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
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