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Click here to view step by step instructions for locating legislative information in Lexis Nexis Congressional, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the National Journal, CQ Researcher, Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, and Congressional Committee Reports.
Use the links below to trace a bill through its legislative history.
All sites
are recommended,![[ blue star ]](../../images/BLUESTAR.GIF){kind=small}
indicates a highly recommended site.
LexisNexis
Congressional (Directions
for off-campus access)
Use this database to access the full-text of more than 211 years worth of
detailed information about Congress, including member biographies, committee
assignments, voting records, financial data, and the full-text of key regulatory
and statutory resources, committee reports, congressional testimony, and
much more. Use it to:
- Pinpoint expert testimony and committee reports on bills and related issues
- Tap authoritative sources of statistics, projections, and analyses
- Discover a law's intent by tracking its legislative history
- Gauge Congressional attitudes toward current topics
- Find out how members of Congress voted on legislation
- Investigate the finances of members of Congress
- Monitor legislation and public policy on almost any topic
- Access "Hot Bills" and topics of Congress
- Learn the makeup and mission of Congressional committees
Bill Summary and Status
Search the current Congress
by word, phrase, subject, bill/amendment number, stage in the legislative process,
dates, sponsor/cosponsor, or committee.
Search older Congresses
(back to 1973).
Congressional
Bills
This page, sponsored by the US Government Printing Office, "contains
all published versions of bills from the 103rd (1993-1994) Congress forward"
to the current congress. Also available are histories
of bills that are reported in the Congressional Record.
Use the links below to find the process through which a bill must go to become law.
How
a Bill Becomes Law (LexisNexis Congressional)
This is LexisNexis Congressional's
step-by-step review of the process by which a bill becomes a law, noting the
pitfalls and politics involved. Includes tips relating to online research
as well as research in printed or microfiche congressional information resources.
How
a Bill Becomes a Law
A guide sponsored by Project Vote Smart provides background information regarding
the legal process of how a bill becomes a law. Elected officials are searchable
by zip code or last name. It is then possible to locate the voting records
of the elected officials in each state.
How
Our Laws Are Made
This page "[d]escribes the numerous steps of our Federal lawmaking process
from the origin of an idea for a legislative proposal through its publication
as a law." It has been revised and updated by Charles W. Johnson, Parliamentarian,
United States House of Representatives.
Legal
Process
"This page traces the process by which a bill becomes a law in the United
States." It provides numerous links to information regarding the legal process
in addition to the steps a bill must take to become law. The page also provides
other useful links to legal research. This page was created at the North Harris
College Library by Government Documents Librarian, Maryann Readal.
Return to Course/Subject Resources
All quoted material is from the respective source.
