So you’ve been asked to compile a legislative history of a federal law? Wouldn’t you be excited if someone else had already pulled together the hearings, committee reports, Congressional debate, as well as all versions of the bill? In fact, compiled legislative histories already exist for many federal laws, so how do you go about checking to see if one exists for the legislation you are researching?
 

One of my favorite starting points for compiled legislative histories is the website of the local law librarians (LLSDC). In their LLSDC Legislative Sourcebook, they have prepared an extensive listing of selected U.S. Laws on the Internet organized by Popular Name and Public Law Number. Many of these laws link to legislative histories compiled by federal agencies, law firms and academic libraries. For example, the legislative history of the 1966 Freedom of Information Act is available through the National Security Archives, maintained by George Washington University. On this site, researchers can access the House and Senate reports, floor consideration from the Congressional Record, as well as the Presidential Signing Statement of President Lyndon B. Johnson. This site further goes on to include links to legislative documents from the subsequent amendments to the original law.
 

The U.S. Federal Legislative History Library on HeinOnline is another invaluable resource for compiled legislative histories. While you can conduct a search of this library, it’s often easier to browse the library by Publication Title, Popular Name or Public Law Number. Included in this collection, is the full-text of documents produced during the enactment of many of the most influential laws in history. Most of these histories were compiled by law firms and include the hearings, House & Senate Reports, as well as bill versions, floor debate and other available commentary.
 

Additionally, HeinOnline includes the Sources of Compiled Legislative History Database which you can browse by Congress or Public Law Number. This resource, which is a looseleaf in print at the Reference Desk, details books and law review articles which have compiled the legislative documents and other commentary surrounding major pieces of federal legislation.
 

For further information on conducting a legislative history, please feel free to stop by the Reference Desk or consult our Legislative History Research Guide.

Post written by Margaret Krause