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The term “legislative history” refers to documents generated as a bill works its way through the legislative process. Legislative histories are usually compiled so that the researcher can infer the statutory intent behind a law. Even bills not enacted into law may have legislative history. The number and kinds of documents for a legislative history vary greatly and may include the text of the bill (including introduced, amended, and reported versions); conference reports; committee reports; House and Senate debates; statements made by sponsors; committee hearings, prints, and documents; presidential signing statements; reports from congressional agencies (such as the Congressional Research Service and Government Accountability Office); news coverage; post-enactment analysis; and the public law itself. Finally, some legislative histories might also include all of these materials on related bills from past congressional sessions.
This guide provides an overview of how to find already compiled federal legislative histories and how to compile your own federal legislative history. The guide does not discuss the federal legislative process in depth. In case you need a quick refresher about how the legislative process works, take a few minutes to check out School House Rock's video, "I'm Just a Bill" linked below, or, for a more in-depth discussion of the legislative process, please see "How Our Laws Are Made, Revised and Updated" by John Sullivan, Parliamentarian, U.S. House of Representatives.
School House Rock: I'm Just a Bill (ABC television broadcast Mar. 27 1976).
If you're looking for more sources to explain about federal legislation and Congress, here's a few resources to get you started:
Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process
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