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

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Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources Ada S. Cornell Information Research Specialist Michael Greene Information Research Specialist Laura A. Hanson Information Research Specialist June 22, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43434 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Summary How to Find Documents and Other Resources January 11, 2016 (R43434) Jump to Main Text of Report

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 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 for use by Members and congressional office staff will be updated annually. Congressional Research Service Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1 Legislative Research: Documents and Resources............................................................................ 1 News and Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 6 Training and Services ...................................................................................................................... 9 Figures Figure A-1. The Course of Legislation in Congress ...................................................................... 15 Tables Table 1. Legislative and Executive Branch Documents .................................................................. 2 Table 2. Selected Resources for News and Analysis and Relevant Legislative Research ............... 7 Table 3. Finding Experts and Contacts ............................................................................................ 7 Table 4. Training and Services ......................................................................................................... 9 Table A-1. Legislative Research Resources ................................................................................... 11 Table A-2. Related CRS Products .................................................................................................. 14 Appendixes Appendix. Additional Resources ................................................................................................... 11 Contacts Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 16 Congressional Research Service Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Introduction
Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources
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 This 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 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 whilewhereas 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 2Table 2); experts and contacts from think tanks, academia, executive branch agencies, and CRS (Table 3Table 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 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 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. Legislative 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. 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 Congressional, which offers bill and resolution text going back 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. On LIS.gov, amendments can be found under “Bill Status with Amendments” or “Amendments” on the 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. 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. 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. ProQuest Congressional U.S. Code uscode.house.gov Cornell LII Floor Debate Congressional Record Bound 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

Document

Access Pointsa Example Citationsb

Notes

Bills and Amendments

Bills and Resolutions

1993 to present

LIS.gov or Congress.gov

CQ.com

ProQuest Congressional

H.R. 123, S.Res. 200

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: [phone number scrubbed])

ProQuest Congressional

S. 236, H.Con.Res. 728

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 Congressional, which offers bill and resolution text going back 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.

On LIS.gov, amendments can be found under "Bill Status with Amendments" or "Amendments" on the 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.

Laws

Statutes (laws)

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1995-present)

ProQuest Congressional

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 [phone number scrubbed].

U.S. Code

uscode.house.gov

Cornell LII

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.

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.gov or Congress.gov (1989-present)

CQ.com

ProQuest Congressional

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.

Floor Votes

CQ.com

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1990-present)

House.gov

Senate.gov

CQ Almanac (for votes pre-1990)

Roll no. 30, Record Vote Number: 11

Votes are published in
Congressional Record. On LIS.gov, votes can be found under "Major Actions" while viewing Bill Summary & Status. On On Congress.gov, see the “Actions” "Actions" tab under “Major "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 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) H.Rept. 112-14, S.Rept. 110-55 CQ.com ProQuest Congressional Committee Markup CQ.com Committee websites 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. CQ.com Sponsor’s website Regulations Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices FederalRegister.gov 59 call CRS at [phone number scrubbed].

Committee Actions

 

Committee Schedules

CQ.com

LIS.gov or Congress.gov

House.gov

Senate.gov

 

See CQ Schedules.

Committee Hearings (official)

Committee websites

GPO FDsys

ProQuest Congressional

S. Hrg. 106-67

Committee Hearing Transcripts and Webcasts (unofficial)

CQ.com

C-Span

Committee websites

 

Consider contacting the committee staff for hearing transcripts unavailable through these sources.

Committee Reports

LIS.gov or Congress.gov (1995-present)

CQ.com

ProQuest Congressional

H.Rept. 112-14, S.Rept. 110-55

Committee Markup

CQ.com

Committee websites

   

Committee Rosters

CQ.com

GPO FDsys

Committee websites

   

Committee Prints

GPO FDsys

ProQuest Congressional

S. Prt. 109-88

 

Draft Legislation

Committee websites

CQ.com

Sponsor's website

 

For CQ.com, see the CQ "Hot Docs" page.

Regulations

Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices

FederalRegister.gov

GPO FDsys

Regulations.gov

59
Federal Register 4233 Published in the Federal RegisterFederal Register. See corresponding entry in Table A-1 for additional information. 15 C.F.R. 254

General and Permanent Rules (codified)

GPO FDsys

15 C.F.R. 254

Published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Executive Branch Information

Executive Orders

National Archives

GPO FDsys

E.O. 12893

(CFR). E.O. 12893 Published in the Federal RegisterFederal 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 Grants Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance See CRS Report RL34035, Grants Work in a Federal Regulations.

Grants

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

  See CRS Report RL34035, Grants Work in a
Congressional Office, CRS Report RL34012, Resources Resources for Grantseekers, and CRS Report RL32159, How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal. 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 See CRS Report 98-721, Introduction to the Federal Proposal.

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 R43475, FY2016 FY2016 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 Congress.gov See CRS Report 98-384, Senate Consideration of Treaties. Senate.gov Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: 7-5700) Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Notes: and GPO Availability.

Miscellaneous Information

Appropriations Bills

CRS Appropriations Status Table

 

Available from FY1999-Present 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 [phone number scrubbed].

Treaties

Congress.gov

Senate.gov

Law Library of Congress (or call CRS: [phone number scrubbed])

 

See CRS Report 98-384, Senate Consideration of Treaties.

Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Notes:
Plain text indicates the resource listed is freely available; Italics ; Italics indicate a subscription-based resource available in most House and Senate offices, and also at CRS research centers. a. a. More detailed descriptions and direct links to these resources are available in Table A-1. b. . 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. . 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. d. For further information, refer to the Law Library's page on microtext collections at http://www.loc.gov/law/ find/microtext.php. . News and Analysis Table 2 serves as a finding aid 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. 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/  

Resource

Access Points

Congressional News & Analysis

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: http://about.bgov.com/  

Bloomberg BNA

http://www.bna.com/  

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/

Legislative Support Agency Analysis & Resources

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. 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 resources include directories, databases and lists available through House and Senate libraries, CRS 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. 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 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. National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States (Columbia Books) CRS Reference Centers—print

Name (Publisher)

Access

Notes

The Leadership Library (Leadership Directories, Inc.)

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.

House Library—print version only

Formerly known as the Yellow Books. Contact information for over 500,000 leaders of 40,000 United States government, business, professional and nonprofit organizations.

Encyclopedia of Associations (Gale)

CRS Reference Centers—online access online access via kiosk PCs; see Table 4 for locations

Senate Library—online access

Detailed information concerning 23,000+ nonprofit American membership organizations of national scope.

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.

National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States (Columbia Books)

CRS Reference Centers—print
version (LCRR only; see Table 4 for location)

House Library—print version

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 only; see Table 4 for location) House Library—print version

Senate 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, and private nonprofit organizations are listed. Senate Library—print version Washington Representatives (Columbia Books) CRS Reference Centers—print version (LCRR only; see Table 4 for location) House Library—print version

Senate 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 CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies 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”"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. Federal Register FederalRegister.gov

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 decisionmakingdecision-making. Notices and proposed rules include contact information for relevant agency experts. Congressional Research Service http://www.crs.gov

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. [phone number scrubbed]. Source: Compiled by CRS. Training and Services Compiled by CRS. Congressional Research Service 8 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Training and Services Table 4 contains a list of locations where congressional 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

Name

Location and Contact

Hours

Services

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

CRS

Call CRS [phone number scrubbed] (202-707-5700) and press 1, 5

http://www.crs.gov

M-Th 8a-8pF 8a-6p(Sat 10a-5p when Congress is in session)

Research and analysis related to legislative issues.

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 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. 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 with information and analysis on U.S., foreign, comparative and international law. 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/ Congressional Research Service Training in the following topics: -Legislative research -Statutory research -Orientation to Law Library collections -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://housenet.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. Congressional Research Service 10 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Appendix. Additional Resources Table A-1. Legislative Research Resources

CRS Reference Centers

La Follette Congressional Reading Room (LCRR)

Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-202

Phone: [phone number scrubbed]

M-Th 10a-8pF 10a-6pSat 10a-5p when Congress is in session

Database access; reference and research assistance.

CRS Senate Center

Senate, Russell B335

Phone: [phone number scrubbed]

M-F 10a-4p

Database access, meeting space for CRS training and private briefings.

Library of Congress (non-CRS)

Congressional Relations Office (CRO)

202-707-6577

http://www.loc.gov/lcnet/

M-F 8:30a-6p

Book loans, tours of the Library of Congress, constituent services, educational resources

Law Library of Congress

Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-201

202-707-2700

http://www.loc.gov/law/ M-F 8:30a-9:30pSat 8:30a-5p, and whenever Congress is in session

Assists Congress with information and analysis on U.S., foreign, comparative and international law

Training in the following topics:-Legislative research-Statutory research-Orientation to Law Library collections-Congress.gov

House of Representatives

House Learning Center

B249B/C Longworth HOB

202-226-3800

[email address scrubbed]

https://housenet.house.gov/training

M-F 8:30a-5:30p

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

Other topics such as Constituent Correspondence, ethics, and many more are also available for online and in-person training

House Library

263 Cannon

202-225-9000

[email address scrubbed]

http://extranet.clerk.house.gov/library

M-F 9a-6p

Research assistance, subject guides, database access and training

Senate

Senate Library

Russell B15

202-224-7106

[email address scrubbed]

http://webster/library

M-F 9a-6p (and whenever the Senate is in session)

Research assistance and training.

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.

Additional Resources Table A-1. Legislative Research Resources
(provides additional details on information explored in Table 1)

Description

URL

Congress.gov

Table 1) Description Resource URL Congress.gov Congress.gov is the official source for 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, years; (2) permanent URLs; (3) faceted search; (4) Member profiles; and (5) legislative historiesbill summaries and lists of actions for legislation. The new site permits legislative users with 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 executive communications, which will be added later in 2015. For now, executive communications can be accessed on LIS.gov. http://www.congress.gov/ CBO help pages. http://www.congress.gov/

CBO

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the congressional budget process. CBO does not make policy recommendations. http://www.cbo.gov/ CQ

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

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 URL C-SPAN . http://www.law.cornell.edu/

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 Federalregister.gov

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

GPO 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

LIS.gov

The purpose of the Legislative Information System (LIS) is to provide Members of Congress and their staff with access to legislative information that is accurate, timely, and complete. LIS is not available to the public. LIS will be replaced by Congress.gov sometime after the close of 2015. http://www.lis.gov/ National Archives and Records Administration 2016. 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 presidential 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 federal-register/executive-orders/

Office of Management and Budget

The OMB website provides the President’s 's Budget, including, for example: Analytical Perspectives (Analytical Perspectives (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ budget/Analytical_Perspectives), the Appendix (budget/Analytical_Perspectives), the Appendix (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/ AppendixAppendix), and Historical Tables ( (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals). budget/ Historicals). http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget

ProQuest Congressional

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 CongressionalProQuest Congressional is available to all House and Senate offices. http://congressional.proquest.com Reginfo.gov

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/

Regulations.gov

public/ 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

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 15 minutes after the Bill Clerk receives them. http://ats.senate.gov/ Source: Compiled by CRS. Table A-2. Related CRS Products

CRS Report R42638, Appropriations: CRS Experts, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-706, Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind Is Used, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-728, Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties: Characteristics, Requirements, and Uses, by [author name scrubbed]

Compiled by CRS. Congressional Research Service 13 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, coordinated by Elizabeth Rybicki CRS Report 98-437, Calendars of the House of Representatives, by [author name scrubbed] , 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 Resources446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R40897, Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL30812, Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-169, House Committee Reports: Required Contents, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RS20991, Legislative Planning: Considerations
for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed] , by Julia Taylor 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 RS21363, Legislative Procedure in Congress: Basic Sources for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RS20120, Legislative Support Resources: Offices and Websites for Congressional Staff, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL30787, Parliamentary Reference Sources: House of Representatives, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL30788, Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff, by Jerry W. Mansfield , by [author name scrubbed] CRS Report RL34012, Resources for Grantseekers, by Merete F. Gerli

CRS Report 98-305, Senate Committee Reports: Required Contents, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-429, The Senate's Calendar of Business, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report 98-438, The Senate's Executive Calendar, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

Figure A-1. The Course of Legislation in Congress

Source: Created by CRS.

Note:
, 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 Congressional Research Service 14 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, at http://www.crs.gov/products/images/HowBillBecomesLaw3.jpg. Note: See CRS Report R42843, Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress, by [author name scrubbed], for more information on legislative process.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Senior Research Librarian ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed], Senior Research Librarian ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed], Senior Research Librarian ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
, by Valerie Heitshusen, for more information on legislative process. Congressional Research Service 15 Legislative Research for Congressional Staff Author Contact Information Ada S. Cornell Information Research Specialist acornell@crs.loc.gov, 7-3742 Laura A. Hanson Information Research Specialist lhanson@crs.loc.gov, 7-7072 Michael Greene Information Research Specialist mgreene@crs.loc.gov, 7-9188 Congressional Research Service 16