Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Finding Federal Legislative History (1789-present) Online

Find selected federal legislative history (1789-present) online with LexisNexis Congressional . See the left frame under “Congressional Search Forms” and review the following search options:

  • Congressional Publications (For detailed content information, click Basic Search > congressional materials and legislative histories > What Publications are Contained in Each Results List Document Type?)
  • Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws
  • Members & Committees
  • Regulations
  • Daily Congressional Record & Rules
  • Political News/Hot Topics

Practice Assignment:
Retrieve legislative history for American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 including congressional publications, House/Senate bills and committee reports, and floor debates. Also check the news for all updates to this Act since 1999.

Assignment Search and Retrieval Options:
1. Congressional Publications (Basic Search, Advanced Search, or Search by Number):Click Advanced Search link. Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.

Under “Search within,” select:

Committee Prints & Misc. Publications (1830-present)
CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports (1916-present)
Hearings (1824-present)
House & Senate Documents (1817-present)
House & Senate Reports (1819-present)
Legislative Histories (1969-present)
Serial Set (1789-1969)

Under “Restrict by,” select Congress 106(1999-2000).
Click red SEARCH button and review retrieval abstracts.
Click each abstract and review document.
Scroll to and click live links and/or Replica of Original link for full text.

2. Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws (Keyword Search or Get a Document):
Click Keyword Search link.
Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.
Under “Restrict by,” select Congress 106(1999-2000).

Run separate searches for:
Legislative Histories
Bill Tracking
Bills (Full Text)
Floor Votes
Click red SEARCH button and review retrievals for each search.
Click each abstract and review document.
Scroll to and click live links and/or Replica of Original link for full text.

3. Daily Congressional Record & Rules (Keyword Search or Get a Document):
Click Keyword Search link.
Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.
Under “Restrict by,” select Congress 106(1999-2000).
Click red SEARCH button and review retrieval abstracts.
Click each abstract for full text.

4. Political News/Hot Topics:
Click Political News link.
Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.
Under “In,” select Full Text.
Under “Search within,” select The Hill, Roll Call, and The Washington Post.
In “Restrict by date,” select Previous 10 years.
Click red SEARCH button and review full text.

Researchers can also access LexisNexis Congressional from the
Databases / Indexes link on the Westminster Law Library

For researchers who prefer to use microfiche, check back next week for a blog entry on FINDING FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY ON MICROFICHE.