federal legislative history margaret clark, reference librarian fsu college of law library october...
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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?