HIST 386/586: Legislative Histories

Introduction: How a Bill Becomes a Law

(1) A General Overview

 

 

(2) Same process, as told by:

The Feds:www.usinfo.state.gov

The Library of Congress: www.thomasloc.gov

(3) Legislative processes in Government Publications

Four Tips to Ensure Your Success in This Assignment

(1) Choose a Public Law passed between 1975 and 1985.
(2) Understand the numbering of Congresses and Congressional sessions.
(3) Start your research early.
(4) Conduct your research in one "sitting."

Step 1: Find a Public Law (a.k.a. an act, a.k.a. a bill that has passed and has become law).

Search Lexis Nexis Congressional Legislative Histories to find a "Goldilocks" law.

Not too big, like this one:

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF: P.L. 92-318

STAT: 86 Stat. 235.

TITLE: Education Amendments of 1972

REFERENCES:
 
DEBATE:
 
Congressional Record Vol. 117 (1971):
   Aug. 4-6, considered and passed Senate.
   Nov. 3, 4, considered and passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 7248.
 
Congressional Record Vol. 118 (1972):
   Feb. 22-25, 28, 29, Mar. 1, Senate agreed to House amendment with amendments.
   Mar. 8, House disagreed to Senate amendment; requested a conference.
   May 23, 24, Senate agreed to conference report.
   June 8, House agreed to conference report.
 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF Presidential Documents, Vol. 8, No. 26:
   June 23, Presidential statement.
 
 
PUBLICATIONS:
 
1971 CIS/Annual:
 
 
HOUSE DOCUMENTS: H340-1.
 
 
HOUSE HEARINGS: H341-36; H341-37.
 
 
SENATE HEARINGS: S541-33; S541-34; S541-35; S541-36; S541-37.
 
 
HOUSE COMMITTEE PRINTS: H342-7.
 
 
SENATE COMMITTEE PRINTS: S542-3.
 
 
HOUSE REPORTS: H343-10 (No. 92-554, accompanying H.R. 7248).
 
 
SENATE REPORTS: S443-42 (No. 92-384, accompanying S. 2482); S543-3 (No. 92-61, accompanying S. 1557); S543-13 (No. 92-346); S543-14 (No. 92-384, accompanying S. 2482).
 
1972 CIS/Annual:
 
 
HOUSE DOCUMENTS: H340-6.
 
 
SENATE DOCUMENTS: S540-1.
 
 
HOUSE HEARINGS: H341-8.
 
 
SENATE HEARINGS: S441-3.
 
 
HOUSE COMMITTEE PRINTS: H342-15.
 
 
HOUSE REPORTS: H343-6 (No. 92-1085, Conference Report).
 
 
SENATE REPORTS: S543-1 (No. 92-604); S543-13 (No. 92-798, Conference Report).

Not too small, like this one:

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF: P.L. 96-321

STAT: 94 Stat. 1001.

TITLE: Heat Crisis Program, fund transfer

REFERENCES:
 
DEBATE:
 
Congressional Record Vol. 126 (1980):
   July 30, considered and passed Senate.
   July 31, considered and passed House.

You want just right, like this one!

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF: P.L. 96-565

STAT: 94 Stat. 3321.  

TITLE: Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Hawaii, establishment

REFERENCES:
 
DEBATE:
 
Congressional Record Vol. 126 (1980):
   May 19, considered and passed House.
   Dec. 4, considered and passed Senate, amended.
   Dec. 5, House concurred in Senate amendments.
 
 
PUBLICATIONS:
 
1980 CIS/Annual:
 
 
HOUSE HEARINGS: H441-22.
 
 
HOUSE REPORTS: H443-17 (No. 96-1019).
 
 
SENATE REPORTS: S313-63 (No. 96-1027).
 
1981 CIS/Annual:
 
 
SENATE HEARINGS: S311-34.

Step 2: Look up your law in the CIS Legislative History Index at the Gov Pubs Index Center. Photocopy the legislative history.

This is your "map" that will guide you through the assignment.

Step 3: Find the Text of the Public Law by Its Number.

A. Example: Public Law 96-565 = 96th Congress, Law # 565

B. Dates of congresses may be found on the US Senate Web site. Congresses last two years. The first year is the first session; the second year is the second session.

C. Locate the US Statues at Large in the US Gov Pubs Stacks. They have different SuDoc numbers (call numbers for government publications), depending on when they were published:

1789-1948: S 7.9
1949-1983: GS 4.111
1984-2008: AE 2.111

D. Go to the appropriate SuDoc location and look in the index to find your law by popular name or subject. Locate the volume you need by using the volume number and statute number listed in your legislative history.

E. Photocopy your law.

Step 4: Find the House and Senate Hearings (SuDoc Y.4...).

A. Look them up in the CIS Abstracts by "H" or "S" number The abstract will give you a brief summary of the hearing, as well as a SuDoc number (if you don't already have that).

B. Then look the hearing up by title in the Catalog and check it out at the circulation desk.

C. If we don't have the hearing, try searching all UB libraries. As a last resort, order them through interlibrary loan.

Step 5: Find the House and Senate Reports in the Serial Set (SuDoc Y1.1/2).

A. Note the number of the report. It has a congress number and a document number.

B. Go the volume for the correct congress and find the report.

C. Note that the report may contain the text of the bill! Check for the bill!

D. Photocopy your reports.

Step 6: Find the Discussion "Transcription" in the Congressional Record of the Bill or Bills (Downstairs, Compact shelving, X.98/2).

A. Look for the index volume at the end of the appropriate Congressional session. The History of Bills and Resolutions sections for the House & Senate bills will help find the correct pages in the regular volumes.

B. Note that the Congressional Record may contain the text of the bill! Check for the bill!

C. Photocopy the relevant pages.

Step 7: Find the Text of the Bill(s), if You Have Not Yet Done So (Gov. Pub. Microfiche Y1.4/6)

A. Bills from the 96th - 100th Congresses are available on microfiche in the library. Other bills must be ordered through interlibrary loan.

B. Use the finding aid at the Government Publications Index Center, GP 3.28.

C. Know whether the bill is a House or Senate bill, the bill number, and the number of the Congress.

D. The finding aid lists bills by Congress number, Session, and then type of bill. The fiche are shelved in the drawer by Congress number, session, then type of bill.

E. Your citation will include a fiche number and X-Y coordinates.

F. Go the the Gov. Pub. Microfiche cabinets along the south wall. 97th - 100th Congresses are filed under Y 1.4/6. The 96th Congress is shelved just before this. 96-1 = first session, 96-2 = second session.

G. Scan or print your bill(s).

Step 8: Find out Whether the President Said Anything When He Signed the Bill into Law.

A. Look up the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents / Public Papers of the Presidents

1975-1976: GS 4.114
1976-2008: GS 4.113

B. Look up by date the bill was signed into law.

C. Photocopy the signing statement, if there is any.

Step 9: Pat Yourself on the Back! You're Done with the Research!

Step 10: Write Your Paper :-)