Northern Kentucky University

Legislative History Information Resources

General Resources

Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications

The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is the finding tool for federal publications. It includes descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those that are available online. Users can search by authoring agency, title, subject, and general key word.

Print Location: Steely Library, Paper: 1937- U.S. DOC GP 3.8: V. 1, 1895-

CIS Annual

Print Location: REF KF49 .C62

Abstracts, Index, and Legislative Histories of U.S. Public Laws. Use the Abstracts, Indexes, and Legislative Histories to identify a public law number; follow that to the parts of the legislative history -- hearings, floor debates, Congressional committee reports, executive documents, etc.

CIS Publications

Index toU.S. Congressional publications, including committee hearings, reports, and other documents. Legislative histories lead to primary documents that are related to a particular law. Coverage: 1970 - present. Date of earliest coverage varies for full text of legislative histories, bills, hearings, reports, prints, and related information sources.

Congressional Quarterly Almanac

Print Location: REF JK1 .C66

Coverage: 1969-present

CQ Weekly Report

Print Location: REF JK1 .C15

Coverage: current year

Browse the index for topics. Articles will provide bill numbers and public law numbers as well as background information on the topic.

Congressional Index

Print Location: Chase Law Library KF 49. C6

Coverage: Updated thru no. 104 (Dec. 31 2008)

This is the first print source in which you can find new laws or pending bills.

Thomas

Coverage: 1973- current date

Use the "Bill Summary and Status" files to locate detailed listing of dates and actions taken. Laws are bills or resolutions that have passed both the House and the Senate in the same form and have been signed by the President (or re-passed by Congress over a Presidential veto). Laws are for public purposes (Public Laws) or private individuals (Private Laws).

U.S. House of Representatives

Official website of the United States House of Representatives.

U.S. Senate

Official website of the United States Senate.

Legislative Branch Resources

Conference Reports

A conference report is an agreement on legislation that is negotiated between the House and Senate via conference committees. It is printed and submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval.

Congressional Reports

Congressional reports originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. There are two types of reports House and Senate Reports and Senate Executive Reports. The database for the current Congress is updated irregularly, as electronic versions of the documents become available.

Print Location: CIS US Serial Set and Serial Set 1879-1969 Parts I –XII and Index Senate and House reports 1817-1969 In microfiche REF Zl223 .Z9 C65 1975 Pts. 1- 13 1789-1969 Y 1.1/2: No. 13301 -Reports:

Congressional Documents

Congressional documents originate from congressional committees and cover a wide variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations made for Congress, and annual reports of non-governmental organizations. There are three types of documents: House and Senate Documents; Senate Executive Documents; and Senate Treaty Documents. The database for the current Congress is updated irregularly, as electronic versions of the documents become available.

Print Location: CIS US Serial Set Index Part XIII Index by Reported Bill Numbers 1817-1969 REF Zl223 .Z9 C65 1975 Pt. 13 1817-1969.

History of Bills

Lists legislative actions on bills that are reported in the Congressional Record. It is part of the print Congressional Record Index, which is published biweekly by the Joint Committee on Printing when Congress is in session

Calendar of the United States House of Representatives and History of Legislation

Sections included: Union Calendar, House Calendar, Private Calendar, Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees, Public Laws (w/Bill number), Private Laws (w/Bill number), History of all House and Senate Bills, Resolutions, Joint Resolutions, Concurrent Resolutions, considered Congress, (Excluded are Senate Resolutions not of interest to the House), Bills in & through Conference, and a Geographical and subject index. Each issues cumulates into a Final Edition which lists all the bills that failed to become law and lists all those which did, citing their Public Law number. It cites the summary of action and time line for ALL bills that were reported by committees and acted on by at least one chamber.

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S. DOC Y 1.2/2: 93rd Congress -

Calendar of Business of the Senate

Sections included: Cumulated daily record of each of the Bills acted on by the Senate, a numerical list of the Bills in Conference, and a Status Chart of the House/Senate Appropriations Bills considered by the Senate. For each Congress, there is a cumulative Final Issue which cites all the dates and actions taken on all the Bills considered by the Senate, and the Bills in Conference during the two year period.

Paper/Microfiche Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC Y 1.3/3:

A Century of Lawmaking For a New Nation, Congressional Documents and Debates 1774-1875

Beginning with the Continental Congress in 1774, America's national legislative bodies have kept records of their proceedings. The records of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and the United States Congress make up a rich documentary history of the construction of the nation and the development of the federal government and its role in the national life. These documents record American history in the words of those who built our government.

Contains the Congressional Record 1789-1872, Register of Debates (18th Congress 2nd Session, December 6, 1824 thru 25th Congress 1st Session October 16, 1837), and The Congressional Globe (23rd Congress, December 2, 1833 thru 42nd Congress, March 3, 1873)

Congressional Record

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. GPO Access contains Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities.

Bound Congressional Record

At the end of each session of Congress, all of the daily editions are collected, re-paginated, and re-indexed into a permanent, bound edition. This permanent edition, commonly referred to as the Bound Congressional Record, is made up of one volume per session of Congress, with each volume published in multiple parts. The primary ways in which the Bound Congressional Record differs from the daily edition are continuous pagination; somewhat edited, revised, and rearranged text; and the dropping of the prefixes H, S, and E before page numbers.

1. House Pages contain the daily record of House proceedings and debates, messages to the each house, and voting information.
2. Senate Pages contain the daily record of Senate proceedings and debates, messages to the each house, and voting information.
3. Extension of Remarks’ includes tributes, reprinted articles, and other materials ordered to be placed in the Congressional Record.
4. Daily Digest (New as of 1947) includes information about the events in a legislative day, i.e. House and Senate Chamber Action which summarized bills introduced and reported, bills signed by the President, quorum calls, and a schedule of the House and Senate Committees Meetings for the following day.
5. History of Bills and Resolutions is a section found within the Index of the Cumulated edition of the CR, this index is arranged by Bill number and leads to citations for information on all stages of bills from Introduction to defeat or passage.

Journal of the House of Representatives

Online coverage: 1991-1999

The Journal is a record of the proceedings of each legislative day in the House. The Journal -- and not the Congressional Record -- is the official record of the proceedings of the House, and certified copies thereof are admissible in judicial proceedings. The U.S. Constitution requires the House to keep a Journal and publish it excepting such as may require secrecy. The purpose of this constitutional requirement is to insure that the proceedings of the House be a matter of public record.

Paper/Microfiche Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC XJH: 89th 2nd Session, 1966 -

Journal of the Senate

Online coverage: 1789-1875

Official record of the proceedings of the Senate. Debates are not included. The Senate Journal contains proceedings, and messages of the President. Includes a History of Bills and Resolutions section organized by bill number, title, and action and a Name/Subject/Title Index. Published at the conclusion of each session.

Paper/Microfiche Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC XJS: 92nd Congress, 1st Session 1971-

Congressional Research Service, Digest of Public General Bills and Resolutions

Published for each session of Congress, from 74th Congress First Session, (January 18, 1936) - 101st Congress 2nd Session 1990, these volumes present the summery version of all bills considered by Congress. Also included are Public Laws and the Legislative history for each.

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC LC 30.6: 74th January 18, 1936–101st Congress 1990

Executive Branch Resources

Code of Federal Regulations

This set of volumes is an annual compilation of current agencies regulations, and Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders.

Paper Location: Current Edition Steely Library U.S. DOC AE 2.106/3:

Federal Register

Daily announcement of all agencies’ proposed and new Regulations, official notices, and Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations.

Paper Location: Current two years.

Microfilm Location: 1960-1984, Microfiche 1985-2004

United States Code

Topical arrangement of current legislative laws

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC Y 1.2/5: Latest

Public and Private Laws

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC AE 2.110: AE 2.110/2 Current-

United States Statutes at Large

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC GS 4.111 1962-1983, AE 2.111: 1984-Date

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents: 1993-2009

Provides texts of presidential speeches, press conferences, and other documents.

Paper/Microfilm Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC AE 2.109:
V. 1 1965- V. 45, no. 3 January, 2009; Continued by Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents.

Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents

Provides texts of presidential speeches, press conferences, and other documents.

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC AE 2.109: January, 2009 -

Public Papers of the President of the United States

Public messages and statements, verbatim transcripts of news conferences and selected papers released by the White House since 1929-1933, 1945-

Paper Location: Steely Library U.S.DOC AE 2.114:1929-1933, 1945-