Get Research Help
On Demand Reference Assistance
Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Please feel free to call or email us (below) for assistance. If you have a larger research question, please contact us to set up an in-person or Zoom appointment.
Contact Information
reference@lls.edu
213.736.1177
Retrieving Compiled Legislative Histories
Can Alumni Access These?
Yes!
Alumni can visit the library to access ProQuest Congressional and HeinOnline.
Collections of Compiled Legislative Histories
ProQuest, Hein, and Westlaw all provide compiled legislative histories, including lists of legislative history documents with links to the full text:
- ProQuest Legislative InsightProvides the most comprehensive legislative history collection, with selected histories dating back to 1864. To retrieve a history, search the Public Law number.
- HeinOnline U.S. Federal Legislative History Title CollectionProvides an extensive collection of legislative histories, with selected histories dating back to 1816. To retrieve a history, browse to the Public Law number.
- Westlaw Legislative History SectionProvides a large collection of compiled legislative histories from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (linked as U.S. GAO Federal Legislative Histories) and a smaller collection from the law firm Arnold & Porter (linked in the right sidebar.) The easiest way to retrieve legislative history materials for a specific statute is to access the statute and click History tab > Legislative History Materials. Any compiled legislative histories will be at the bottom of the page.
Lexis also provides legislative histories but often does not provide the full text for all of the listed documents:
- Lexis Legislative History SectionProvides legislative histories from CIS but does not always provide the full text for all of the listed legislative documents. The easiest way to retrieve legislative history materials for a specific statute is to access the statute, click the link to the relevant Public Law number under History, then click the search result for the Public Law. Check the Public Law's right sidebar for a section labeled About This Document > Related Legislative Materials for links to additional legislative history materials.
Directories of Compiled Legislative Histories
Several sources provide directories of compiled legislative histories. For a given statute, the directories identify the available compiled legislative histories on HeinOnline, ProQuest, Westlaw, and Lexis or published as law review articles or in print.
- Sources of Compiled Legislative Histories by
This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Reference KF42.2 2018The most comprehensive directory of compiled legislative histories, with histories dating back to the 1st Congress. Available in print and as a searchable database on HeinOnline. Links to compiled histories available as part of HeinOnline's U.S. Federal Legislative History Title Collection and law review article collection and identifies where to find compiled histories published elsewhere. - Legislative Reference Checklist by
- This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Main Stacks KF49 .L43 1982Publication Date: 1982-12-01Directory of older legislative histories, from 1789-1903. Available in print and as a PDF on HeinOnline.
- LLSDC Free Online Compiled Legislative HistoriesDirectory of free legislative histories, from the Law Librarians' Society of DC.
- LLSDC Commercial Online Compiled Legislative HistoriesDirectory of commercial legislative histories on HeinOnline, Lexis, and Westlaw, from the Law Librarians' Society of DC.
- Federal Legislative Histories: An Annotated Bibliography and Index byCall Number: Main Stacks & Media Center KF42.2 1994Publication Date: 1994-02-23Directory of legislative histories, available in print.