1. The Federal Legislative Process
How a bill becomes a law and
the publications that are
produced in the process

2. Action Publication Locating publication
Bill is introduced into Bill Proquest Congressional 1989-present
the House or Senate
and assigned to a 101st (1989) – present (Present Congress is 112th)
committee http://Thomas.Loc.gov
1973-1989 Available on microfiche from many
depository libraries. WSL has a number of years of
bills on microfiche
1938-1973 may be available through some
depositories. Otherwise, only available through
the Library of Congress. Amendments are often
printed in the Congressional Record when the
amendment is under discussion.
Pre 1938
Only available through the Library of Congress.
Amendments are often printed in the
Congressional Record when the amendment is
under discussion.

3. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-105hr708ih/pdf/BILLS-105hr708ih.pdf

4. Action Publication Locating publication
Committee may hold Hearings Proquest Congressional includes hearings
hearing(s) on bill
1989 (101st) – present (Present Congress is
112th) Reference by Committee in Thomas
1973-74 (93rd Congress) - 1989 (101st)
Cited in Legislative History of Bill. Available in
print/microform through many Federal
Depository Libraries
Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress) Index of
Congressional Committee Hearings (Multi-
volume set) Pre-1935 through 1980 (Y
1.3: H35/2)

5. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-105hhrg44138/pdf/CHRG-105hhrg44138.pdf

6. Action Publication Locating publication
Committee may publish report House and Senate Proquest Congressional includes House
on bill giving background and Reports and Senate Reports
recommendations when the
bill is sent on to the full House 1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present
or Senate. (Present Congress is 112th) House and
Senate Report numbers given in Thomas’
bill information; found in Serial Set
Full text available through Thomas for
1989-present
Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress) Serial Set.
The Congressional Record Index includes a
section ("History of Bills and Resolutions“)
listing House and Senate Bill Numbers and
their status. It includes the House and
Senate Report numbers.

7. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-105hrpt300/pdf/CRPT-105hrpt300.pdf

8. Action Publication Locating publication
The chamber debates, Congressional Proquest Congressional includes both
amends and passes the bill. Record (Daily and editions of Congressional Record
Bound Editions)
1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present (Present
Congress is 112th) Page numbers given in
Thomas’ bill information; Full text
available through Thomas for 1989-
present; Congressional Record, bound
edition available at WSL
Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress) Congressional
Record, bound edition available at WSL.
The index includes the pages in
Congressional Record on which any
debate about the bill is printed

9. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1997-10-21/pdf/CREC-1997-10-21-pt1-PgH8860-2.pdf#page=1

10. Action Publication Locating publication
After the bill is passed Conference Report Proquest Congressional includes
(engrossed) in one chamber it is Conference Reports
sent on to the next chamber and
the process repeated in that 1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present
chamber. Thus, for each bill there (Present Congress is 112th) House and
can be House and Senate Senate Report numbers given in
Hearings, House and Senate Thomas’ bill information; found in
Reports and House and Senate Serial Set. Full text available through
Debates. If the bill is agreed to by Thomas for 1989-present
both chambers, it is sent on to
the president for his signature. If Pre 1973-74 (93rd Congress)
each chamber approves a Serial Set. The Congressional Record
different version, a conference Index includes a section ("History of
committee is formed. A Bills and Resolutions“) listing House
conference report can be issued and Senate Bill Numbers and their
from this committee. status. It includes the House and
Senate Conference Report numbers

11. There was not a separate Senate Report nor a Conference Report for this bill. It was considered in the Senate and passed,
as recorded in the Congressional Record.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1997-11-04/pdf/CREC-1997-11-04-pt1-PgS11706-3.pdf#page=1

12. Action Publication Locating publication
Once the bill is passed by both Slip Law 1989 (101st Congress) – present (Present
chambers, it becomes an Enrolled Congress is 112th) Slip Laws are
Act. It is then sent to the President sometimes published as one of the Bill
who can sign or veto it. Versions in Thomas.
Pre 1989 (101st)
From 1973-present Slip Laws are
distributed to Federal Depository
Libraries but once the Public Law is
received in the format of the U.S.
Statutes, depositories are allowed to
dispose of the Slip Law.

13. Action Publication Locating publication
If the President signs the bill, it becomes Public Law Proquest Congressional 1989-present
a Public Law. Beginning in 1908, each
Public Law was assigned a number that 1989 (101st) – present (Present Congress is
begins with the Session Number and 112th) The link to the Public Law is available
ends with a number related to the bill’s through Thomas.
order of passage. eg. PL 105-81
Pre 1989 (101st) Only available in the U.S.
Statutes at Large
Public Laws are compiled and published U.S. Statutes at The Wyoming State Law Library has the
in the U.S. Statutes at Large. They Large complete bound version of the U.S. Statutes at
receive a Statute Number that begins Large.
with a volume number and ends with Volume 1(1st Congress 1789)- 18 (43rd
the first page of the Public Law in the Congress 1875) are available online through
volume. the Library of Congress
(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwslli
nk.html)
Volume 65 (82nd Congress 1951-present are
available through GPO
(http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.
action?collectionCode=GPO&browsePath=Uni
ted+States+Statutes+at+Large+%28Digitized%
29&isCollapsed=false&leafLevelBrowse=false&
ycord=241)
They are also available in Hein Online

14. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-105publ81/pdf/PLAW-105publ81.pdf

15. Locating the Legislative History
of a Bill

16. 1973-74 (93rd Congress) – present (Present Congress is 112th)
Listed in Thomas
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:H.R.708:

17. 1975 – present
Listed at the end of the Public Law in the U.S. Statutes at Large

18. 1873 – present
The bound edition of "Congressional Record Index", particularly its accompanying
"History of Bills and Resolutions". The index and history of House and Senate bills
has been produced for each congressional session since the Congressional Record
began in 1873.
The bound edition is only available through Hein Online, Proquest Congressional
or in paper at WSL

19. Summary Sheet for the Legislative History of a Bill
Bill Number _________H.R. 708____________________________(Remember to note which Chamber)
Hearing Date(s) _July 22, 1997__________________________________________________________
Report Number (House) _____House Report 105-300_____________________________________
Report Number (Senate) ____NA___________________________________________________
Report Number (Conference) __NA_________________________________________________
Congressional Record Debate Page Numbers:
Public Law Number ______105-81_________________
Statute Number ________111 STAT 1537______________

20. Summary Sheet for the Legislative History of a Bill
Bill Number _____________________________________(Remember to note which Chamber)
Hearing Number ________________________________________________________________
Report Number (House) __________________________________________________________
Report Number (Senate) _________________________________________________________
Report Number (Conference) _____________________________________________________
Congressional Record Debate Page Numbers ________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Public Law Number _____________________________________________________________
Statute Number ________________________________________________________________