Policy and Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: Finding Documents, Analysis, News, and Training

. Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources Ada S. Cornell Information Research Specialist Laura A. HansonMichael Greene Information Research Specialist Michael GreeneLaura A. Hanson Information Research Specialist March 25September 24, 2014 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43434 c11173008 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Summary This report is one of a series of reports on legislative process and research; it is intended to serve as a finding aid to sources of information, such as documents, news articles, analysis, contacts and services, used in legislative research. It does not define or describe the purpose of various government documents; that information can be found in companion CRS Report, Legislative R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff and CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff. This report is not intended to be a definitive list of all resources, but rather a guide to pertinent subscriptions available in the House and Senate in addition to select resources freely available to the public. This report is intended for use by Members and congressional office staff and will be updated annually. c11173008 Congressional Research Service Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1 Legislative Research: Documents and Resources............................................................................ 1 News and Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 6 Training and Services ...................................................................................................................... 89 Figures Figure A-1. The Course of Legislation in Congress ...................................................................... 1415 Tables Table 1. Documents and Resources ................Legislative and Executive Branch Documents ................................................................................. 2 Table 2. Selected Resources for News and Analysis and Relevant Legislative Research ............... 67 Table 3. Finding Experts and Contacts ............................................................................................ 7 Table 4. Training and Services ......................................................................................................... 89 Table A-1. Legislative Research Resources ................................................................................... 1011 Table A-2. Related CRS Products .................................................................................................. 1314 Appendixes Appendix. Additional Resources ................................................................................................... 1011 Contacts Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 1516 c11173008 Congressional Research Service Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Introduction During the legislative process, many documents are prepared by Congress and its committees. Governmental and non-governmental entities track and record congressional activities, and many more entities chronicle and analyze the development of public policy. The wide availability of such information can be overwhelming to those involved in legislative research. The purpose of this report is to assist Members and congressional staff in identifying and accessing key resources used during legislative research. The report does not define or describe the purpose of the various information resources and documents; that information can be found in companion CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff and CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff. This report is not a comprehensive catalog of resources for conducting legislative research; instead it provides a selection of widely used resources. Some of the resources mentioned are only available with a paid subscription while others are free: this availability is noted in the report along with the access points for Members and congressional staff. The inclusion of resources in this report does not imply endorsement by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the content or the products listed. In addition, CRS does not acquire or manage congressional offices’ access to subscription resources. CRS is available for consultation on legislative research or to perform legislative research upon request. CRS can also advise Members and congressional staff on the use of the resources listed in this report, including advice on how to select the best resource to use, how to search for information within a resource, or how to develop the most effective research methodology. This report is one of a series of reports on legislative process and research; see Table A-2 for other reports in the series. Legislative Research: Documents and Resources The resource titles and access points are presented in four tables. The tables provide information on how to find congressional and other government documents relevant to the legislative process (Table 1); information from congressional news sources and legislative support agencies (Table 2); experts and contacts from think tanks, academia, executive branch agencies, and CRS (Table 3); and research-related training and services for Members and congressional staff (Table 4). Table 1 serves as a reference guide for locating legislative and executive branch documents using free, subscription, and restricted access resources. The first column of the table contains documents commonly used in legislative research. The second column lists where these documents can be found. The third column contains typical citations for the documents listed in the first column. The fourth column contains explanatory notes and references to other information. Italicized entries in the second column indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices and also at CRS reference centers (whose locations and hours of c11173008 Congressional Research Service 1 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . operation are available in Table 4). Unless otherwise indicated, all other resources listed are freely available to all congressional offices. Table A-1 provides additional information on the items contained in Table 1, including more detailed descriptions and URLs linking directly to the resources (when available). Table 1. Documents and ResourcesLegislative and Executive Branch Documents Document Access Pointsa Example Citationsb Notes Bills and Amendments Bills and Resolutions LIS.gov or Congress.gov 1993 to present CQ.com H.R. 123, S.Res. 200 ProQuest Congressional Bills and Resolutions before 1993 Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: 7-5700) See CRS reports on Bills and Resolutions: Origins and Introduction.c For a basic explanation of how a bill becomes law, see Figure A-1. Bills and Resolutions before 1993 Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: 7-5700) S. 236, H.Con.Res. 728 ProQuest Congressional The Law Library Reading Room contains microfiche, microfilm, and ultrafiche materials, including federal bills and resolutions dating back to the 1st Congress.d CRS has access to \ProQuest Legislative Insight, ProQuest Congressional, which offers bill and resolution text going back to 1789. Floor Amendments LIS (1981 – present) to 1789. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. Floor Amendments LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1981 – present) Senate Amendment Tracking System CQ.com S.Amdt. 15, H.Amdt. 75 Published in the Congressional Record. In LIS, amendments On LIS.gov, amendments can be found under “Bill Status with Amendments” or or “Amendments” on the Bill Summary & Status page. P.L. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 LIS links to GPO FDsys. For Bill Summary & Status page. On Congress.gov, amendments can be found under the “Amendments” tab or the “Actions” tab, clicking “All Actions, including Floor Amendments” on a bill page. c11173008 Congressional Research Service 2 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Document Access Pointsa Example Citationsb Notes Laws Statutes (laws) LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1995 – present) P.L. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 LIS.gov links to GPO FDsys and Congress.gov hosts the GPO PDF of the law For older laws, refer to ProQuest Congressional or call CRS at 7-5700. 42 USC 543, 35 U.S.C. §123(a) The main edition of the U.S. Code is published every six years by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives, with annual cumulative supplements. The current edition of the Code was published in 2006. Senate Amendment Tracking System CQ.com Laws Statutes (laws) LIS (1995 – present) ProQuest Congressional U.S. Code uscode.house.gov Cornell LII Congressional Research Service 2 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Document Access Pointsa Example Citationsb Notes Floor Debate Congressional Record Bound ProQuest Congressional 142 Cong. Rec. 15466 The Congressional Record bound edition is the permanent version. Its text is somewhat edited, revised and rearranged in comparison to the daily version. The pagination is continuous for each session; but there is no H, S, or E (for Extensions of Remarks) before each page number. There is a volume number for each session and numerous parts to each volume. The final two volumes of the permanent Record of each session are an index containing a history of bills and resolutions and a compilation of Daily Digests for the session. Congressional Record Daily LIS (1989 – present) ProQuest Congressional U.S. Code uscode.house.gov Cornell LII Floor Debate Congressional Record Bound c11173008 ProQuest Congressional Congressional Research Service 3 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Document Congressional Record Daily Access Pointsa LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1989 – present) Example Citationsb 158 Cong. Rec. H5618 The Congressional Record daily edition reports each day’s proceedings in Congress and is published on the succeeding day. Pagination is preceded by an H, S, or E, to indicate whether the recorded text took place in the House, the Senate, or was an Extension of Remarks. Periodically, throughout a session, indices to the daily Record are published. Roll no. 30, Record Vote Number: 11 Votes are published in Congressional Record. In LIS, On LIS.gov, votes can be found under under “Major Actions” while while viewing Bill Summary & Status. & Status. On Congress.gov, see the “Actions” tab under “Major Actions.” To find votes on specific issues, over a time period, or other criteria, call CRS at 7-5700. CQ.com ProQuest Congressional Floor Votes CQ.com LIS .gov or Congress.gov (1990 – present) Notes House.gov Senate.gov CQ Almanac (for votes pre1990) Committee Actions Committee Schedules CQ.com See CQ Schedules. LIS.gov or Congress.gov House.gov Senate.gov Committee Hearings (official) Committee websites LIS House.gov Senate.gov Congressional Research Service 3 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Document Committee Hearings (official) Access Pointsa Committee websites Example Citationsb Notes S. Hrg. 106-67 GPO FDsys ProQuest Congressional Committee Hearing Transcripts and Webcasts (unofficial) CQ.com Consider contacting the committee staff for hearing transcripts unavailable through these sources. C-Span Committee websites Committee Reports LIS .gov or Congress.gov (1995 – present) CQ.com H.Rept. 112-14, S.Rept. 110-55 CQ.com ProQuest Congressional Committee Markup CQ.com Committee websites Committee Rosters CQ.comc11173008 Congressional Research Service 4 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Document Committee Rosters Access Pointsa Example Citationsb Notes CQ.com GPO FDsys Committee websites Committee Prints GPO FDsys S. Prt. 109-88 ProQuest Congressional Draft Legislation Committee websites For CQ.com, see the CQ “Hot Docs” page. Committee websites CQ.com Sponsor’s website Regulations Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices FederalRegister.gov 59 Federal Register 4233 Published in the Federal Register. See corresponding entry in Table A-1 for additional information. 15 C.F.R. 254 Published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). E.O. 12893 Published in the Federal Register, Compilation of Presidential Documents, and title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations. GPO FDsys Regulations.gov General and Permanent Rules (codified) GPO FDsys Executive Branch Information Executive Orders National Archives GPO FDsys c11173008 Grants Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Congressional Research Service See CRS Report RL34035, Grants Work in a Congressional Office, CRS Report RL34012, Resources for Grantseekers, and CRS Report RL32159, How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal. 4 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Document Access Pointsa Example Citationsb Notes Presidential Signing Statements GPO FDsys Published in the Federal Register, Compilation of Presidential Documents. See CRS Reports on Presidential Action on Legislation. The President’s Fiscal Year Budget Proposal OMB GPO FDsys See CRS Report 98-721, Introduction to the Federal Budget Process and CRS Report R42384, FY2013 Budget Documents: Internet and GPO Availability. GPO FDsys Congressional Research Service 5 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Document Access Pointsa Example Citationsb Notes Miscellaneous Information Appropriations Bills CRS Appropriations Status Table Available from FY1999Present on CRS.gov. See also CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction. Cost Estimates of Current Bills CBO Published under the “Cost Estimates” section of the website. Legislative Histories (compilations) ProQuest Congressional See CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff. State Laws and Regulations LLSDC: State Legislatures, Laws, and Regulations For assistance on identifying state laws and regulations, call CRS at 75700. Treaties LIS.gov See CRS Report 98-384, Senate Consideration of Treaties. Senate.gov Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: 7-5700) Source: Table compiledCompiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Notes: Plain text indicates the resource listed is freely available; Italics indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers. a. More detailed descriptions and direct links to these resources are available in Table A-1. b. For official legal citation style, refer to: The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (https://www.legalbluebook.com). The Government Printing Office Style Manual is another guide for official citation formats and is available online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=& packageId=GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008. c. Refer to the Congressional Operations section of the CRS website for a list of reports providing analysis, resources, and information on key legislative and administrative processes and procedures of the Congress. d. For further information, refer to the Law Library’s page on microtext collections at http://www.loc.gov/law/ find/microtext.php. Congressional Research Service 5 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff News and Analysis Table 2 serves as a finding aide for resources covering current events related to Congress and the legislative process. Resources in this table may contain editorial content and discussion. Inclusion of these resources does not imply endorsement of the views held by the publications listed. c11173008 Congressional Research Service 6 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Table 2. Selected Resources for News and Analysis and Relevant Legislative Research Resource Congressional News & Analysis Legislative Support Agency Analysis & Resources Access Points CQ http://www.cq.com The Hill http://www.thehill.com/ National Journal http://www.nationaljournal.com/ Politico http://www.politico.com/ Roll Call http://www.rollcall.com/ Bloomberg Government (BGOV) http://about.bgov.com/ Bloomberg BNA http://www.bna.com/ Political blogs http://technorati.com/blogs/ directory/politics/uspolitics/ Journal articles & historical news through Library of Congress databases Databases such as ProQuest, LexisNexis, Factiva, JSTOR, and EBSCOhost, along with numerous others are available for use onsite at CRS research centers and the public reading rooms at the Library of Congress. See a list of all databases at http://eresources.loc.gov/ Congressional Research Service (CRS) http://www.crs.gov/ Congressional Budget Office (CBO) http://www.cbo.gov/ Government Accountability Office (GAO) http://www.gao.gov/ Source: Compiled by CRS. Notes: Plain text indicates the resource listed is freely available; Italics indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers. Policy Experts. Table 3 provides sources and tools to identify experts and contacts outside Congress from the legislative support agencies, executive branch, academia, non-profits, and think tanks. The resources below include directories, databases and lists available through House and Senate libraries, reference centers, and online. Contacts from these sources may provide partisan views or analysis. Inclusion of these sources does not imply endorsement of the views held by contacts found using these tools. Congressional Research Service 6 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Table 3. Finding Experts and Contacts Name (Publisher) The Leadership Library (Leadership Directories, Inc.) Access CRS Reference Centers – online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations Senate Library– online access, also available in all Senate offices. Notes Formerly known as the Yellow Books. Contact information for over 500,000 leaders of 40,000 United States government, business, professional and nonprofit organizations. House Library – print version only c11173008 Congressional Research Service 7 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Name (Publisher) Encyclopedia of Associations (Gale) Access CRS Reference Centers – online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations Notes Detailed information concerning 23,000+ nonprofit American membership organizations of national scope. Senate Library – online access National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations (Gale) CRS Reference Centers – online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations Contact and basic factual information on the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States. Senate Library – online access National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States (Columbia Books) CRS Reference Centers – print version (LCRR and RRC; see Table 4 for locations) Lists more than 7,500 trade associations, labor unions, professional societies, and similar national groups. House Library – print version Washington Information Directory (CQ) CRS Reference Centers – print version (LCRR and RRC; see Table 4 for location) House Library – print version Senate Library – print version Washington Representatives (Columbia Books) CRS Reference Centers – print version (LCRR and RRC; see Table 4 for location) House Library – print version Guide to Washington, DC, area governmental and private organizations is arranged in 20 broad subject areas. Under each area, pertinent federal departments and agencies, congressional committees, and private nonprofit organizations are listed. Senate Library – print version Washington Representatives (Columbia Books) CRS Reference Centers – print version (LCRR and RRC; see Table 4 for location) House Library – print version This is a list of 17,000 Washington contacts of U.S. trade associations, professional societies, labor unions, corporations, and various special interest and public interest groups. Senate Library – print version c11173008 CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies CRS website: http://www.crs.gov/ resources/Pages/ liaisonoffices.aspx This list of about 200 congressional liaison offices is intended to help congressional offices in contacting government agencies. (For congressional use only.) Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Knowledge/Thompson Reuters) CRS Reference Centers – online access (use “Congressional Bookmarks” see Table 4 for locations) Covers 2,700 of the most important journals in the social sciences and allows users to identify subject area experts. Congressional Research Service 7 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Name (Publisher) Access Notes Federal Register FederalRegister.gov This site is jointly administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide an unofficial, HTML edition of the daily Federal Register to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in government decision-making. Notices and proposed rules include contact information for the relevant agency experts. Congressional Research Service http://www.crs.gov For confidential, authoritative, and objective research and analysis on issues before Congress. Contact analysts through “Find an Analyst” on CRS.gov, from author contact information reports, or by calling CRS at 7-5700 Source:. Congressional Research Service 8 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Source: Compiled by CRS. Training and Services Table 4 contains a list of locations where Congressionalcongressional staff can obtain training and other services on Capitol Hill. Table 4. Training and Services Name Location and Contact Hours Services M-Th 8a-8p F 8a-6p (Sat 10a-5p when Congress is in session) Research and analysis related to legislative issues. Congressional Research Service (CRS) CRS http://www.crs.gov Call CRS 7-5700 (202-7075700) and press 1, 5 Personalized office briefings. Training in the following topics: -Appropriations and Budget -Federal Legal Research -Legislative Process -Policy and Legal Seminars -Programs for District Offices For training and program descriptions and current schedules, visit: http://www.crs.gov/ programs/Pages/ TrainingProgramDescriptions.aspx CRS Reference Centers La Follette Congressional Reading Room (LCRR) Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-202 Phone: 7-7100 Congressional Research ServiceRayburn Reference Center (RRC) House, Rayburn B07 CRS Senate Center Senate, Russell B335 M-Th 10a-8p F 10a-6p Sat 10a-5p when Congress is in session Database access; reference and research assistance 8 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Name Location and Contact Rayburn Reference Center (RRC) House, Rayburn B07 CRS Senate Center Senate, Russell B335 Hours Services. M-F 10a-4p Database access; reference and research assistance. M-F 10a-4p Database access, meeting space for CRS training and private briefings. 8:30a-6p Book loans, tours of the Library of Congress, constituent services, educational resources. M-F 8:30a-9:30p Sat 8:30a-5p, and whenever Congress is in session Assists Congress on issues concerning U.S., with information and analysis on U.S., foreign, comparative &and international law. Phone: 5-6958 Phone: 7-5978 Library of Congress (non-CRS) Congressional Relations Office (CRO) http://www.loc.gov/lcnet/ Law Library Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-201 (202) 707-6577 202-707-2700 http://www.loc.gov/law/ c11173008 Congressional Research Service Training in the following topics: -Legislative research -Statutory research -Orientation to Law Library collections -Beta.Congress.gov Congress.gov 9 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Name Location and Contact Hours Services House of Representatives House Learning Center B249B/C Longworth HOB M-F 8:30a-5:30p 202-226-3800 Legislative training topics include: -Legislative Concepts (taught by CRS) -Legislative Information System (LIS).gov) and Congress.gov -ProQuest -National Journal -GAO: An Introduction to the Congressional Watchdog HLC@mail.house.gov https://registermehousenet.house.gov/ training Other topics such as Constituent Correspondence, ethics, and many more are also available for online and in-person training. House Library 263 Cannon M-F 9a-6p Research assistance, subject guides, database access and training. M-F 9a-6p (and whenever the Senate is in session) Research assistance and training. 202-225-9000 library@mail.house.gov http://extranet.clerk.house.g ov/library Senate Senate Library Russell B15 202-224-7106 reference@sec.senate.gov http://webster/library Training includes -News resources -Congressional Record -Desktop research tools -LIS.gov and Congress.gov -Other classes and custom training is available Source: Compiled by CRS. c11173008 CRS. Congressional Research Service 910 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Appendix. Additional Resources Table A-1. Legislative Research Resources (Provides additional details on information explored in Table 1) Description Resource c11173008 URL URL Beta Congress.gov Beta.congressCongress.gov is the official source for federal legislative information. It replaces the nearly 20-year-old THOMAS.gov site with a system that includes platform mobility, comprehensive information retrieval and userfriendly presentation. It currently includes all data sets available on THOMAS.gov except nominations, treaties and communications. These data sets will be added throughout 2014. http://beta federal legislative information. It will eventually replace LIS.gov, though both sites are currently up to date and in use. The new Congress.gov provides: (1) a single search across all available information and all dates; (2) meaningful, permanent URLs; (3) faceted search; (4) Member profiles and (5) legislative histories. The new site permits legislative branch devices to access CRS reports and products from bill records, the homepage and help pages. It currently includes all data sets available on LIS.gov and THOMAS, with the exception of treaties and communications, which will be added in 2015. For now, treaties and communications can be accessed on LIS.gov. http://www.congress.gov/ CBO The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressionalcongressional budget process. CBO does not make policy recommendations. http://www.cbo.gov/ CQ This subscription database provides bill texts, summaries, tracking, and analysis. Also includes (but not limited to) roll-call votes, legislative histories, floor and committee schedules, detailed committee coverage, hearing transcripts. Coverage varies by information category. CQ.com is available in all Senate and in most House offices. http://www.cq.com Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance The CFDA is the primary source of information on federal grants and nonfinancial assistance programs; actual funding depends upon annual budget appropriations. After grantseekers identify federal programs in CFDA and contact state agency representatives, they may register and apply at websites such as Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) or FedConnect (http://www.fedconnect.net). https://www.cfda.gov Cornell LII The Cornell Legal Information Institute provides an unofficial but freely available, searchable and easy to navigate version of the U.S. Code. http://www.law.cornell.edu/ Congressional Research Service 11 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Description Resource c11173008 URL C-SPAN C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit company that provides public access to the political process. Includes a searchable video library of hearings, floor debate, press conferences, speeches, and other types of news programs and events. http://www.c-span.org Congressional Research Service 10 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Description Resource URL Federalregister.gov This site is jointly administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide an unofficial, HTML edition of the daily Federal Register to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in government decision-making. http://www.federalregister.gov GPO’s FDsys The Government Printing Office Federal Digital System provides free online access to official publications from all three branches of the federal government. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC LLSDC provides a freely available list of state legislatures, laws, and regulations websites and contact information. In addition, the LLSDC provides a set of legislative research guides called the Legislative Source Book (http://llsdc.org/sourcebook/). http://www.llsdc.org/state-legislation LIS.gov The purpose of the Legislative Information System (LIS) is to provide Members of Congress Congress and their staffsstaff with access to legislative legislative information that is accurate, timely, and and complete. LIS is not available to the public. http://www.congress public. LIS will be replaced by Congress.gov sometime after the close of 2014. http://www.lis.gov/ National Archives and Records Administration Disposition Tables contain information about Executive Orders beginning with those signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and are arranged according to Presidentialpresidential administration and year of signature. The tables are compiled and maintained by the Office of the Federal Register editors. http://www.archives.gov/federalregister/executive-orders/ Office of Management and Budget The OMB website provides the President’s Budget, including, for example: Analytical Perspectives (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ budget/Analytical_Perspectives), the Appendix (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/ Appendix), and Historical Tables (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/ Historicals). http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ budget Congressional Research Service 12 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Description Resource URL ProQuest Congressional This subscription database contains detailed abstracts and links to the full text of many congressional and federal documents, such as the Congressional Record, congressional hearing transcripts, committee prints, and legislative histories. Length of coverage varies depending on the category of information, although most categories are covered starting in 1789 or at some point in the 1800s. ProQuest Congressional is available to all House and Senate offices. http://congressional.proquest.com Reginfo.gov This site provides information about the status of agency documents undergoing Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review. http://www.reginfo.gov/public/ Congressional Research Service 11 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Description Resource URL Regulations.gov This site provides a government-wide portal for the public to review and comment on published regulatory actions and to view any supporting materials provided by the agency. http://www.regulations.gov Senate Amendment Tracking System The Amendment Tracking System (ATS) is a web application that displays images of submitted and proposed amendments to legislation pending before the U.S. Senate. Amendments are available on ATS approximately fifteen minutes after the Bill Clerk receives them. http://ats.senate.gov/ THOMAS THOMAS was launched in January of 1995, at the inception of the 104th Congress. The leadership of the 104th Congress directed the Library of Congress to make federal legislative information freely available to the public. Since that time THOMAS has expanded the scope of its offerings. THOMAS.gov will be permanently retired by the end of 2014 and replaced by beta.congress.gov. http://thomas.loc.gov/home/ thomas.php Source: CRS. Notes: Congress.gov is expected to eventually replace THOMAS and LIS. For now, the following URLs will exist side-by-side: (1) congress.gov─For the public, redirects to beta.congress.gov. For legislative branch devices, continues to go to LIS. (2) beta.congress.gov─For all users, goes to the beta site. As the adjective “beta” implies, this product is a work in progress; additional content and functionality are phased in incrementally. The new site provides: (1) a single search across all available information and all dates; (2) meaningful, permanent URLs; (3) “Faceted search”; and (4) Member profiles and legislative histories. The new site permits legislative branch devices to access CRS reports and products from bill records, the homepage and help pages.Source: Compiled by CRS. c11173008 Congressional Research Service 1213 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Table A-2. Related CRS Products CRS Report 98-169, House Committee Reports: Required Contents, by Judy Schneider CRS Report 98-305, Senate Committee Reports: Required Contents, by Elizabeth Rybicki CRS Report 98-429, The Senate’s Calendar of Business, by Betsy Palmercoordinated by Elizabeth Rybicki CRS Report 98-437, Calendars of the House of Representatives, by Christopher M. Davis CRS Report 98-438, The Senate’s Executive Calendar, coordinated by Elizabeth Rybicki CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies, by Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch CRS Report 98-706, Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind Is Used, by Richard S. Beth CRS Report 98-728, Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties: Characteristics, Requirements, and Uses, by Richard S. Beth CRS Report R40897, Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress, by R. Eric Petersen and Amber Hope Wilhelm CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff, by Julia Taylor CRS Report R43075, FY2014 Budget Documents: Internet and GPO Availability, by Jared C. Nagel CRS Report R42638, Appropriations: CRS Experts, by Jennifer E. Lake and Justin Murray CRS Report RL30787, Parliamentary Reference Sources: House of Representatives, by Richard S. Beth and Megan S. Lynch CRS Report RL30788, Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate, by Megan S. Lynch and Richard S. Beth CRS Report RL30812, Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them, by Cassandra L. Foley CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff, by Jerry W. Mansfield CRS Report RL34012, Resources for Grantseekers, by Merete F. Gerli CRS Report RS20120, Legislative Support Resources: Offices and Websites for Congressional Staff, by Jennifer E. Manning and Michael Greene CRS Report RS20991, Legislative Planning: Considerations for Congressional Staff, by Judy Schneider CRS Report RS21363, Legislative Procedure in Congress: Basic Sources for Congressional Staff, by Jennifer E. Manning and Michael Greene c11173008 Congressional Research Service 1314 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Figure A-1. The Course of Legislation in Congress Source: Created by CRS. Image is available for copyright-free use here: http://www.crs.gov/resources/ PublishingImagesproducts/images/HowBillBecomesLaw3.jpg Note: See CRS Report R42843, Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress, by Valerie Heitshusen, for more information on legislative process. c11173008 Congressional Research Service 1415 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff . Author Contact Information Ada S. Cornell Information Research Specialist acornell@crs.loc.gov, 7-3742 Michael GreeneLaura A. Hanson Information Research Specialist mgreenelhanson@crs.loc.gov, 7-9188 Laura A. Hanson7072 Michael Greene Information Research Specialist lhansonmgreene@crs.loc.gov, 7-70729188 c11173008 Congressional Research Service 1516