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FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Part 1

FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Part 1. Margaret Clark, Reference Librarian FSU Law Research Center Fall 2008. Federal Legislative History - 1. What is legislative history? Why compile a legislative history? Documents that make up leg history

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FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Part 1

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  1. FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Part 1 Margaret Clark, Reference Librarian FSU Law Research Center Fall 2008

  2. Federal Legislative History - 1 • What is legislative history? • Why compile a legislative history? • Documents that make up leg history • What tools can I use to search for a compiled legislative history? • HeinOnline • Westlaw • LexisNexis • USCCAN (U.S. Code and Congressional

  3. What is legislative history? A collection of related documents produced by Congress during the enactment, or rejection, of a proposed public law.

  4. Why compile legislative history? • To clarify questions about a statute if there are no cases interpreting it. • To understand the meaning of specific language or terminology • To determine legislative intent at the time statute was enacted

  5. Legislative History Documents • Bills 106 H.R. 275 110 S. 30 Many versions: engrossed enrolled • Committee hearings Hearing on H.R. 5388 before the Comm. on the Judiciary, 109th Cong. 51-76 (2006) • Committee reports H.Rpt.106-55 • Committee prints H.R. Doc No.43 (Title) • Committee documents H. Doc. 105-22 • Floor debates 132 Cong. Rec. 32408; CR H2675 • Conference report H. R. Conf. Rep. 105-37 • Slip law/session law Pub. L. 106-386

  6. Not all legislative documents are created equal! • Statute text • Conference report’s joint explanatory statement • Committee reports • Remarks, debates • Bill text in various versions • Witness statements in committee hearings • Prints, reports, signing statements, news articles Excerpted from Richard McKinney’s Federal Legislative History Research, http://www.llsdc.org/sourcebook/docs/fed-leg-hist.pdf, last updated May 2006

  7. Hearings Public Law U.S. Code Bill Reports Debates Popular Name U.S.Code Citation

  8. VICTIMS of TRAFFICKING and VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT OF 2000 • STEP 1: Identify public law number • STEP 2: Identify bill number • STEP 3: Check for compiled legislative history • STEP 4: Find legislative history documents • STEP 5: Read and analyze documents

  9. Step 1: Identify public law number VICTIMS of TRAFFICKING and VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT OF 2000 • Use Popular Name table from any of these sources: • Cornell Popular Name Table web site (free) • USCA / USCS Popular Name Table 22 USC § 7102 • Use history notes at the end of the USC section

  10. STEP 1: Identify public law number Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000

  11. USCA-POP Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000

  12. STEP 1: Identify public law number 22 USC § 7102

  13. STEP 2: Identify bill number Pub.L. 106-386

  14. Step 3: Check for compiled history • HeinOnline • Westlaw Arnold and Porter Collection • Lexis Legislative Histories • USCCAN – U.S. Code Congressional & Administrative News

  15. Hein Online http://www.law.fsu.edu/library “Find It Quickly”

  16. HeinOnlineSources of Compiled Legislation

  17. Hein Online

  18. Hein Online

  19. HeinOnlineSources of Compiled Legislation

  20. HeinOnlineU.S. Federal Legislative History Title Collection

  21. USCCANU.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News • Two sections • Laws - Public laws in chronological order • Legislative History • List of legislative history documents • Reprints selected documents, e.g. committee reports • Helpful tables offer checklist • Print begins with 1941 • Westlaw begins with 1973

  22. Questions?

  23. Civil Rights Act of 1957 • Step 1 : Identify public law number. Where? • Popular Name Table (Internet – Cornell’s Popular Name Table) • Answer is: P.L. 85-315 • Step 2: Identify its bill number. Skip for the moment • Step 3:Check for Compiled Sources. Where? • HeinOnline - Bill number? • Answer is: 85 H.R. 6127 • What source points to actual documents? • Answer is: Book called “Civil Rights,” edited by B. Schwartz, 1970

  24. Thank you! Coming up on Thursday… FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY – part 2 Lexis’ CIS Legislative History database Westlaw’s Graphical Statutes Thomas GPO Access

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