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A legislative history is a collection of documents that are produced by Congress as a bill goes through the legislative process of becoming a public law. Legislative histories can help you determine the intent, meaning and purpose of a particular law. The types of documents found in a legislative history will include the following:
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This page focuses primarily on legislative documents and resources available electronically through the Howard-Tilton Library's subscription databases, or freely available through the U.S. government. For print resources or more indepth legislative assistance, please contact the Tulane Law Library at 504.865.5952.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is the non-partisan public policy research arm of the United States Congress. CRS experts prepare reports to assist members of Congress throughout the legislative process, providing background information and data on public policy issues.
| Document Type | Description |
Recommended Database |
| Bills, Amendments, Resolutions |
Proposed legislation, which may take many forms |
Congressional (1789-present) |
| Debates |
Official proceedings and debates are published daily in the Congressional Record |
Congressional (1789-present) |
| Hearings |
Committees may decide to publish publicly held hearings, two months to two years after they are held |
Congressional (1824-present) |
| Committee Prints & Conference Reports |
Findings and recommendations of committees, reported back to the House or Senate as a whole |
Congressional (1817-present) |
| Public Laws |
Enacted legislation that affect the general population. For each session of Congress, all acts and resolutions are published chronologically in the U.S. Statutes at Large. These are then codified and integrated by topic into the U.S. Code. |
Congressional, or |
