Research Guides: Public Policy Research & Analysis: Find Primary Sources

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Source: Mike Wirth & Dr. Suzanne Cooper Guasco, How Our Laws Are Made, https://www.mikewirthart.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/howlawsmadeWIRTH2.jpg.

Tracking State Legislation

Because of the large number of results you get from keyword searching these sources, it is sometimes easier to find a bill number from another source (e.g., newspaper, article, report) and then search these databases for tracking information.

Also, if focusing on one state, check their legislative home page for any available tracking services.

How to Find Legislative Information

How Our Laws Are Made
Narrative on how laws are introduced and work their way through the process to become law.

Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new window
Proquest Congressional is a great index to all congressional documents (hearings, Congressional Record, documents, committee prints and reports. The database actually links to full-text from 1769 - 2004, with indexing of all and selected full text to current.
Full-text is available through 2010, later for some titles. Full-Text Hearings 1824-2010; (CRS) Reports 1916-present, committee prints from 1830-current; Serials Set documents from 1789; the Congressional Record (1969-1994 in print); and Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations, 1789-2017.
Language: English

Congress.gov
Library of Congress Web site; provides access to congressional bills, bill tracking and text, conference reports and the Congressional Record from 1989.