Several types of legislative history documents are available for free online, although most only contain the most recent Congresses. Like other free online legal materials, legislative history documents are not usually annotated or linked to cases or enacted statutes. Researchers typically have to rely on document numbers or keyword searching to find relevant documents. Please also note that many of these sources only provide selected documents, meaning they do not contain all documents for a particular time period.
For information about the significance of legislative history and the different types of documents involved, please see our Legislative History Research Guide.
Congressional Bills
| Source | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Memory | House bills from 1799-1873 (6th - 42nd Congresses) with the exception of the 12th Congress and Senate Bills from 1819-1873 (16th - 42nd Congresses) | From the Library of Congress. Browsable by Congressional session and type of legislation. Searchable by keyword (full text). |
| GovInfo | From 103rd Congress (1993 - present) | Browsable by Congressional session and type of legislation. Searchable by bill number or keyword (full text). To search the full text of bills, use the advanced search interface. |
| Congress.gov | Bills from 101st Congress (1989 - present) | From the Library of Congress. Searchable by bill number or keyword (full text). |
Congressional Hearings
| Source | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GovInfo | Select hearings 99th, 100th & 102nd Congresses (1995 - present) (none from the 101st) | Browsable by Congressional session and searchable by keyword (full text). To search the full text of hearings, use the advanced search interface. |
| Rutgers School of Law | Selected hearings from 1970s onward (see site for scope) | Searchable by keyword (full text). |
Congressional Committee Reports
| Source | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Memory | Select reports from 23rd - 64th Congress (1833 - 1917) | Browsable by Congressional session and searchable by keyword (full text). |
| GovInfo | 104th Congress (1995 - present) | Browsable by Congressional session and searchable by keyword (full text). To search the full text of reports, use the advanced search interface. |
| Congress.gov | 104th Congress (1995 - present) | Browsable and searchable by report number and keyword (full text) |
Congressional Debates (Congressional Record)
| Source | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Memory |
Annals of Congress (1789 - 1824, 1st - 18th Congresses), Bound Edition Register of Debates (1824 - 1837, 18th - 25th Congresses), Bound Edition Congressional Globe (1833 - 1873, 23rd - 42d Congresses), Bound Edition |
Browsable by Congressional session and searchable by keyword (full text). |
| GovInfo |
Bound Edition (Dec. 1988 - 2000) Daily Edition (1994 - present) Congressional Record Index (1983 - present) |
Browsable by Congressional session and search by keyword (full text). To search the full text of the Congressional Record, use the advanced search interface. |
| Congress.gov | 104th Congress - present (1995 - present), Daily Edition | Browsable and searchable by keyword, date, and member of Congress. |
State Legislative History
Online access to state materials varies widely. Please consult our state research guides for information about individual jurisdictions.
Other Helpful Resources for Legislative Materials
Senate Printing and Document Services: May be able to provide a copy of a bill or resolution from the current Congress. Contact Senate Printing & Document Services for availability.