|
Bills
Most proposed legislation in either the House or Senate is introduced in "bill" form.* In the House, bills are "H.R.[with number]." Similarly, in the Senate bills are referred to as "S.[with number]." Each chamber numbers its bills consecutively within any given Congress, i.e., the two-year period during which the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate meet, with elections in even-numbered years. Bills introduced for the benefit of private individuals are called private bills which, if passed, become "Private Laws." Most bills are applicable to the public and hence become "Public Laws."
Once given its number, the bill is printed and referred to a committee and possibly to a subcommittee. The committee and/or subcommittee may hold hearings.
There are several versions of a bill:
- Introduced version: The version as introduced by sponsors or cosponsors on the floor of the House or Senate.
- Reported version: The version voted on by the relevant committee for consideration by the full House or Senate.
- Engrossed version: The version passed by one full chamber, including any floor amendments.
- Act version: If passed by one (e.g., An Act of the Senate) or both chambers (e.g., An Act of Congress), the bill becomes an act.
- Companion version: A bill introduced in one chamber that is similar or identical to the one introduced in the other chamber.
- Enrolled version: The version passed in identical form by both chambers and sent to the President for signature.
- If the bill is passed in identical form by both the House and Senate, and signed by the President, it becomes a law (or becomes a law if a Presidential veto is overridden by a 2/3's vote in both the House and Senate). If Congress adjourns and the President fails to sign the bill within ten days of adjournment, the result is a veto, known as a "pocket veto." If Congress is in session and the President (i) fails to veto the bill and (ii) fails to return the bill with objections to the chamber of origin within ten days (Sundays excepted), the bill becomes a law.
Where to find bills:
*Other forms of Congressional action are (i) Simple Resolutions, generally dealing with operational matters in one chamber or expressing that chamber's opinion on a public policy issue; (ii) Concurrent Resolutions deal with management matters affecting both chambers, or voice the opinion of both chambers on a public policy issue; (iii) Joint Resolutions are mainly used to propose Constitutional amendments or to fix technical errors in bills.
top of page
Committee Hearings
A bill is then referred to the relevant committee/subcommittee. Both the House and the Senate may hold hearings prior to debating and voting on the bill. Hearings are held before relevant committees according to the bill's topic.
At hearings, expert witnesses or parties with an expertise or interest in the legislation testify. Be aware that not all hearings get published. Also, keep in mind that hearings on related legislation may have been held during a previous Congress, yet may be relevant to understanding the legislation in question. Some hearing transcripts must be requested from the committee that handled the matter. When in doubt, consult your reference librarian.
Where to find Committee Hearings:
- CIS Microfiche (1970 to date)
- GPO Access (1995 to date)
- House and Senate websites (for current hearings)
- LexisNexis (Selected coverage from Federal Document Clearing House database. Coverage varies, depending on source. Coverage includes summaries and full testimony. Also, selected coverage from Federal News Service, August 1988 to date.).
- Westlaw (Partial coverage from January 1993; full coverage from January 1996)
- LexisNexis Congressional (selected information from 1988 to 1993; comprehensive testimony from 1993 to date)
top of page
Committee Prints
"Committee prints" refer to research studies written for a committee's use when preparing for hearings or for a bill's consideration before either chamber. The committee print may not be directly available to the public and may actually be composed of background studies, various proposed versions of the bill in question, and even legislative histories of related legislation.
Where to find Committee Prints:
- InfoHawk (Using the keyword function with "committee print" and your topic, you may pull up relevant committee prints.)
- CIS Microfiche (1970 to date)
- GPO Access (1997 to date)
- LexisNexis (Selected coverage, 1993 to date)
- Westlaw (Specialized coverage, mainly according to legislation in practice areas.)
- LexisNexis Congressional (1993 to date)
top of page
Committee Reports
The committee report explains the committee's work and the content of the proposed bill. While committee reports are optional in the Senate, they are mandatory in the House of Representatives. The report will often contain opinions of committee members, and may also contain statistical studies, including budgetary and revenue considerations. Also, information regarding the proposed bill's effect on current law may be included. Conference committee reports describe the work of a conference committee, i.e., House and Senate members who meet to form two similar acts into a single act that can be voted on by both chambers.
Where to find Committee Reports:
- United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) (selected reports, 1941 to date) Core collection on 2nd and 3rd floors, KF48.U54
- LexisNexis (1990 to date; selected coverage, 1990-1992; full coverage 1993 to date)
- Westlaw (Has online version of the USCCAN reports, covering selected reports, 1948 to 1989; comprehensive coverage, 1990 to date)
- LexisNexis Congressional (Full text 1990 to date; abstracts prior to 1990)
- GPO Access (1995 to date)
- CIS Microfiche (1970 to date)
- CIS United States Serial Set Index (1789 to 1969)
- Thomas (1995 to date)
- Library of Congress' Century of Lawmaking (selected reports, 23rd through 64th Congresses)
top of page
Floor Debates and the Congressional Record
A "floor debate" (sometimes referred to as "remarks") is actually a misnomer. "Debate" instead refers to the time allotted each Representative or Senator to discuss the bill on the floor of their respective chambers. Debates are printed in the Congressional Record (Congress's daily paper), and are referred to by bill number.
Comments by bill sponsors or the reporting committee chair are given more consideration than individual member comments when construing legislative intent. Comments made during the adoption of floor amendments are important as well.
The Congressional Record, first published in 1873, appears in a daily edition and a permanent edition. Always check to make sure you're searching the correct edition. This is especially important for law journal citation checkers and research assistants. The bound permanent edition is in Upper Rothgerber. The daily edition is found on microfiche in Lower Rothgerber.
Where to find Floor Debates and the Congressional Record:
Congressional Record:
Pre 1873
- Congressional Globe (1833-1873) Law Documents X.Cong/sess.
- Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837) Law Documents X.Cong/sess.
- Annals of Congress (1789-1824) Law Documents X.Cong/sess.
top of page
Presidential Messages
Presidential messages, either a signing or veto statement, are sent to Congress.
Where to Find Presidential Messages:
top of page
|
