Research and Course Guides: Legal Research: Legislation

Congressional Documents Online

Congressional Legislation Search
Formerly "Thomas" from the Library of Congress. Now part of Congress.gov. Track legislation, view sessions live, read the Congressional Record & committee reports, etc., back to the 101st Congress, 1989-90. CR app available for download. Free resource.
HeinOnline: U.S. Statutes at Large
From 1789 to the present, full text of laws as passed by Congress & signed by the Presidents.

American State Papers, (1789-1838) This link opens in a new window
Search & browse this retrospective collection of largely Congressional, but also Executive, documents of the first fourteen U.S. Congresses. The nearly 6,300 publications are a rich source of primary material on wide-ranging aspects of early American history. CU subscription.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1994)
Reports, documents and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents & Debates
Beginning with 1774, this site brings together online the records & acts of Congress from the Continental Congress & Constitutional Convention through the 43rd Congress, including the first three volumes of the Congressional Record, 1873-75. Free resource.

HeinOnline: U.S. Federal Legislative History Library
Materials generated in the course of creating legislation, such as committee reports, analysis by legislative counsel, committee hearings, floor debates, & histories of actions taken.

United States Constitution
From the U.S. Senate, this annotated version of the Constitution provides the original text (left-hand column) with commentary about the meaning of the original text & how it has changed since 1789 (right-hand column). Free resource.
Charters of Freedom
Official versions from the National Archives of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, & the Bill of Rights. View & download images of the original documents or read transcripts. Free resource.

KF50 .U5 (1st Floor)
1937 to present

Text of laws as passed by Congress & signed by the presidents

Now included in the Congressional Publications database.

Verbatim record of debates & actions in Congress

Ref JK1 .C749 (1st Floor)
1945 to present

Overview of Congressional actions & documents year-by-year.