FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Margaret Clark, Reference Librarian

FSU College of Law Library

October 2007

Federal Legislative History

Why do it? What is it? How do you research it?

Why compile legislative history?

To clarify questions about a statute if there are no cases interpreting it.

To understand the meaning of specific language or terminology

To determine legislative intent at the time statute was enacted

What is legislative history?

A collection of related documents produced by Congress during the enactment, or rejection, of a proposed public law.

Citation forms Bills 106 H.R. 275 106 S. 30

Many versions engrossed enrolled

Committee reports H.Rpt.106-55 Committee prints H.R. Doc No.43

(Title)

Committee documents H. Doc. 105-22 Committee hearings S. Hrg. 106-75 Floor debates 132 Cong. Rec. 32408;

CR H2675

Conference report H. R. Conf. Rep. 105-37 Slip law/session law Pub. L. 106-386

Not all legislative documents are created equal!

1. Statute text

2. Conference report’s joint explanatory statement

3. Committee reports

4. Remarks, debates

5. Bill text in various versions

6. Witness statements in committee hearings

7. Prints, reports, signing statements, news articles

Excerpted from Richard McKinney’s Federal Legislative History Research,

http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/docs/fed-leg-hist.pdf, last updated May 2006

Two Strategies for Researching Legislative Histories

I. Find already compiled historyFull text sources – onlineFull text sources – printCases and law review articles

II. Compile your ownLexisCIS CongressionalWestlawThomas web site

Strategy I: Find compiled history

A. Full text sources – Online HeinOnline

U.S. Federal Legislative History Collection Sources of Compiled Legislative Histories

Westlaw Arnold and Porter Collection USCCAN – U.S. Code Congressional & Administrative News

Lexis Internet Sites

http://www.law.fsu.edu/library

Hein Online

Hein Online

Hein Online

USCCANU.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News

Two sectionsLaws - Public laws in chronological orderLegislative History

List of legislative history documents Reprints selected documents, e.g. committee reports Helpful tables offer checklist

Print begins with 1941 Westlaw begins with 1973

USCCANU.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News

Legislative History Documents: Excerpts or full text

http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/leg-hist.htm

Strategy I: Find compiled history

B. Full text sources – Print

Search the online catalog

Strategy I: Find compiled history

B. Full text sources - Print Union List of Legislative Histories Federal Legislative Histories …others listed in handout

Strategy I: Find compiled history

C. Look for cases or law reviews

Strategy I: Find compiled history

C. Look for cases or law reviews

Strategy IICompile Own Legislative History

STEP 1: Identify public law number STEP 2: Identify bill number STEP 3: Find legislative history

documents STEP 4: Read and analyze documents

22 USC 7102

STEP 1: Identify public law number

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000

STEP 1: Identify public law number

STEP 2: Identify bill numberPub.L. 106-386

Strategy IICompile Own Legislative History

STEP 1: Identify public law number STEP 2: Find public law & identify bill

number STEP 3: Find legislative history

documents STEP 4: Find and read documents

STEP 3: Finding RECENT legislative history documents

Databases – not free 1970 to present LexNex - CIS Legislative Histories 1984 to present LexNex Academic - Congressional 1996 to present Westlaw (Graphical Statutes)

Web sites – free 1987 to present Thomas web site 1993 to present GPO Access

STEP 3: Finding RECENT legislative history documents

www.law.fsu.edu/library

LexisNexis Academic - Congressional CIS Legislative Histories

Step 1: Identify public law number

Step 1: Identify public law number

Step 2: Identify bill numberStep 3: Identify legislative history documents

Step 4: Find and read legislative history documents

Cornell : Popular Names of Acts in the US Code http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/topn/

Step 2: Identify bill number

Strategy IICompile Own Legislative History

STEP 3: Finding OLDER legislative history documents

Databases – not free 1817 to 1902 U.S. Serial Set (Readex) 1945 to present USCCAN (Westlaw) 1789 to 1969 Lexis - CIS Historical Index

Web site – free 1774 to 1875 Library of Congress American

Memory web siteMicrofiche 1903 to 1969 U.S. Serial Set (microfiche)

Challenges

Documents may not be found. Documents may not tell you anything. Legislative history document or

compilation is only persuasive authority.

Great Internet Research Guides

LLSDC’s Federal Legislative History Research

How Our Laws are Made – 68 page report

Schoolhouse Rock’s “How a Bill Becomes Law”

Final Words

At the federal level, legislative history is relatively easy to find.

Process can be time and labor intensive.

Knowing the legislative process helps in finding the relevant documents.

Knowing how to use a variety of finding tools helps in finding the relevant documents.

Questions?