Government Information
A Guide to Government Information Sources
Bills
A bill is a proposed law, or a proposed amendment to a law. Bills are introduced in Congress and go through a process by which they are studied, changed, and voted on. Not all bills are enacted as law. Some are voted against, and some do not finish the process before the legislative session ends (these bills are said to have "died").
It can be useful to look at a law's history to provide context to its creation and the intention of the legislators. Other documents surrounding the bill process (reports, debates, etc.) can enhance research. The legislative process is explained here.
Current and past bills can be found at legislatures' respective web pages.
- LegiScanLegiScan allows researchers to view and track the status of bills of U.S. Congress and the 50 states.
- GovTrackGovTrack is another service that provides the ability to find and track bills in the U.S. Congress. Bills can be searched by number, by sponsor, or by policy area.
- CQ Congress CollectionCQ Congress Collection has information on Congress members, how they vote, and how they are rated by interest groups.
- ProQuest Legislative and Executive Publications This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Here you can search bills of the U.S. Congress (whether or not they were enacted) and access other publications related to the bill (e.g. Congressional records, committee reports, etc.).
