This report is intended to serve as a finding aid for congressional documents, executive branch documents and information, news articles, policy analysis, contacts, and training, for use in policy and legislative research. It 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 selected resources freely available to the public. This report is intended for use by congressional offices.
During the legislative process, many documents are prepared by Congress and its committees. Governmental and nongovernmental 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 daunting to those involved in policy and legislative research. This report aims to assist congressional offices in identifying and accessing key resources used during such research.
The resources' titles and access information are presented in seven tables. The tables provide information on how to find congressional documents (Table 1); information on tracking legislative activity (Table 2); executive branch documents and information (Table 3); information about legislative support agencies (Table 4); congressional news sources (Table 5); policy and scholarly research sources (Table 6); and research-related training and services for congressional staff (Table 7).
This report is not a comprehensive catalog of resources for conducting policy and legislative research; instead, it provides a selection of widely used electronic resources. Some of the resources mentioned are available only with a paid subscription, whereas others are free; this availability is noted in the report along with the access points for congressional offices. Print materials for time periods not covered by the resources listed in the tables may be available from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Law Library of Congress, or the House and Senate Libraries. The inclusion of resources in this report does not imply endorsement by 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 to congressional offices for consultation on policy and legislative research or to perform such research upon request. CRS can also advise 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. Additional reports on congressional operations are available in the "Congressional Administration & Elections" page on CRS.gov.
Table 1 serves as a reference guide for locating congressional documents using both freely available and subscription-based resources. The first column of the table lists documents commonly used in policy and legislative research and typical citations for such documents. The second column lists resources where these documents can be accessed. The third column contains explanatory notes.
Table 2 provides information about how to access House and Senate committee schedules, floor schedules, calendars, and floor proceedings, all of which can be helpful in tracking congressional activities.
Access to subscription resources can vary among CRS, Senate, and House offices. See the notes within the tables for more information. CRS subscriptions can be accessed through the CRS La Follette Congressional Reading Room (locations and hours of operation are available in Table 7). Unless otherwise indicated, all other resources are freely available.
Table A-1 provides additional information on the resources in Table 1, and Table 2, including more detailed descriptions and URLs linking directly to the resources (when available).
|
Document |
Access Points |
Notes |
|
Bills and Resolutions |
Full text available 1993-present. Bill summaries available 1973-present. Selected bill text and summaries available for prior years. Coverage date details are available here. Bill text may not be available for several days following introduction or subsequent congressional action. |
|
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes bill text from 1995 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes bill and resolution text for all Congresses. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
||
|
Draft Legislation and Amended Legislation not yet available in Congress.gov |
Member or committee websites |
Committees may make draft legislation or scanned markups of legislation available. To locate committee websites, see listed information on the Congress.gov committee pages. Individual sponsors may also post draft legislation on their individual House or Senate Member websites. |
|
Committee documents may include draft legislation to be discussed at committee meetings. |
||
|
Draft legislation circulating among Members and the press prior to formal introduction may be available on the CQ "Hot Docs" page. Select "Bills" under "Research," and navigate to Hot Docs. |
||
|
Floor Amendments |
Full text available 1995-present. Amendment status available 1981-present. Amendments can be found under the "Amendments" tab on a bill page, linking to full text in the Congressional Record. |
|
|
When the House Rules Committee votes to report a special rule to the full House for its consideration, a Rules Committee report is prepared, which typically includes the text of any specific amendments made in order by a structured rule. (Amendments that are made in order may be considered when the House debates the legislation.) Legislation that is subject to a special rule generally has a dedicated page on the Rules Committee website with links to, among other information, the text and status of amendments that have been submitted. See here for a list of legislation with special rules. |
||
|
Includes only submitted and proposed amendments to legislation pending before the U.S. Senate; no older data are retained. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes the full text of amendments from 2001 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. |
||
|
Roll Call Votes |
Includes House votes (1990-present) and Senate votes (1989-present). In an individual bill overview, see the "Roll Call Votes" section, or navigate to the "Actions" tab within a bill page. See the applicable help page for more information. |
|
|
Available 1990-present. |
||
|
Available 1989-present. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes access from 1983 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. All roll call votes are available in the Congressional Record. To find votes on specific issues, over a time period, or other criteria, call CRS at [phone number scrubbed]. |
||
|
Public Laws |
Full text available 1951-present. Older public law text back to 1789 can be accessed through Statutes at Large; see entry below. |
|
|
Full text available 1995-present. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes public law text for all Congresses. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
||
|
Statutes at Large |
Full text available 1789-2021. |
|
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes Statutes at Large for all Congresses. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
||
|
The digitized U.S. Statutes at Large collection includes full text coverage from 1789 to 1951. |
||
|
U.S. Code |
The online U.S. Code is frequently updated, and the currency date is displayed above the text of each section. 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. |
|
|
Statute Compilations |
The House Office of the Legislative Counsel (HOLC) maintains unofficial compilations of selected public laws, as amended, that either do not appear in the U.S. Code or that have been classified to a title of the Code that has not been enacted into positive law. Each compilation indicates the most recently enacted public law that amended the provisions compiled. Select HOLC Statute Compilations are publicly available through govinfo.gov. Information about the recency of compilation updates can be found here. |
|
|
Full text available 1873-2018. The Congressional Record bound edition is the permanent version. The bound edition is edited, revised, and rearranged, and so does not exactly replicate 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 there are 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. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes Congressional Record Permanent Edition text from 1789 to 2009. This includes access to Congressional Record predecessors Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, and Congressional Globe. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
||
|
Full text available 1873-1994. Access to Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837), and Congressional Globe (1833-1873) is available using Browse by Congress. Select a 1789-1873 Congress and see under the Debates of Congress heading. |
||
|
Congressional Record, daily edition |
Full text available 1995-present. See "Congressional Record" link at top of any page. 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. The Congressional Record Index provides topical access to remarks and activities by Members, individuals, organizations, and legislative business mentioned in the daily Record. Index entries include a linked Congressional Record page number and the date. |
|
|
Full text available 1994-present. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes full text from 1987 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes full text from 1985 to present. |
||
|
Committee Hearings |
Committee websites |
Committee websites may offer transcripts, witness statements, or webcasts. To locate committee websites, see listed information on the Congress.gov committee pages. |
|
Committee hearing transcripts are available from 1995 to the present for House, Senate, and joint committee hearings. |
||
|
See official published hearings on the "Browse Congressional Hearings" page. Coverage dates vary by committee. |
||
|
See "Committee Repository" for House committee documents, which may include witness bios, statements, and preliminary transcripts. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes records of hearings from 1824 to present. Full text of the published hearing is available when it is issued by GPO. Unofficial transcripts may be available for unpublished hearings and hearings not yet published by GPO. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes unofficial hearing transcripts for selected hearings from 1989 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. |
||
|
Offers streaming coverage or recordings of hearings, as well as unofficial captions. The C-SPAN video library contains all C-SPAN programming that has aired since 1987. Some programs aired since 2003 have searchable text transcripts of the program's closed captioning. |
||
|
Committee Reports |
Full text available 1995-present. On a bill page, select the "Committees" tab. Or click on the Committees links at the top of any page and see the links to House and Senate reports on the right side of the page. |
|
|
Select committee reports available from 1817 to present. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes committee report text going back to 1789. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes full text from 1995 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to CQ.com includes committee markup coverage, including committee votes, from 1989 to present, with committee amendments from 2005 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to CQ may differ. |
||
|
Legislation from 1973 to the present can be browsed by committee action, including markup, for the House and the Senate. Select committee markup transcripts can also be found by keyword searching markup OR "mark up" within a search of committee meetings. See this search example. |
||
|
Committee websites |
Committees sometimes make markup materials available. To locate committee websites, see listed information on the Congress.gov committee pages. |
|
|
http://docs.house.gov/ |
Materials in the "Committee Repository" may include staff memos, documents summarizing legislation or amendments, unofficial transcripts, and vote records. Note that committee reports may include information on amendments offered in committee or committee votes. |
|
|
Committee Prints |
Full text available 1995-present. Select prints available from prior years. |
|
|
Full text available 1993-present. Select prints available from prior years. See House, Senate, joint committee prints. |
||
|
The CRS subscription to ProQuest Congressional includes committee prints from 1830 to present. Years of coverage in House and Senate subscriptions to ProQuest Congressional may differ. |
Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on information gathered from the resources and organizations listed.
Note: Resources listed are available to congressional offices unless otherwise noted.
|
Access Points |
Notes |
|
|
Committee Schedules |
Combined schedule for House and Senate. |
|
|
Includes meeting descriptions and locations. |
||
|
See http://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByWeek.aspx. Includes links to meeting details with links to bills, testimony, and Member statements. |
||
|
On the CQ homepage, navigate to the "Research" tab, and select "Schedules." |
||
|
Floor Schedules and Calendars |
See "Floor Calendars" for links to House and Senate leadership schedules outlining when the chamber will meet and legislation scheduled for consideration. |
|
|
See "Bills to Be Considered on the House Floor" for links to the text of legislation scheduled for consideration. |
||
|
See "On the Floor" for links to CRS products that focus on legislation or some of the key issues involved in legislation slated to receive floor debate during the week. |
||
|
Floor Proceedings |
See "Legislative Activity" tab under "Legislative Information" on the homepage. |
|
|
See "Floor Proceedings" section on the homepage. |
Source: Compiled by CRS.
Note: Resources listed are available to congressional offices.
Table 3 serves as a reference guide for locating executive branch documents and information using freely available resources. The first column of the table lists documents or information commonly used in policy and legislative research and typical citations for such documents, where applicable. The second column lists resources where these materials can be accessed. The third column contains explanatory notes.
Table A-1 provides additional information on the resources in Table 3, including more detailed descriptions and URLs linking directly to the resources (when available).
|
Document/Information |
Access Points |
Notes |
|
Rules, Proposed Rules, and Supplemental Regulatory Sources |
FederalRegister.gov provides access to unofficial, HTML and PDF versions of agency rules, proposed rules, and notices as published in the Federal Register. Coverage is from 1994 to present. |
|
|
GovInfo.gov provides access to official versions of agency rules, proposed rules, and notices through its Federal Register collection. Coverage is from 1936 to present and all volumes are full-text searchable. For 1995-present, content is available to view or download at the article level and by issue; for 1936-1994, content is available to view or download by issue. See the help page for more information. |
||
|
Regulations.gov includes public comments in addition to final regulations, notices, and other regulatory documents. In general, this resource provides coverage from 2002 to present, with some variation by agency. |
||
|
Reginfo.gov includes information about current, anticipated, and past regulatory actions as well as background information on the rulemaking process. Components include the Regulatory Review Dashboard , which provides information about regulatory actions currently under review, and the Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan, which "reports on the actions administrative agencies plan to issue in the near and long term" and is useful in identifying the status of planned regulatory changes. Editions of the Unified Agenda are available from 1995 to present. Lists and statistics on regulatory reviews date back to 1981. |
||
|
Code of Federal Regulations (15 C.F.R. 254) |
The Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) annual edition is available from 1996 to present. The Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules lists rulemaking authority for regulations codified in the C.F.R. |
|
|
The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations is a regularly updated, unofficial editorial compilation of current C.F.R. material and Federal Register amendments. ecfr.gov allows users to view a C.F.R. section as it appeared on a specific date from January 2017 to present and compare a C.F.R. section from two different dates within that time frame. |
||
|
Executive Orders (E.O. 12893) |
Executive orders are published in the following resources: the Federal Register, Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Compilation of Presidential Documents. Coverage dates vary between resources. |
|
|
FederalRegister.gov provides access to executive orders (EOs) issued since 1937. Users can search for EOs or browse by President. |
||
|
Executive Orders Disposition Tables Historical Index (National Archives) |
The National Archives and Records Administration provides access to executive orders signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt through President Barack Obama (January 8, 1937 to January 19, 2017).Error! Reference source not found. |
|
|
Presidential Proclamations (Proclamation 9645) |
Published in the Federal Register. Also available from 1993 to present in the Compilation of Presidential Documents. |
|
|
Presidential Signing Statements |
Published in the Federal Register. Also available from 1993 to present in the Compilation of Presidential Documents. |
|
|
The President's Fiscal Year Budget Proposal |
The OMB website provides the current President's Budget. |
|
|
Budgets from FY1922 to present are available from the Government Publishing Office. |
||
|
Agency Budget Justifications |
Federal agency websites |
An agency's budget justification (also referred to as a congressional justification) typically contains a detailed description of each program activity and an explanation of the proposed changes for the next fiscal year. They are usually available on the agency's website and are also published as part of the agency's appropriations subcommittee hearings. USASpending provides links to the budget justifications for selected federal agencies. |
|
Agency policy guidance, program information, oversight and performance reports, research reports, and statistics |
Federal agency websites |
Agencies make a variety of information about their policies and programs available on their websites, including policy manuals, memoranda, notices, program instructions, performance metrics, enrollment/participation numbers, inspector general reports, and research on program planning, implementation, or effectiveness. A list of executive branch agencies and links to their websites can be found in the United States Government Manual. |
|
Treaties |
Information about treaty documents is available on Congress.gov for all treaties submitted to the Senate since the 94th Congress (1975-1976). Treaties submitted prior to the 94th Congress are included if they were pending in 1975. Metadata is available for treaties submitted between 1975 (94th Congress) and 1995 (104th Congress). Full texts of treaty documents are available on Congress.gov from 1995 (104th Congress). |
|
|
Law Library of Congress |
U.S. Treaties collection includes the United States Treaty Series (1776-1949) and United States Treaties and Other International Agreements or TIAS (1950-1984). |
|
|
The Department of State's Office of Treaty Affairs compiles and publishes online the texts of treaties and international agreements to which the United States is a party through the Treaties and International Acts Series (TIAS). Treaties and agreements from 1981 to present are available. Within each year, there is a location (country) filter. For years prior to 2006, the collection is not comprehensive. |
Source: Compiled by CRS.
Note:
a. Beginning January 20, 2017 (the beginning of the first Trump Administration), executive orders and disposition tables are available only on FederalRegister.gov.
The legislative support agencies are designed to be nonpartisan, objective, and impartial. The agencies each serve the Congress in different ways. Contact information for each agency and a description of each agency and its services is outlined in Table 4, below. For additional information about support agencies and resources that are helpful for legislative procedure and research, see CRS Report RS20120, Legislative Support Resources: Offices and Websites for Congress.
|
Agency |
Access Point and Contact |
Description and Services |
|
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) |
Cost estimates: Other inquiries: |
CBO produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the congressional budget process, including reports, projections, cost estimates, scorekeeping, sequestration reports, budget options, and others. CBO does not make policy recommendations. |
|
Congressional Research Service (CRS) |
Place a request: Connect In-Person: Longworth Agency Connection Center (Longworth ACC) Longworth House Office Building, B-245 [phone number scrubbed] |
CRS provides comprehensive research and analysis on all legislative and oversight issues of interest to Congress. CRS assists Members and staff with identifying and clarifying policy options; analyzing the implications of proposed policies; and assessing policy, procedural, and oversight options. Acting as a research extension to the staff of each Member and committee, CRS provides consultations, confidential memoranda, reports, briefing documents, videos, advice on process and procedures, expert committee testimony, and seminars. |
|
Government Accountability Office (GAO) |
Congressional relations: Watchdog (http://watchdog.gao.gov) is a website specifically for Members and congressional staff.b Connect In-Person: Longworth Agency Connection Center (Longworth ACC) Longworth House Office Building, B-245 (202)226-7100 |
GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. GAO's work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or as directed by public laws or committee reports. GAO's products include reports, testimonies, correspondence, and legal decisions and opinions. GAO also produces special publications to assist Congress and executive branch agencies by recommending changes for government programs and operations, identifying long-term trends, and examining the nation's fiscal health. |
|
Government Publishing Office (GPO) |
Contact Us - Member of Congress or Staff: https://ask.gpo.gov/s/contactsupport?type=congress Congressional relations: [phone number scrubbed] https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/our-agency/congressional-relations |
GPO publishes and distributes information products and services for all three branches of the federal government. They provide permanent public access to federal government information at no charge through the Federal Depository Library Program and GovInfo.gov. |
Source: Compiled by CRS from agency websites.
Notes: Congressional liaison offices in other branches of government, including the judicial branch, executive branch, and independent agencies, boards, and commissions provide information and services to congressional staff. For contact information, see https://www.crs.gov/constituent/congressional-liaison-offices.
a. The CRS website (http://www.crs.gov) is available only from congressional computers and devices. Public access to CRS reports is available through https://www.congress.gov/crs-products.
b. The GAO Watchdog website (http://watchdog.gao.gov) is available only from congressional computers and devices.
Table 5 and Table 6 serve as finding aids for selected resources covering news, scholarly, and policy research that may be related to Congress and the legislative process. Resources in these tables may contain editorial content and analysis. Inclusion of these resources does not imply endorsement of the views held by the publications listed. Please note that these tables are meant to serve as suggested starting points rather than comprehensive lists of news, scholarly, and policy resources. Congressional users seeking subject-specific resources can contact CRS for recommendations.
Congressional users may also access databases subscribed to by the Library of Congress such as ProQuest, Lexis+, Factiva, EBSCOhost, and many others, onsite in the CRS La Follette Congressional Reading Room and the public reading rooms at the Library of Congress. In addition, requests for literature searches and full text of specific articles can be submitted to CRS. Congressional users also have access to various databases through the House Library and the Senate Library.
|
Source |
Access Point |
|
Bloomberg Government (BGOV)a |
|
|
Bloomberg Law (BLAW)a |
|
|
CQa |
|
|
CQ Roll Call |
|
|
The Hill |
|
|
Inside Washington Publishersa |
|
|
National Journala |
|
|
Politico |
|
|
Politico Proa |
|
|
Punchbowl Newsa |
|
Source |
Background Information |
Statistics/ |
Research Articles/ Reports |
Access Point(s) |
|
Bureau of Economic Analysis |
+ |
+ |
— |
|
|
Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Department of Labor) |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Digital Commons Network |
+ |
— |
+ |
|
|
EDGAR |
— |
+ |
— |
|
|
FRASER and FRED |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Google Scholar |
+ |
— |
+ |
|
|
HathiTrust Digital Library |
+ |
— |
+ |
|
|
JSTORa |
+ |
— |
+ |
|
|
National Academies Press |
+ |
— |
+ |
|
|
NBER Working Papers and Publications |
— |
+ |
+ |
|
|
National Technical Reports Library |
— |
— |
+ |
|
|
OECD Data and Publications |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Open Knowledge Repository |
+ |
— |
+ |
|
|
Oxford Research Encyclopedias0 |
+ |
— |
— |
|
|
Social Science Research Network |
— |
— |
+ |
|
|
U.S. Census—Topics, Data, Library, & My Congressional District |
+ |
+ |
+ |
https://www.census.gov/topics.htmlb |
Source: Compiled by CRS from the Library of Congress catalog.
Notes: "+" indicates that this type of information is included in the source; "—" indicates that this type of information is not included in the source.
a. A subscription-based resource available in many House and Senate offices and also at the CRS La Follette Congressional Reading Room in the James Madison Building.
The Census Bureau "Topics" page (https://www.census.gov/topics.html) links to data, news, and tools arranged by various themes such as education or health. The Census's data search platform is at http://data.census.gov. The "Library" page (https://www.census.gov/library.html) collects Census information resources including publications, fact sheets, and videos. The "My Congressional District" page (https://www.census.gov/mycd/) provides selected American Community Survey statistics by congressional district.
Table 7 contains a list of locations where congressional staff can obtain training and other services on Capitol Hill.
|
Name |
Location and Contact |
Hoursa |
Services |
|
Congressional Research Service (CRS) |
|||
|
CRS |
Phone: [phone number scrubbed] |
Phones monitored: M-Th 8a-8p F 8a-6p Saturday when either chamber is in session 10a-5p Place a Request monitored: M-Fr 8a-6p |
Research and analysis related to legislative issues. Personalized briefings. Seminars on the following topics: Programs for District Offices. For training and program descriptions and current schedules, visit http://www.crs.gov/Events/Index. |
|
La Follette Congressional Reading Room |
Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-202 Phone: [phone number scrubbed] |
Phones monitored: M-Th 10a-8p and F 10a-6p Saturday when either chamber is in session 10a-5p The reading room is open to visitors M-F 10a-5p |
Database access; reference and research assistance. |
|
Longworth Agency Connection Center (Longworth ACC) |
Longworth House Office Building, B-245 Phone: [phone number scrubbed] |
M-F 10a-4p. |
Walk-in questions concerning CRS products and services. |
|
Library of Congress (non-CRS) |
|||
|
Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations Office (CRO) |
Library of Congress, Madison Building, LM-611 [phone number scrubbed] https://www.loc.gov/offices/congressional-relations-office/about-this-office/c |
M-F 8:30a-5:30p |
Point of contact to access/request Library of Congress services for Members and staff, including book loans, tours of the Library, events, and educational resources. |
|
Law Library of Congress |
Library of Congress, Madison Building: LM-242 [phone number scrubbed] https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/law-library-of-congress/for-congress/ |
While Congress is in session, M-F 8:30a-8p and Sat 8:30a-5p. Phones monitored while either chamber is in session. While Congress is on recess, M-Th 8:30a-8p, F 8:30a-6p, and Sat 8:30a-5p. |
Assists Congress with information and analysis on U.S., foreign, comparative, and international law. Training in the following topics: |
|
Library of Congress Reading Rooms |
Library of Congress, Jefferson, Madison, and Adams Buildings A list of all reading rooms and research centers can be found at https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/. |
Hours vary, but most reading rooms are open M-F 8:30a-5p. A few are open until 8:30p M-Th, and a few are open on Saturdays. Hours for each reading room is listed by location. |
Library of Congress staff are able to assist with identifying and requesting materials in general and specialized reading rooms. General and specialized orientations are also available (see https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/main/about-this-research-center/consultation-and-orientation/). |
|
House of Representatives |
|||
|
Congressional Staff Academy |
Longworth B248 [phone number scrubbed] |
M-F 8:30a-5:30p |
The Congressional Staff Academy offers training courses to help staff advance their careers. There is a wealth of courses that are personalized based on a variety of topic areas and taught in several formats to make them more accessible. Staff can take the courses in a classroom atmosphere or through webinars. |
|
House Library |
Cannon 292 [phone number scrubbed] |
M-F 9a-6p |
Offers research assistance, subject guides, database access and training. Staff lead trainings on ProQuest, Congress.gov, and digital mapping held in the House Learning Center. |
|
Senate |
|||
|
Senate Library |
Russell B15 [phone number scrubbed] |
While the Senate is in session, M-F 9a-6p (or until adjournment). During recess, M-F 9am-5p. |
Offers research assistance, database access, and training. Staff offer classes both in-person and via webinar on news sources, Congress.gov, and various subscription databases. |
Source: Compiled by CRS.
a. Appointments may be preferred. Check website information to confirm hours and schedule an appointment if needed.
b. The CRS website (http://www.crs.gov) is available only from congressional computers and devices.
c. The Library of Congress Congressional Relations Office website (https://www.loc.gov/offices/congressional-relations-office/about-this-office/) is available only from congressional computers and devices.
d. The Congressional Staff Academy website (staffacademy.house.gov) is available only from House computers and devices.
e. The House Library website (https://library.house.gov/) is available only from congressional computers and devices.
f. The Senate Library website (https://webster.senate.gov/library) is available only from Senate computers and devices.
Table A-1 provides an alphabetical listing of, and in some cases additional details about, the resources listed in Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3.
|
Resource |
Description |
|
Congress.gov |
Congress.gov is the official website for federal legislative information. It also provides access to the Congressional Record daily edition, committee materials, nominations, treaty documents, and executive communications. Congress.gov provides (1) a single search across all available information and years; (2) permanent URLs; (3) faceted search filters; (4) Member profiles; and (5) bill summaries and lists of actions for legislation. The site gives users with legislative branch devices access to CRS reports and products from bill records, the homepage, and help pages. |
|
CQ (Congressional Quarterly) |
This subscription database provides bill text, summaries, tracking, and analysis. It also includes (but is not limited to) roll-call votes, legislative histories, floor and committee schedules, detailed committee coverage, and hearing transcripts. Coverage dates vary by information category. A basic CQ.com subscription is available in all House and Senate offices. |
|
C-SPAN |
C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit company that provides public access to the political process. It includes a searchable video library of hearings, floor debate, press conferences, speeches, and other types of news programs and events. |
|
U.S. House of Representatives Document Repository |
Docs.house.gov provides access to committee documents and text of legislation being considered in committee and by the House. Documents are made available in accordance with the rules of the House of Representatives and standards adopted by the Committee on House Administration. Committee documents can be browsed by committee name or searched through a basic search interface. Legislation text can be browsed by date; there is no search functionality for legislation. See the help page for more information. |
|
eCFR (electronic Code of Federal Regulations) |
The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a regularly updated, unofficial editorial compilation of C.F.R. material and Federal Register amendments. The eCFR Point-in-Time System (https://www.ecfr.gov/reader-aids/using-ecfr) provides a way of exploring the current C.F.R. as well as past versions from January 2017-present. |
|
Executive Orders Disposition Tables Historical Index (National Archives) https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition |
The National Archives and Records Administration provides access to executive orders signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt through President Barack Obama (January 8, 1937 to January 19, 2017). Beginning January 20, 2017, executive orders and disposition tables are available only on FederalRegister.gov. |
|
FederalRegister.gov |
This site is jointly administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Government Publishing 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 decisionmaking. |
|
GovInfo |
GovInfo provides free online access to official publications from all three branches of the federal government. GovInfo is managed by the Government Publishing Office (GPO). |
|
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. Coverage dates vary by information category, although coverage for most categories begins in 1789 or at some point in the 1800s. ProQuest Congressional is available in all House and Senate offices. |
|
Reginfo.gov |
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration maintain the Reginfo.gov website, which can be used to search proposed and final rules under review at OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and to search the Unified Agenda, which lists upcoming proposed and final rules by agency. |
|
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. |
|
Senate Amendment Tracking System (ATS) |
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. |
|
U.S. Code (Office of the Law Revision Counsel) |
The Office of the Law Revision Counsel (OLRC) of the House of Representatives revises, prepares, and publishes the U.S. Code. The OLRC staff updates the online version of the Code on an ongoing basis. The currency date for each section of the Code is displayed above the text of the section. Historical versions of the Code are available on the OLRC website beginning with 1994. The OLRC publishes a complete new edition of the U.S. Code every six years (also called the "main edition" or "printed version"), with annual cumulative supplements. The current main edition of the Code was published in 2024. |
Source: Compiled by CRS, based on information gathered from the resources and organizations listed.