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Legislative History: A Guide to Library Research

Thompson Library Sources for Government Documents

Thompson Library is NOT a member of the Federal Depository Library System, and as such, does not house printed documents distributed to government depository libraries. For print copies of documents from GPO, please consider visiting our sister libraries on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan.

GPO Access (Government Printing Office Online)

  • Bills   (103rd Congress to Present)
  • Popular Names (103rd Congress to Present)
  • Committee Prints  (104th Congress to Present)  (see also:  Committee Tab at top of browse list)
  • Committee hearings  (104th Congress to Present) (see also:  Committee Tab at top of browse list)
  • Committee Reports / Committee Tab (top of browse list, 1997 - Present)
  • Public Laws (104th Congress, 1994 - Present))
  • Statutes at Large (1951 - 2002 AND 2003 - 2008)
  • US Code (1994 - Present)
  • Code of Federal Regulations (1996 - Present)
  • Federal Register (1994 - Present)
  • Congressional Record Daily (1994 - Present)
  • Congressional Record Daily Index (1983 - Present)
  • Compilation of Presidential documents (1993 - Present)

Microfiche/Microfilm Collections

State Laws

Congress.gov

Contains legislation from the 103rd Congress (1993) to the present, member profiles from the 93rd Congress (1973) to the present, and some member profiles from the 80th through the 92nd Congresses (1947 to 1972).

  • Current Bills
  • Enacted Bills
  • Public Laws of current congress
  • Congressional Record

Federal Register -- Executive Branch -- Regulations

Federal Programs, Directories, Catalogs

CQ Online Suite

National Journal

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Contains most of the official, public presidential papers through the Wilson administration. (HathiTrust digitized book)

US Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN)

  • Reproduces full text of Public Laws from STATUTES AT LARGE
  • Includes sections on Legislative History (citations plus full text of some documents)
  • Includes House and Senate Committee Reports (some full text)
  • Includes Popular Names (for Public Laws) tables in back of last volume (by year)

US House of Representatives - US Code, Plus