The Federal Legislative Process

How a bill becomes a law andthe publications that are produced in the process

Action Publication Locating publication

Bill is introduced into the House or Senate and assigned to a committee

Bill Proquest Congressional 1989-present

101st (1989) – present (Present Congress is 112th) http://Thomas.Loc.gov

1973-1989 Available on microfiche from many depository libraries. WSL has a number of years of bills on microfiche

1938-1973 may be available through some depositories. Otherwise, only available through the Library of Congress. Amendments are often printed in the Congressional Record when the amendment is under discussion.

Pre 1938 Only available through the Library of Congress. Amendments are often printed in the Congressional Record when the amendment is under discussion.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-105hr708ih/pdf/BILLS-105hr708ih.pdf

Action Publication Locating publication

Committee may hold hearing(s) on bill

Hearings Proquest Congressional includes hearings

1989 (101st) – present (Present Congress is 112th) Reference by Committee in Thomas

1973-74 (93rd Congress) - 1989 (101st)Cited in Legislative History of Bill. Available in print/microform through many Federal Depository Libraries

Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress) Index of Congressional Committee Hearings (Multi-volume set) Pre-1935 through 1980 ( Y 1.3: H35/2)

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-105hhrg44138/pdf/CHRG-105hhrg44138.pdf

Action Publication Locating publication

Committee may publish report on bill giving background and recommendations when the bill is sent on to the full House or Senate.

House and Senate Reports

Proquest Congressional includes House and Senate Reports

1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present (Present Congress is 112th) House and Senate Report numbers given in Thomas’ bill information; found in Serial Set Full text available through Thomas for 1989-present

Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress) Serial Set. The Congressional Record Index includes a section ("History of Bills and Resolutions“) listing House and Senate Bill Numbers and their status. It includes the House and Senate Report numbers.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-105hrpt300/pdf/CRPT-105hrpt300.pdf

Action Publication Locating publicationThe chamber debates, amends and passes the bill.

Congressional Record (Daily and Bound Editions)

Proquest Congressional includes both editions of Congressional Record

1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present (Present Congress is 112th) Page numbers given in Thomas’ bill information; Full text available through Thomas for 1989-present; Congressional Record, bound edition available at WSL

Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress) Congressional Record, bound edition available at WSL. The index includes the pages in Congressional Record on which any debate about the bill is printed

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1997-10-21/pdf/CREC-1997-10-21-pt1-PgH8860-2.pdf#page=1

Action Publication Locating publication

After the bill is passed (engrossed) in one chamber it is sent on to the next chamber and the process repeated in that chamber. Thus, for each bill there can be House and Senate Hearings, House and Senate Reports and House and Senate Debates. If the bill is agreed to by both chambers, it is sent on to the president for his signature. If each chamber approves a different version, a conference committee is formed. A conference report can be issued from this committee.

Conference Report Proquest Congressional includes Conference Reports

1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present (Present Congress is 112th) House and Senate Report numbers given in Thomas’ bill information; found in Serial Set. Full text available through Thomas for 1989-present

Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress)Serial Set. The Congressional Record Index includes a section ("History of Bills and Resolutions“) listing House and Senate Bill Numbers and their status. It includes the House and Senate Conference Report numbers

There was not a separate Senate Report nor a Conference Report for this bill. It was considered in the Senate and passed, as recorded in the Congressional Record.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1997-11-04/pdf/CREC-1997-11-04-pt1-PgS11706-3.pdf#page=1

Action Publication Locating publication

Once the bill is passed by both chambers, it becomes an Enrolled Act. It is then sent to the President who can sign or veto it.

Slip Law 1989 (101st Congress) – present (Present Congress is 112th) Slip Laws are sometimes published as one of the Bill Versions in Thomas.

Pre 1989 (101st)From 1973-present Slip Laws are distributed to Federal Depository Libraries but once the Public Law is received in the format of the U.S. Statutes, depositories are allowed to dispose of the Slip Law.

Action Publication Locating publicationIf the President signs the bill, it becomes a Public Law. Beginning in 1908, each Public Law was assigned a number that begins with the Session Number and ends with a number related to the bill’s order of passage. eg. PL 105-81

Public Laws are compiled and published in the U.S. Statutes at Large. They receive a Statute Number that begins with a volume number and ends with the first page of the Public Law in the volume.

Public Law

U.S. Statutes at Large

Proquest Congressional 1989-present

1989 (101st) – present (Present Congress is 112th) The link to the Public Law is available through Thomas.

Pre 1989 (101st) Only available in the U.S. Statutes at Large

The Wyoming State Law Library has the complete bound version of the U.S. Statutes at Large. Volume 1(1st Congress 1789)- 18 (43rd Congress 1875) are available online through the Library of Congress (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsllink.html) Volume 65 (82nd Congress 1951-present are available through GPO (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=GPO&browsePath=United+States+Statutes+at+Large+%28Digitized%29&isCollapsed=false&leafLevelBrowse=false&ycord=241)

They are also available in Hein Online

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-105publ81/pdf/PLAW-105publ81.pdf

Locating the Legislative Historyof a Bill

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:H.R.708:

1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present (Present Congress is 112th)Listed in Thomashttp://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php

1975 – presentListed at the end of the Public Law in the U.S. Statutes at Large

1873 – presentThe bound edition of "Congressional Record Index", particularly its accompanying "History of Bills and Resolutions". The index and history of House and Senate bills has been produced for each congressional session since the Congressional Record began in 1873. The bound edition is only available through Hein Online, Proquest Congressional or in paper at WSL

Summary Sheet for the Legislative History of a Bill

Bill Number _________H.R. 708____________________________(Remember to note which Chamber) Hearing Date(s) _July 22, 1997__________________________________________________________ Report Number (House) _____House Report 105-300_____________________________________ Report Number (Senate) ____NA___________________________________________________

Report Number (Conference) __NA_________________________________________________ Congressional Record Debate Page Numbers:

Public Law Number ______105-81_________________ Statute Number ________111 STAT 1537______________

Summary Sheet for the Legislative History of a Bill

Bill Number _____________________________________(Remember to note which Chamber)

Hearing Number ________________________________________________________________ Report Number (House) __________________________________________________________ Report Number (Senate) _________________________________________________________ Report Number (Conference) _____________________________________________________

Congressional Record Debate Page Numbers ________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Public Law Number _____________________________________________________________ Statute Number ________________________________________________________________