Order Code RL33895
Tracking Current Federal Legislation and
Regulations: A Guide to Resources
February 28, 2007
Pamela Hairston
Information Research Specialist
Knowledge Services Group

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Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations:
A Guide to Resources
Summary
This guide has been designed to introduce congressional staff to selected official
government and commercial sources that are useful in tracking and obtaining
background information and specific facts on the status of federal legislative or
regulatory initiatives. By using a variety of these sources, congressional staff can
track federal legislation and regulations.
Those who prefer weekly overviews would be interested in such commercial
publications such as CQ Weekly, Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World Report.
For daily coverage, helpful resources are the Congressional Record, CQ Today,
(formerly CQ Daily Monitor), the Federal Register, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times. Databases
such as GPO Access, LexisNexis, Westlaw, and the websites of the U.S. House of
Representatives and the U.S. Senate are also useful.
The Code of Federal Regulations, the Index to the Code of Federal Regulations,
and the CIS/Index to Publications of the United States Congress provide subject
access to regulatory and legislative publications. Government sources such as the
Legislative Resource Center, the White House’s Office of the Executive Clerk, and
the Office of the Federal Register can give brief information on legislative and
regulatory developments too new to have been captured by standard online or printed
sources. Capsule descriptions of directories and other media sources are provided.
Annotations for each source contain publisher contact information. This report will
be updated as needed.
Additional information on tracking legislation for congressional offices is
provided in CRS Report RL30796, Legislative Research in Congressional Offices:
A Primer, and CRS Report RS20991, Legislative Planning: Considerations for
Congressional Staff.

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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Tracking Current Federal Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Official Government Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Commercial Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tracking Current Federal Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Official Government Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Commercial Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Additional Commercial Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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Tracking Current Federal Legislation and
Regulations: A Guide to Resources
Introduction1
Tracking the status of current federal legislation and regulations is often viewed
as a difficult task, requiring a vast library of costly resources, in-depth knowledge of
the issues, and strong familiarity with the federal government’s inner workings. This
is not necessarily so. Although access to sophisticated databases and comprehensive
knowledge of the federal government may help, it is possible for most congressional
staff to follow an issue by using a variety of resources readily available. The scope
of the issue will determine how complicated and time-consuming the process will be.
This guide has been designed to introduce researchers to selected authoritative
government and commercial sources that are useful in tracking and obtaining
background information or specific facts on the status of federal legislative or
regulatory initiatives. The sources are arranged alphabetically in two broad sections:
tracking current federal legislation and tracking current federal regulations. The
sections are organized into subcategories composed of official government and
commercial sources. Additional commercial resources, primarily newspapers, have
also been included. Annotations describing each source’s contents and organization
are included so that researchers can select those that most closely fit their needs.
Internet addresses usually provide information about the items, rather than access to
them.
Most of the publications cited in this guide are available in local public or
research libraries. Federal publications can often be found in libraries designated as
federal depository libraries. To get their addresses, contact a local library; telephone
the office of Depository Services of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) at
(202) 512-1119; or go to the Locate a Federal Depository Library page on the GPO
Access website at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html].
For all other materials, publisher contact information has been provided. Since
pricing structures vary by subscriber type and prices change frequently, publishers
must be contacted to obtain the latest order information. GPO publications can be
ordered, prepaid, by mail, telephone (toll-free 866-512-1800), or fax (202-512-2250)
on any Discover, MasterCard, VISA, or American Express credit card from
Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954.
1 This report was originally authored by CRS Information Specialist Carol D. Davis.

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Tracking Current Federal Legislation
Action on legislation passed or pending in the current Congress, and its status in
the legislative process, is reported in the Congressional Record. This is the primary
source for the text of floor debates and the official source for recorded votes.
An accurate and widely used database, the Legislative Information Service (LIS)
[www.congress.gov] website is a portal to a variety of commercial, academic, and
government legislative sources, including LIS specialized databases. LIS databases,
identified by the LIS logo on the search pages, include Bill Summary and Status, Bill
Text, the Congressional Record, and Committee Reports. (The Congressional Record
can be accessed from LIS.) Basic information about bills, including the sponsor and
cosponsors, committees of referral, official or long title, and status appears in the Bill
Summary & Status file the day after introduction of the measure.
Since some current legislation amends previously enacted law, it may be
necessary at times to consult the earlier laws in the United States Statutes at Large or
the United States Code at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html] and
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html].
Official Government Sources
Congressional Record
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/index.html]
Superintendent of Documents
Tel: (866) 512-1800
P.O. Box 371954
Fax: (202) 512-2250
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954

Frequency: Published each day that one or both chambers are in session, except
infrequent instances when two or more consecutive issues are printed together.
The Congressional Record contains the edited transcript of activities on the floor
of the House and the Senate. The “Daily Digest” section summarizes action in each
chamber, committee hearings, new public laws, and committee meetings scheduled
for the next legislative day. Indexes are issued twice a month. The subject index
section can be used to identify bills by topic, and the “History of Bills and
Resolutions” section tracks action on specific bills. The indexes, which are available
online at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cri/index.html], are eventually cumulated into
bound volumes.
Daily Calendar Information. Both political parties in the Senate and the House
provide recorded messages about the proceedings on the floor of each chamber every
day they are in session. Call the following numbers for these cloakroom recordings:
Senate: (202) 224-8601 (Republican)
House: (202) 225-7430 (Republican)
(202) 224-8541 (Democratic)
(202) 225-7400 (Democratic)

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GPO Access
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html]
GPO Access User Support Team
Tel: (202) 512-1800
Superintendent of Documents
(866) 512-1800
U.S. Government Printing Office
Fax: (202) 512-2104
732 North Capitol Street, NW
Mail Stop: IDCC
Washington, DC 20401
E-mail: ContactCenter@gpo.gov
The Government Printing Office (GPO) provides free Internet access to a wide
variety of legislative, regulatory, and executive material, such as congressional bills,
the Congressional Record and the Congressional Record Index (including the
“History of Bills and Resolutions” section), congressional calendars, public laws,
selected congressional reports and documents, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential
Documents, the Federal Register, and the Code of Federal Regulations. Time spans
covered vary by category.
Legislative Information Service (LIS) at [http://www.congress.gov]. Legislative
Information System provides Members of Congress and their staffs access to
legislative information that is accurate, timely, and complete. This website, accessible
only to Members and their staff, is a portal to a variety of commercial, academic, and
government legislative sources, including LIS specialized databases. LIS databases,
identified by the LIS logo on the search pages, include Bill Summary and Status, Bill
Text, the Congressional Record, and Committee Reports. Basic information about
bills, including the sponsor and cosponsors, committees of referral, official or long
title, and status appears in the Bill Summary & Status file the day after introduction
of the measure.
Legislative Resource Center (LRC). The Legislative Resource Center assists with
the retrieval of legislative information and records of the House for congressional
offices and the public. The Legislative Resource Center provides centralized access
to all published documents originated and produced by the House and its committees,
to the historical records of the House, and to public disclosure documents. The center
combines the responsibilities of several previously separate offices — the House
Library, House Historical Services, the House Document Room, the Office of
Legislative Information, and the Office of Records and Registration. For assistance
regarding the status of current legislation, call (202) 225-1772.
Public Laws Update Service. Information on new public law numbers assigned to
recently enacted public laws can be obtained from a recorded message maintained by
the National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of the Federal Register
at (202) 741-6043 or by subscribing to its Public Laws Electronic Notification Service
(PENS) at [http://listserv.gsa.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=publaws-l&A=1].
U.S. Capitol Switchboard. The office of any Member of Congress, congressional
committee, or congressional subcommittee can be reached by calling (202) 224-3121.

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U.S. House of Representatives Home Page at [http://www.house.gov]. This Web
source provides legislative details such as:

! recent major House floor and committee actions;
! legislative schedules;
! background information on, and links to material concerning the
legislative process;
! directories of Representatives by state and by name;
! the chamber’s leadership;
! House roll-call votes starting with the 101st Congress, second session
(1990); and
! brief descriptions of floor proceedings when the House is in session.
U.S. Senate Home Page at [http://www.senate.gov]. Materials of legislative interest
offered at this Internet source include the following:
! Senate calendars;
! background information on, and links to materials on the legislative
process;
! Senate roll-call votes starting with the 101st Congress (1989);
! the chamber’s leadership;
! descriptions of the Senate committee system and of individual
committees;
! historical information about the Senate;
! directories of Senators by name, state, class (term expiration date),
and party; and
! glossary of common legislative terms.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/index.html]
Superintendent of Documents
Tel: (866) 512-1800
P.O. Box 371954
Fax: (202) 512-2250
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
Frequency: Weekly, with quarterly, semiannual, and annual indexes.
This weekly periodical provides information such as the dates on which the
President signed or vetoed legislation. Also, it contains transcripts of presidential
messages to Congress, executive orders, and speeches and other material released by
the White House.
White House Records. Via a recorded message, the Office of the Executive Clerk
at the White House provides dates for the following information: presidential signings
or vetoes of recent legislation; presidential messages; executive orders; and other
official presidential action. If the desired information is not in the taped message,
callers can stay on the line to speak with a staffer. The recorded message is available
at (202) 456-2226.

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CRS-5
Commercial Sources
Congressional Information Service(CIS)/Index to Publications of the
United States Congress
[http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic]
LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions
Tel: (301) 654 - 1550
7500 Old Georgetown Road
(800) 638 - 8380
Bethesda, MD 20814-6126
Fax: (301) 657- 3203
E-mail: academicinfo@lexisnexis.com
Frequency: Monthly index and abstracts issues, with quarterly indexes and
annual cumulations.
This source provides detailed abstracts of congressional publications, such as
printed hearings, reports, committee prints, and documents. Titles, subjects,
publication numbers, bill numbers, and witness names can be searched. Also, the
legislative histories of public laws are provided. Coverage dates are 1970 to the
present.
CQ Today
[http://www.cq.com]
Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
Tel: (202) 419-8279
1255 22nd Street, NW
(800) 432-2250, ext. 279
Washington, DC 20037
Frequency: Monday through Friday when Congress is in session, with updates
throughout the day on the Web.
This subscription newsletter provides daily news on Congress, such as planned
floor action for the Senate and the House, bill and amendment descriptions, and
notices of bill markup sessions and conference negotiations. Also, daily and selected
future committee schedules are given. Significant sections are the “Pulse of
Congress,” with behind-the-scenes information on Members and committees; “People
on the Move,” which highlights congressional staff changes; and the “Appropriations”
section, which appears during the appropriations cycle. Subscribers also receive an
afternoon e-mail newsletter, CQ Today Extra, with the day’s latest news about
Congress and updated information on the next day’s congressional schedule.
CQ Weekly
[http://www.cq.com]
Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
Tel: (202) 419-8279
1255 22nd Street, NW
(800) 432-2250, ext. 279
Washington, DC 20037
Frequency: Weekly, with special supplements and annual Almanac.
This weekly summary of congressional action and developments contains status
tables for appropriations bills and other major legislation, roll-call vote charts for both
chambers, and topical treatments of committee and floor actions. Most issues have
articles that provide current and background information on legislative topics.
Occasionally, special reports are printed. Quarterly indexes are issued. The annual

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Congressional Quarterly Almanac is a comprehensive review of the year’s legislative
session.
CQ.com
[http://www.cq.com]
Congressional Quarterly, Inc
Tel: (202) 419-8511
1255 22nd Street, NW
(800) 678- 8511
Washington, DC 20037
E-mail: hotline@cq.com
Bill texts, summaries, tracking, and analysis are provided in this database.
Among its other features are forecasts of major pending bills; versions of bills; links
to related bills; roll-call votes; legislative histories; floor and committee schedules;
detailed committee coverage; texts of committee reports; transcripts of witnesses’
testimony; and publications such as the CQ Weekly, CQ Today (formerly CQ Daily
Monitor), the Congressional Record, and the Federal Register. Among CQ.com’s
access points are bill number, keyword, phrase, Member name, and date. Time spans
covered vary by the category of information sought. Only CQ.com subscribers can
access this system on the Internet.
Westlaw
[http://www.westlaw.com]
West Group
Tel: (651) 687-7000
610 Opperman Drive
Eagan, MN 55123
Although Westlaw was designed primarily as a legal reference database, many
of its files contain material useful to anyone tracking legislation or regulations. For
example, the Congressional Record is available in full text on this subscription
service, as are the Federal Register and the current Code of Federal Regulations.
Also available in full text are congressional bills, selected presidential documents, and
federal laws. Only Westlaw subscribers can access the system.
Tracking Current Federal Regulations
Regulations are issued by federal departments and agencies under the authority
delegated to them by federal law or presidential executive order and have the force of
law. Final regulations are printed in the Federal Register (FR) and later codified by
subject in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). By using these two sources with
their many indexes and tables, it is possible to identify existing regulations in a subject
area or pertaining to a specific section of the United States Code, identify regulations
issued pursuant to a specific public law, or find proposed regulations that are not yet
final.
The Federal Regulatory Directory describes the regulatory responsibilities of
more than 100 federal agencies, and the Index to the Code of Federal Regulations
provides indexing to the CFR.

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CRS-7
Official Government Sources
Code of Federal Regulations
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html]
Superintendent of Documents
Tel: (866) 512-1800
P.O. Box 371954
Fax: (202) 512-2250
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
Frequency: Revised annually (about one quarter of the titles at a time) in
January, April, July, and October.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) codifies final regulations having general
applicability and legal effect that first appeared in the Federal Register. Its 50 titles
are arranged by subject. Since the annual revision incorporates new regulations and
drops superseded ones, the CFR reflects regulations in effect at the time of printing.
Several indexes and tables accompany the set.
Federal Register
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html]
Superintendent of Documents
Tel: (866) 512-1800
P.O. Box 371954
Fax: (202) 512-2250
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
Customer Service: (202)
741-6000
Frequency: Daily, Monday through Friday; not published on Saturdays,
Sundays, or federal holidays.
The Federal Register (FR) is the official announcement of regulations and legal
notices issued by federal departments and agencies. These include proposed and final
federal regulations having general applicability and legal effect; executive orders and
presidential proclamations; documents required to be published by act of Congress;
and other federal documents of public interest. It also updates the CFR. Daily and
monthly indexes, and an accompanying publication, List of CFR Sections Affected, aid
in its use.
The Register also publishes the “Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and
Deregulatory Actions” twice a year (usually in April and October) at
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ua/index.html]. This document provides advance notice
of proposed rulemaking by listing all rules and proposed rules that more than 60
federal departments, agencies, and commissions expect to issue during the next six
months. Regulations that concern the military or foreign affairs, or that deal only with
agency personnel, organization, or management matters, are excluded. The agenda
is available online from 1994 through the present at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/
us/index/html], and can be searched by subject, agency, and Code of Federal
Regulations part number.
Congressional staffers who need copies of pages of the Federal Register can
photocopy as many pages as they need in person at the Office of the Federal Register.
The address is the National Archives and Records Administration, 800 North Capitol
Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001. For information on per-page copying
costs and hours of operation, contact the Federal Register at number above.

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CRS-8
GPO Access
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html]
GPO Access User Support Team
Tel: (202) 512-1800
Superintendent of Documents
(866) 512-1800
U.S. Government Printing Office
Fax: (202) 512-2104
732 North Capitol Street, NW
Mail Stop: IDCC
Washington, DC 20401
E-mail: ContactCenter@gpo.gov
The Government Printing Office provides free Internet access to the Code of
Federal Regulations, the codification of the general and permanent rules published
in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal
government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to federal
regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued
on a quarterly basis.
Office of Management and Budget’s “Regulatory Matters” Web Page
[http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/regpol.html]
Reviewing proposed and final federal regulations is the job of the Office of
Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA), which focuses on cost-benefit analysis. Information on regulations that
OIRA is reviewing or has reviewed during the past 30 days can be found on the
“Regulatory Matters” page of the OMB website at the Web address given above. Also
available is data on rules reviewed by the agency since 1981.
RegInfo.gov
[http://www.reginfo.gov]
This website is produced by OMB and General Services Administration (GSA).
Here you will find a list of all rules undergoing OIRA EO 12866 regulatory review.
Updated daily, a list of all rules on which review has been concluded in the past 30
days; lists and statistics on regulatory reviews dating back to 1981; and letters to
agencies regarding regulatory actions.
Regulations.gov
[http://www.regulations.gov]
This website was launched by the federal government in 2003 to enhance public
participation in federal regulatory activities. Here, people can search and view
proposed regulations from about 160 federal departments and agencies. Also, every
entry links to a comment form that readers can complete and submit to the appropriate
department or agency. Regulations.gov is updated each business day with proposed
new regulations. Among the database’s search options are
! keyword or subject;
! department or agency name;

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! regulations published today;
! comments due today;
! open regulations or comments by publication dates; and
! Code of Federal Regulations citation.
White House Records (202) 456-2226
The Office of the Executive Clerk at the White House provides a recorded
message with information on the dates that executive orders and presidential
proclamations appeared in the Federal Register. If the desired information is not
included in the taped message, callers can also be connected with a staffer.
Commercial Sources
Citation Publishing, Inc.
[http://www.citation.com]
Citation Publishing, Inc.
Tel: (949) 770-2000
92 Argonaut Street, Suite 255
(800) 808-3372
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
E-mail: sales@citation.com
Frequency: Daily
Full-text access to the daily Federal Register and to the current Code of Federal
Regulations is available through this company’s CyberREGS Online database.
Although the company focuses on environmental issues, this database is not limited
solely to that area. Only CyberREGS Online subscribers have web access this system
on the Web.
Federal Regulatory Directory
[http:www.cqpress.com]
CQ Press
Tel: (866) 427-7737
1255 22nd Street, NW, Suite 400
(202) 729-1800
Washington, DC 20037
Fax: (800) 380-3810
E-mail: customerservice@cqpress.com
Frequency: Every two years
Profiles of the mandates and operations of more than 100 federal regulatory
agencies are provided in this directory. Each profile gives a brief history and
description of the agency and its regulatory oversight responsibilities, and lists key
staff, information sources, legislation, and regional offices. An overview of the
federal regulatory process is provided. Other aids are the full texts of key regulatory
acts and executive orders, a guide to using the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations, and subject and name indexes.

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CRS-10
Index to the Code of Federal Regulations
[http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic]
LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions
Tel: (301) 654-1550
7500 Old Georgetown Road
(800) 638-8380
Bethesda, MD 20814-6126
Fax: (301) 657-3203
E-mail: academicinfo@lexisnexis.com
Frequency:
Annual,
with quarterly updates
This Index to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is arranged by subject;
geography (by political entities or federally regulated properties), proper name of
physical entities administered by the government (national parks, monuments, etc.);
official headings for each section of the CFR; and new and revised CFR sections
numbers.
LexisNexis Congressional
[http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic]
LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions
Tel: (301) 654-1550
7500 Old Georgetown Road
(800) 638-8380
Bethesda, MD 20814-6126
Fax: (301)657-3203
E-mail: academicinfo@lexisnexis.com

This fee database contains detailed abstracts of congressional publications such
as hearings, reports, documents, and committee prints. It is the enhanced Web-based
counterpart of the CIS/Index to Publications of the United States Congress (see the
“Printed Sources” section). Also provided are links to the full texts of many
congressional and federal documents, such as the Congressional Record,
congressional hearing transcripts, the Federal Register, and the Code of Federal
Regulations. Length of coverage varies depending on the category of information
sought. These and other sources are accessible only to subscribers.
Westlaw
[http://www.westlaw.com]
West Group
Tel: (651) 687-7000
610 Opperman Drive
Eagan, MN 55123
Although Westlaw was designed primarily as a legal reference database, many
of its files contain material useful to anyone tracking legislation or regulations. For
example, the Congressional Record is available in full text on this subscription
service, as are the Federal Register and the current Code of Federal Regulations.
Also available in full text are congressional bills, selected presidential documents, and
federal laws. Only Westlaw subscribers can access the system.
Additional Commercial Sources
Information on what is happening in Washington can be gathered by exposure
to an assortment of editorial perspectives, “inside” reporting, and political analysis.

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Examples of major daily newspapers offering these types of coverage are The
Washington Post, The Washington Times, The New York Times, The Boston Globe,
The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Los
Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor. Weekly
magazines such as National Journal, Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World
Report also provide regular coverage of the Washington scene and are on the Web.
Similarly, Web-based media sources also provide such political coverage.
Examples of these include the following:
The American Spectator
[http://www.spectator.org/]
The American Spectator is a conservative-leaning American monthly magazine
covering news and politics.
C-SPAN.org
[http://www.c-span.org]
C-SPAN is a private, non-profit company, created in 1979 by the cable television
industry as a public service. Its mission is to provide public access to the political
process. C-SPAN receives no government funding; operations are funded by fees paid
by cable and satellite affiliates who carry C-SPAN programming.
The Hill
[http://www.hillnews.com]
The Hill is a non-partisan weekly newspaper covering Congress and its members.
CNN.com: Inside Politics
[http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS]
CNN.com delivers breaking news and information on top stories, weather,
business, entertainment, politics, and more.
The Nation
[http://www.TheNation.com]
The Nation is self-described as “America’s oldest weekly journal of progressive
political and cultural news, opinion and analysis.”
National Review Online
[http://www.nationalreview.com]
The National Review Online provides conservative commentary on politics,
news, and culture.
Roll Call
[http://www.rollcall.com]
Roll Call daily newspaper has been covering Capitol Hill news since 1955.
(Rollcall.com is only available on subscription basis - free for print subscribers.)
Slate
[http://slate.msn.com]
Slate online magazine of liberal news and commentary on culture and politics

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