LibGuides: Legislative History: Committee Reports

Why are committee reports important?

After a committee holds a hearing, it will issue a report containing its recommendations and the reasoning behind those recommendations. Committee reports are highly valuable to legislative history researchers because they will include a description and an analysis of the bill as well as background, financial, and other important information.Committee reports are also less biased than committee hearings.

Print Resources

Researchers wishing to locate committee reports have various options in both print and electronic mediums. In regards to print materials, researchers can conduct a Law Library catalog search for "committee report" and the name of various committees or specific pieces of legislation. Researchers can also use the books and electronic resources described below.

United States Congressional Serial Set by United States Government Printing Office
Call Number: Microfiche Room
The United States Congressional Serial Set provides researchers with access to committee reports and Congressional documents.
United States Code Congressional and Administrative News by Thomson West
Call Number: Law Library, 1st Floor
USCCAN reprints the highlights of committee reports that its editors have deemed most important in ascertaining the legislative intent. It is updated month with supplements. Researchers will need to know the public law number to locate the information they are seeking.

Electronic Resources

Govinfo.gov
(Free): Govinfo.gov grants researchers access to PDF and text versions of committee reports (both House and Senate) from the 104th (1995-96) Congress to present. The site is not updated regulated. However, new documents are added as they become available.
Congress.gov
(Free): Thomas.gov allows access to committee reports spanning from the 104th (1995-95) Congress to present. Researchers can search for committee reports by Congressional session, words and phrases, or by report number.
HeinOnline
(Subscription Access only):Using HeinOnline's U.S. Federal Legislative History Library, researchers can gain access to Congressional committee reports on many pieces of major legislation.
Lexis+
(Subscription Access only): Lexis Advance allows researchers to search for committee reports. To locate committee reports on Lexis Advance, type committee reports into the search box. Select the correct option from the drop down menu and then conduct your keyword search.
Westlaw Edge
(Subscription Access only): To access committee reports on Westlaw, select Legislative History from the main All Content box. Then select Committee Reports under the Type menu at the bottom of the page.

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Why are committee reports important?

Print Resources

Electronic Resources