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Legislative Histories - Step-by-Step

About Legislative Histories Begin Step-by-Step Research

Step 1

Do you already know the number of the Public Law you are researching, i.e., P.L. 79-396? 

    Yes - Proceed to step 2

    No - To determine the number of the Public Law, use one of the following:

TIP #4:  Pick a law with documentation that is not overwhelming, but that also has enough substance.  Obviously this tip doesn't apply if you actually need to research the history of a specific law.  But if you are trying to pick a law to research for a class assignment about legislative histories, you can search the Legislative Histories file at LexisNexis Congressional by keyword. 

To keep the research assignment manageable, generally avoid selecting anything that is part of an omnibus or appropriations law because it will usually be much more difficult to wade through the various issues. 

To improve the likelihood that sufficient documentation exists for discussing the pros and cons of the law, select a law with at least one committee report and at least one committee hearing.

After you've picked a Public Law, refrain from exploring the various LexisNexis files until after you've completed steps 2 through 3.
 
TIP #4a:  Consider reviewing topics in specialized encyclopedias to identify specific pieces of legislation.  For example,
TIP #5:  Complete your preliminary research early in the semester.  As a bare minimum, complete steps 1 through 3 and verify whether or not the law you've selected to research meets your instructor's guidelines.  Some students switch laws several times before determining that the documentation for the selected law is sufficient to answer all the assignment questions but not too overwhelming.

Proceed to step 2

Prepared by:  Rich Gause, Government Documents Librarian

Last update:07/28/08 01:17:16 PM

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