Congress  Tags: congress legislative-history primary-sources  

Since 1789 the manner in which Congress has operated and documented its activities has evolved a great deal. Congressional publications provide primary source materials for almost every subject. Time period and the type of publications will determine the format - paper, fiche, electronic.

Tip: Good starting point for well-documented full text overviews of current issues, including pros/cons, bibliographies, and chronologies is CQ Researcher (UMass Community, 1991-present).

Organization of the Guide

Top tabs link to pages arranged by type of publication.

If you have the following information, click on the link below for search instructions:

• Public Law Number (e.g. P.L. 109-44, Public Law 109-44)
  
• Stat Number (e.g. 112 Stat. 1918)
• Name of an Act (e.g. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act)
• Topic (e.g. net neutrality)