Home - Federal Legislative History - LibGuides at Drake University Law Library

Welcome

Federal legislative history refers to the documents produced by Congress as a bill is introduced, studied and debated. These legislative documents are often used as persuasive, not mandatory, legal authority in an attempt to determine Congressional intent or to clarify vague or ambiguous statutory language.

This guide discusses the types of documents that come out of the legislative process, their use, and how to locate legislative documents for enacted and pending legislation.

See Finding Library Materials for more information on how to find materials referenced in this guide.

Legislative Process
Understanding the legislative process provides context.
Bills
May help determine legislative intent.
Committee Reports
Usually considered the most important legislative documents and contain more analysis than the other documents.
Congressional Debate
May help determine legislative intent.
Committee Hearings
May provide valuable background and factual information on the issue.
Presidential Signing Statements
Their role in legislative interpretation is debated.
Compiled Legislative Histories
Compiling a legislative history can be a time-consuming process, so it can be wise to see if a history has already been compiled, especially for significant legislation.
Other Congressional Materials
May provide valuable background and factual information on the issue.
Years of Congress Conversion Table
Use this table if you are unsure in which Congress or year your law was passed.
Georgetown Legislative History Guide
Thanks to the Georgetown Law Library for allowing us to adapt their Legislative History Research guide.
Current Awareness
Track current legislation.

Drake Law Library is a Government Depository

	This library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents. Public access to the government documents collection is guaranteed by public law. (Title 44 United States Code)