What is a law's legislative history?
A legislative history consists of the documents generated during the legislative process. These documents are a record of legislative intent and the people involved. Legislative intent - the rationale and purpose for the legislative body to enact the law - is important for both judicial and administrative interpretation of the law. Histories include information about all congressional action in both chambers related to a bill and the vote and passage of the bill into law, and related information, such as Presidential statements.
Items Commonly Included in a Legislative History
Introduction:
- Bill number
- Congress session
- Introduced by
- Date introduced
- Committee referred to
- Committee hearings
- Committee prints
- Date reported
- Report number
- Debate on pages of Congressional Record volume
- Date of passage
In other chamber:
- Committee referred to
- Committee hearings
- Committee prints
- Date reported
- Report number
- Debate on pages of Congressional Record volume
- Date of passage
- Conference report number (if any)
Vote and passage:
- Vote in Congressional Record
- Presidential statements
- Date approved
- Title of law
- Public Law number
- Location in U.S. Statutes at Large
- Location in U.S. Code
- Related congressional publications (from CRS, CBO, or GAO, for example)
- Related Executive Branch publications
- Sources of background information