Key Resources
- Check Scholar OneSearch, the Library's online catalog for Congressional and legislative branch documents.
- Proquest Congressional (current NU affiliates) Contemporary and historical. Use Proquest Congressional to locate a broad range of Congressional publications, including hearings, reports, documents, and Committee prints. We provide access to all published hearings from 1824 to present (1824-2003 generously funded by the Office of the Provost; 2004 to present, courtesy of the School of Law Library).
- Try GovInfo for full-text access to essential federal publications, including the Congressional Record, House and Senate calendars, bills, public and private laws, and full-text hearings, reports, documents, and Committee prints from the past several Congresses.
- Congress.gov provides access to bills, resolutions, treaties, Presidential nominations, Congressional reports, and other materials.
- HeinOnline (courtesy of the Law Library) is a rich repository of both contemporary and historical Congressional materials.
Congressional Publications
The Library provides access to both contemporary and historical collections of Congressional materials.
- Proquest Congresssional (current NU affiliates)Contemporary and historical. Use Proquest Congressional to locate a broad range of Congressional publications, including hearings, reports, documents, and Committee prints. We provide access to all published hearings from 1824 to present (1824-2003 generously funded by the Office of the Provost; 2004 to present, courtesy of the School of Law Library).
- U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980 (current NU affiliates)Important documents of the United States Congress including reports, journals (1817-1952), Senate executive documents, treaties (after 1978), committee reports, executive reports to congress, and more.
- American State Papers, 1789-1838 (current NU affiliates)Legislative and executive documents from the earliest period of the republic.
- Congressional Record (Bound)The Bound edition is the permanent version of the Record. Content may differ slightly from that of the predecessor Daily editions due to slight revision and rearrangement of the text. Pages are numbered continuously and no longer carry the H, S, and E prefixes (House, Senate, and Extension of Remarks).
- Congressional Record Index (Daily), 1983 to presentPublished biweekly when Congress is in session. In this digital index, the History of Bills is a separate database. The History is included in the print edition of the Index.
- History of BillsAlthough treated as a separate database, this index is part of the overall Congressional Record Index.
- Congressional CalendarsIncludes the Senate Calendar of Business and the Calendars of the U.S. House of Representatives/History of Legislation.
Legislative Drafting Materials
- Quick Guide to Legislative DraftingFrom the House Legislative Counsel.
- Guide to Legislative DraftingFrom the House Legislative Counsel's office.
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
The Congressional Research Service prepares a number of thoroughly researched studies of issues and programs for members of Congress. These materials aren't routinely made available to the public and must be sought through a variety of intermediaries, including the following:
- University of North TexasUNT is a leader in the effort to digitize and preserve government information.
Other Legislative Branch Resources
In addition to Congress, the legislative branch includes a number of other important agencies. Please see the separate section on CRS, the Congressonal Research Service.
- GAO Reports and Comptroller General Decisions, 1994-2008THe GAO reports include evaluations and investigations of many federal programs and agencies.
- Library of CongressSee especially Thomas which provides bill summaries, bill status, and texts, as well as a variety of other Congressional materials.
Historical Congressional Publications - Hearings, Documents, and Reports
- American State Papers, 1789-1838 (current NU affiliates)Legislative and executive documents from the earliest period of the republic.
- U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980 (current NU affiliates)Important documents of the United States Congress including reports, journals (1817-1952), Senate executive documents, treaties (after 1978), committee reports, executive reports to congress, and more.
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new windowUse Proquest Congressional to locate a broad range of Congressional publications, including hearings, reports, documents, and Committee prints. We provide access to all published hearings from 1824 to present (1824-2003 generously funded by the Office of the Provost; 2004 to present, courtesy of the School of Law Library).
Historical Congressional Publications - Daily Proceedings
- Annals of Congress, 1789-1824Predecessor to the Register of Debates, Congressional Globe, and Congressional Record. Through HeinOnline, courtesy of the Law Library.
- Register of Debates in Congress, 1825-1837Successor to Annals of Congress; predecessor to the Congressional Globe and Congressional Record. Through HeinOnline, courtesy of the Law Library.
- Congressional Globe, 12/1833 - 3/1873Through HeinOnline, courtesy of the Law Library.
- Congressional Record, 1873 - 2010Through HeinOnline, courtesy of the Law Library.
- Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774 - 1789Through HeinOnline, courtesy of the Law Library.
Congressional Links
United States Senate and United States House of Representatives These pages contain a wealth of links and are well worth exploration.
Notable links include: