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional provide document number but not call number.  Call number prefixes are as follows: Watch Out!
Y1.1/3:[document number]  (Senate documents)
Y1.1/7: [document number] (House documents)
Some may be on microfiche.

1970-1978: these are in storage as part of the Serial Set.  Three steps are necessary to retrieve the document:
1.  Obtain the document number using LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional. 
2.  Match the document number to the Serial Set volume number using the Schedule of Volumes of the US Congressional Serial Set. 
3.  Use a manual request form to request the appropriate Serial Set volume(s) from storage.  (NOTE: House and Senate Documents for the 94th and 95th Congresses, 1975-1978, are represented in Sage, but lack a call number or the Serial Set volume number.  These records include the document number, but otherwise must be retrieved using the three-step process outlined above.) Watch Out!

1817-   US Congressional Serial Set (Readex): full text from 1817 forward, with completion of the entire Serial Set for 1789-1980 scheduled for 2008.

1789-1969: all documents from these years appear in the Serial Set; there are no call numbers.  Obtain the Serial Set volume number using LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional.  Path: Advanced Search/[select] "Serial Set."  Use a manual request form to obtain the appropriate Serial Set volume(s) from storage.

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Committee Prints:

Committee Prints often represent research by committee staff, but can also encompass other topics of interest to the committee or its members.  They are relatively few in number compared to other congressional publications.

  • LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional  [CSU users only]
    Path: Advanced Search/[select] "Committee Prints."  Fulltext from 1993 to the present.    Indexing 1970 to the present includes Superintendent of Documents call number.  For publications 1789-1969 also select "Serial Set."  Use a manual request form to request the appropriate Serial Set volume from storage.   About half have Superintendent of Documents call numbers; the rest have CIS microfiche numbers and are available at the University of Colorado-Boulder, though not necessarily included in the online Chinook catalog.

  • GPOAccess
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/Congressional Materials/Congressional Committee Prints.  Fulltext from 1997 to the present. 

Finding Committee Prints:
Committee Prints, like hearings, are assigned Superintendent of Documents call numbers.  They are not a part of the Serial Set.  Committee prints owned by the CSU library are either represented in the Sage catalog or found listed by call number in the shelf list cardfile on the second-floor.  Older committee prints owned but not on the shelf can be retrieved from storage using a manual request form.  Committee prints not owned can be obtained through interlibrary loan.  The University of Colorado-Boulder library has a large collection of Committee Prints, including many on microfiche that lack a call number.  These also are available on interlibrary loan.

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Bills:

Only a relatively small number of bills introduced actually become law.  Most die in committee.  Several variants of a bill are possible, and most successful bills undergo revision in their passage to law.

  • LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional   [CSU users only]
    Path: [select] "Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws."  Retrieves full text of bills from 1989 to the present.  Also retrieves bill numbers from 1970 to the present.

  • National Journal Group's Policy Central   [CSU users only]
    Path: select from the following: "Key Legislation," "Markup Session," or "Markup Reports."  For current legislation only.

  • Thomas  (Library of Congress)
    Path: Legislation/Bill Text.  Retrieves full text from 1989 to the present.
    Path: Legislation/Bill Summary & Status.  Retrieves summaries from 1973 to the present.

  • GPOAccess
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/Congressional Bills.  Retrieves fulltext from 1993 to the present.
    Path: Legislative Resources/View All/History of Bills.  Retrieves legislative action from 1983 to the present.

  • Microfiche bill collection (Microtext/Journal Room)
    Full text of bills from 1979 through 2000.  Senate bills at Y1.4/1; House bills at Y1.4/6.  NOTE: the "Cumulative Finding Aid for Congressional Bills and Resolutions" (GP3.28 Doc Ref) must be used to obtain the proper fiche card number. Watch Out!

  • Congressional Record Index.    X1.1 Doc
    These paper indexes cover the years 1875 through 1994 and include indexing of bills, but no fulltext.

  • A Century of Lawmaking  (Library of Congress)
    Path: Bills and Resolutions.  Provides text of selected bills and resolutions, 1799-1875.

  • Congressional Bills Project 
    A relational database for bills introduced between 1947 and 2000.  No full text.

Finding Bills:
The sources listed above provide full text of bills in either electronic or microfiche format from 1979 to the present, as well as online access to significant bills from 1799 to1873.  The Congressional Information Service (CIS) company has compiled microform sets for bill texts before 1979.  These bill texts must be obtained through interlibrary loan. 

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US Congressional Serial Set:

Link to US Congressional Serial Set page.
 

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Content: Doug Ernest