Research Guides

Congress

Provides guidance for researching Congress or finding Congressional documents like bills. laws, legislation, serial set, debate, Congressional Record, CRS reports, primary source documents, hearings, prints, reports and policy.

Best Bets for Researching Congress and Legislation

Types of Congressional Publications

Congressional Hearings

used to gather information, explore the need for legislation, or for oversight 

Bills and Amendments

Legislation introduced by a member of Congress

Bill Markup Reports

Reports that document the changes made to a bill while in committee

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

The CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis.  CRS reports provide good summaries of policy or background information on a matter of interest to Congress.

Committee Prints

Publications used by committees during the consideration of a bill.  Often written by the Congressional Research Service

House and Senate Committee Reports

Reports of congressional committees concerning proposed legislation and/or contain findings on matters under investigation

House and Senate Documents

Documents can include reports of executive departments and agencies, as well as committee prints, that were ordered to be printed as documents. Senate Treaty Documents contain the text of a treaty as it is submitted to the U. S. Senate for ratification by the President of the United States.

Laws

Bills that passed both chambers of Congress and were signed by the President

Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025 2:03 PM
Tags: clarklibrary