Legislative Histories of U.S. Laws on the Internet: Commercial Sources

Part of LLSDC's Legislative Source Book


By Popular Name Order | By Public Law Number Order | Other Specialized Collections | Explanatory Notes
See also Legislative Histories of Selected U.S. Laws on the Internet: Free Sources and Federal Legislative History Research: A Practitioner's Guide


Major Commercial Legislative History Collections

Generally for these subscriptions a user name and password is needed for access.

HeinOnline Taxation and Economic Reform Library Pts 1&2 (scores of histories - see links below)
HeinOnline U.S. Federal Leg. History Library (hundreds listed by publication title, PL # & popular name)
- - HeinOnline - Sources of Compiled Legislative Histories Database (list/links to journal articles & histories)
Lexis Adv. - Cong. Docs & Reports 1777-present [Congress(108) and "H.Rp.21";  after 2004 "H.Rp.109-67"]
Lexis Advance - Congressional Hearings (1824-present) [most all hearings except recent ones)]
Lexis Advance - US - CIS/Index (list/links to related docs of U.S. laws from 1970/1989; as in P.L. 101-73)
Lexis - Legislative History Materials (various files & 15 specific histories not on Lexis Adv. - see links below)
LLSDC's Union List of Legislative Histories (1790-2002; must be an LLSDC member to access)
Proquest Congressional (CIS Legis. Histories from 1970 with links to selected docs from 1985)
Proquest Legislative Insight (thousands of compiled legis. histories - Pt. A 1929-2012 & Pt. B 1789-1960)
Westlaw resources for Legislative History Research (laws, docs, histories via 2003 lawmaking process wheel)
Westlaw Arnold & Porter Legislative Histories (32 specific histories - see links below)
Westlaw USCCAN Legislative Reports (selected committee reports from 1933; all reports from 1990)
Westlaw U.S. GAO Legislative Histories (thousands of GAO complied histories, 1924-1995)

By Popular Name Order

As noted, below are direct links to specific legislative histories on LexisNexis (Lexis), on the Westlaw (West) Arnold & Porter Collection & on the HeinOnline (Hein) Taxation & Economic Reform Library.

PL 110-343 – Alternative minimum tax relief (Title I) (Hein)
PL 111-005 – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - 2d item (Hein)
PL 101-336 – Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - Disability Law (West)
PL 105-033 – Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 099-177 – Balanced Budget & Emergency Defict Control Act of 1985 (Hein)
PL 100-119 – Balanced Budget & Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987 (Hein)
PL 084-511 – Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (Hein)
PL 089-485 – Bank Holding Company Act amendments, 1966 (Hein)
PL 090-225 – Bank Holding Company Act amendments, 1967 (Hein)
PL 091-607 – Bank Holding Company Act Amendments of 1970 (Hein)
PL 086-463 – Bank Merger Act, 1960 (Hein)
PL 089-356 – Bank Merger amendments, 1966 (Hein)
PL 000-000 – Bank of United States - Acts of 1780, 1791, 1815 (Hein)
PL 073-066 – Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act) (Hein)
PL 074-305 – Banking Act of 1935 (Hein)
PL 098-353 – Bankruptcy Amdts & Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 (West) (Lexis)
PL 099-554 – Bankruptcy Judges, U.S. Trustees & Family ... of 86 (West) (Lexis)
PL 095-598 – Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 (West) (Lex)
PL 103-394 – Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 (West)
PL 096-589 – Bankruptcy Tax Act of 1980 (Lexis)
PL 081-142 – Bretton Woods Agreement Act Amdts, 1949; Leg Hist of (Hein)
PL 112-025 – Budget Control Act of 2011 (Hein)
PL 095-630 – Change in Bank Control Act, 1978 (Title VI) (Hein)
PL 109-002 – Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (West)
PL 063-212 – Clayton Antitrust Act, 1914 (Hein)
PL 091-604 – Clean Air Amendments of 1970 (Lexis)
PL 095-095 – Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 (West) (Lexis)
PL 101-549 – Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (West) (Lexis)
PL 096-510 – Comprehensive Environmental Response .. CERCLA (West) (Lexis)
PL 093-374 – Congressional Budget & Impoundment Act of 1974 (Hein 1 - Index, Hein 2)
PL 094-553 – Copyright Act – 1976 Revision (West)
PL 095-630 – Depository Institutions Management Interlocks Act, 1978 (Title II) (Hein)
PL 111-203 – Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, 2010 (Hein)
PL 108-010 – Do Not Call Implementation Act, 2003 (West)
PL 081-047 – Economic Cooperation Act amdts, 1949 (Hein)
PL 107-016 – Economic Growth & Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) (Hein)
PL 088-452 – Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (Hein)
PL 089-794 – Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1966 (Hein)
PL 090-222 – Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967 (Hein)
PL 092-424 – Economic Opportunity Act Amendments of 1972 (Hein)
PL 097-034 – Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (Hein)
PL 092-210 – Economic Stabilization Act Amendments of 1971 (Hein)
PL 095-630 – Electronic Fund Transfer Act, 1978 (Title XX) (Hein)
PL 110-343 – Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Div. A (Hein)
PL 091-351 – Emergency Home Financing Act of 1970 (Hein)
PL 093-406 – Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 1974 - ERISA (West) (Hein)
PL 079-304 – Employment Act of 1946 (Hein)
PL 064-377 – Excess Profits Tax Act, 1917 & amdts to 1946 (Hein)
PL 089-044 – Excise Tax Reduction Act of 1965 (Hein)
PL 108-159 – Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (Hein) (West)
PL 099-562 – False Claims Amendments Act of 1986 (West)
PL 103-003 – Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (West)
PL 081-797 – Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 1950 (had been pt of Fed Res Act) (Hein)
PL 102-242 – Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Improvement Act of 1991 (Hein)
PL 095-630 – Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 (Title X) (Hein)
PL 093-224 – Federal Financing Bank Act of 1973, Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 065-218 – Federal Reserve Act, 1918 amdt (Hein)
PL 086-114 – Federal Reserve Act, 1959 amdt - Banking legis. Pt. 1 (Hein & Pt. 2)
PL 087-588 – Federal Reserve Act, 1962 amdt - natl bank branches in foreign countries (Hein)
PL 095-188 – Federal Reserve Reform Act of 1977; Bank Holding Co amdts (Hein)
PL 089-719 – Federal Tax Lien Act of 1966 (Hein)
PL 092-500 – Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amdt, 1972 (West) (Lex)
PL 101-073 – Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery & Enf. Act of 1989 (FIRREA) (West)  (Hein)
PL 095-630 – Financial Institutions Regulatory & Interest Rate Control Act of 1978 (21 titles) (Hein)
PL 089-695 – Financial Institutions Supervisory Act of 1966, Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 111-147 – Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, 2011 (Hein)
PL 097-320 – Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 (Hein)
PL 099-571 – Government Securities Act of 1986 (West) (Hein)
PL 103-202 – Government Securities Reform Act of 1993 (West)
PL 106-102 – Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 1999; Leg. Hist of the (Hein)
PL 098-616 – Hazardous & Solid Waste Amdts of 1984 (Lexis)
PL 094-200 – Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 (Title III) (Hein)
PL 107-296 – Homeland Security Act of 2002 (West)
PL 110-289 – Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Hein)
PL 108-275 – Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, 2004 (2d Item) (Hein)
PL 100-704 – Insider Trading and Securities Enforcement Act of 1988 (West) (Hein)
PL 098-376 – Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984 (Hein)
PL 088-563 – Interest Equalization Tax Act, 1964 (Hein)
PL 089-243 – Interest Equalization Tax Extension Act of 1965 (Hein)
PL 090-059 – Interest Equalization Tax Extension Act of 1967 (Hein)
PL 083-591 – Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 68A Stat. 3 (Hein - Summary)
PL 105-206 – Internal Revenue Service Restructuring & Reform Act of 1998 (Hein) (Hein2)
PL 105-227 – Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998, Title IX of Omnibus ...Aprop. Act of 1999 (Hein)
PL 076-768 – Investment Company Act of 1940; Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (Hein)
PL 091-547 – Investment Company Amdts Act of 1970; Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 101-432 – Market Reform Act of 1990, Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 069-639 – McFadden Act, 1927 - Banking Acts 1913-1956 (Hein)
PL 108-173 – Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement & Modernization Act (West)
PL 096-364 – Multiemployer Pension Act of 1980 (West)
PL 086-251 – National bank amdts, 1959 - Banking legislation, Pt. 2 (Hein)
PL 091-156 – National banks - state tax liability, 1969 (Hein)
PL 091-190 – National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Lexis)
PL 103-182 – North American Free Trade Agreement Impl. Act (NAFTA) (West)
PL 099-509 – Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (Hein)
PL 101-508 – Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Hein)
PL 109-280 – Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Hein)
PL 104-067 – Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Hein)
PL 094-580 – Resource Conservation & Recovery Act of 1976 (Lexis)
PL 087-834 – Revenue Act of 1962 (Hein)
PL 088-272 – Revenue Act of 1964 (Hein)
PL 092-178 – Revenue Act of 1971 (Hein)
PL 095-600 – Revenue Act of 1978 (Hein)
PL 103-066 – Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Title VIII of OBRA) (Hein)
PL 103-325 – Riegle Community Development & Reg. Improv. Act of 1994 (West)
PL 103-328 – Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking & Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 (West) (Hein)
PL 105-024 – Riegle-Neal Amendments Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 095-630 – Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (Title XI) (Hein)
PL 107-204 – Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (West) - Corp. Fraud Responsibility (Hein)
PL 086-374 – Savings & Loan reg amdts, 1959 - Banking legislation, Pt. 3 (Hein)
PL 076-801 – Second Revenue Act of 1940 (Hein)
PL 073-022 – Securities Act of 1933 - Leg. Hist. of  (Hein)
PL 083-577 – Securities Acts Amdts, 1954 (Hein)
PL 088-467 – Securities Act Amdts of 1964 - more investor protections (Hein)
PL 091-565 – Securities Act Amdts - 1970 - increase exemption to $500,000 (Hein)
PL 091-567 – Securities Act Amdts - 1970 - investor protection in corp. takeovers (Hein)
PL 073-291 – Securities Exchange Act of 1934 - Leg. Hist. of  (Hein) No | (Hein2)
PL 097-303 – Securities and Exchange Commission - jurisdiction clarification, 1982 (Hein)
PL 101-429 – Securities Enforcement Remedies & Penny Stock Reform Act of 1990 (Hein)
PL 074-621 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts of 1936 (Hein)
PL 075-719 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts of 1938 (Hein)
PL 087-196 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts, 1961 (Hein)
PL 090-437 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts of 1968 (Hein)
PL 103-068 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts, 1993 - Managed Account Restrictions (Hein)
PL 100-181 – Securities & Exchange Auth. Act of 1987 (Hein)
PL 091-598 – Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 (Hein)
PL 105-353 – Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act of 1998 (Hein)
PL 108-237 – Standards Development Org. Advancement Act of 2004 (West)
PL 099-499 – Superfund Amdts & Reauthorization Act of 1986 (West) (Lexis)
PL 089-368 – Tax Adjustment Act of 1966 (Hein)
PL 105-035 – Tax Browsing Protection Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 097-248 – Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (Hein)
PL 110-166 – Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2007 (Hein)
PL 096-613 – Tax laws, miscellaneous changes (Hein)
PL 105-034 – Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 094-012 – Tax Reduction Act of 1975 (Hein)
PL 111-312 – Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthor. & Job Creation Act of 2010 (Hein)
PL 091-172 – Tax Reform Act of 1969 (Hein)
PL 094-455 – Tax Reform Act of 1976 (Hein)
PL 098-369 – Tax Reform Act of 1984 (Hein)
PL 099-509 – Tax Reform Act of 1986 (West) (Hein)
PL 100-647 – Technical & Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988 (Hein)
PL 104-104 – Telecommunication Competition & Deregulation Act of 1996 (West)
PL 080-773 – Title 28 USC - Judiciary codification, 1948 (West - end of T. 28 ToC)
PL 094-469 – Toxic Substances Control Act, 1976 (Lexis)
PL 107-056 – USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (West)


By Public Law Number Order

As noted, below are direct links to specific legislative histories on LexisNexis (Lexis), on the Westlaw (West) Arnold & Porter Collection & on the HeinOnline (Hein) Taxation & Economic Reform Library.

Ch 001-010 – Bank of United States - Acts of 1781, 1791, 1816 (Hein)
PL 063-212 – Clayton Antitrust Act, 1914 (Hein)
PL 064-377 – Excess Profits Tax Act, Seidman's Leg. Hist. 1917-1946 (Hein)
PL 065-218 – Federal Reserve Act, 1918 amendment (Hein)
PL 069-639 – McFadden Act, 1927- Banking Acts 1913-1956 (Hein
PL 073-022 – Securities Act of 1933, Leg. Hist. of (Hein)
PL 073-066 – Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act) (Hein)
PL 073-291 – Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (Hein
PL 074-621 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts of 1936 (Hein)
PL 075-719 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts of 1938 (Hein)
PL 076-768 – Investment Company Act of 1940; Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (Hein)
PL 076-801 – Second Revenue Act of 1940 (Hein)
PL 079-304 – Employment Act of 1946 (Hein)
PL 081-047 – Economic Cooperation Act amdts, 1949 (Hein)
PL 081-142 – Bretton Woods Agreement Act Amdts, 1949; Leg Hist of (Hein)
PL 081-797 – Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 1950 (had been pt of Fed Res Act) (Hein)
PL 083-577 – Securities Acts Amdts, 1954 (Hein)
PL 083-591 – Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 68A Stat 3 (Hein)
PL 084-511 – Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (Hein)
PL 086-114 – Federal Reserve Act amdt, 1959 - Banking legislation Pt. 1 (Hein)
PL 086-251 – National bank amdts, 1959 - Banking legislation, Pt. 2 (Hein)
PL 086-374 – Savings & Loan reg amdts, 1959 - Banking legislation, Pt. 3 (Hein)
PL 086-463 – Bank Merger Act (Hein)
PL 087-196 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts, 1961 (Hein)
PL 087-588 – Federal Reserve Act, 1962 amdt - natl bank branches in foreign countries (Hein)
PL 087-834 – Revenue Act of 1962 (Hein)
PL 088-272 – Revenue Act of 1964 (Hein)
PL 088-452 – Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (Hein)
PL 088-467 – Securities Act Amdts of 1964 - more investor protections (Hein)
PL 088-563 – Interest Equalization Tax Act, 1964 (Hein)
PL 089-044 – Excise Tax Reduction Act of 1965 (Hein)
PL 089-243 – Interest Equalization Tax Extension Act of 1965 (Hein)
PL 089-356 – Bank merger amendments, 1966 (Hein)
PL 089-368 – Tax Adjustment Act of 1966 (Hein)
PL 089-485 – Bank Holding Company Act amendments, 1966 (Hein
PL 089-695 – Financial Institutions Supervisory Act of 1966, Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 089-719 – Federal Tax Lien Act of 1966 (Hein)
PL 089-794 – Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1966 (Hein)
PL 090-222 – Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967 (Hein)
PL 090-059 – Interest Equalization Tax Extension Act of 1967 (Hein)
PL 090-225 – Bank Holding Company Act amendments of 1967 (Hein)
PL 090-437 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts of 1968 (margin req.) (Hein)
PL 091-156 – National banks - state tax liability (Hein)
PL 091-172 – Tax Reform Act of 1969 (Hein
PL 091-190 – National Enviornmental Policy Act of 1969 (Lexis)
PL 091-351 – Emergency Home Financing Act of 1970 (Hein
PL 091-547 – Investment Company Amdts Act of 1970; Leg. Hist. of the (Hein
PL 091-565 – Securities Act Amdts - 1970 - increase exemption to $500,000 (Hein)
PL 091-567 – Securities Act Amdts - 1970 -investor protection in corp. takeovers(Hein)
PL 091-598 – Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 (Hein
PL 091-604 – Clean Air Amendments of 1970 (Lexis)
PL 091-607 – Bank Holding Company Act Amdts of 1970 (Hein
PL 092-178 – Revenue Act of 1971 (Hein
PL 092-210 – Economic Stabilization Act Amendments of 1971 (Hein
PL 092-424 – Economic Opportunity Act Amendments of 1972 (Hein (Hein
PL 092-500 – Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amdt, 1972, (West) (Lexis)
PL 093-224 – Federal Financing Bank Act of 1973, Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 093-406 – Employees Retirement Income Security Act - ERISA (West) (Hein)
PL 093-374 – Congressional Budget & Impoundment Act of 1974 (Hein 1 - Index, Hein 2)
PL 093-406 – Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (Hein)
PL 094-012 – Tax Reduction Act of 1975 (Hein
PL 094-200 – Title III - Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 (Hein)
PL 094-455 – Tax Reform Act of 1976 (Hein)
PL 094-469 – Toxic Substances Control Act, 1976 (Lexis)
PL 094-553 – Copyright Act – 1976 Revision (West)
PL 095-095 – Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 (West) (Lexis)
PL 095-188 – Federal Reserve Reform Act of 1977; Bank Holding Co amdts (Hein)
PL 095-598 – Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 (West) (Lexis)
PL 095-600 – Revenue Act of 1978 (Hein
PL 095-630 – Financial Institutions Regu. & Interest Rate Control Act of 1978 (21 titles) (Hein
PL 096-364 – Multiemployer Pension Act of 1980 (West)
PL 096-510 – Comprehensive Envirormental Response .. CERCLA (West) (Lexis)
PL 096-589 – Bankruptcy Tax Act of 1980 (Lexis)
PL 097-034 – Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (Hein)
PL 097-035 – Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Hein)
PL 097-248 – Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (Hein)
PL 097-303 – Securities and Exchange Commission - jurisdiction clarification, 1982 (Hein)
PL 097-320 – Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 (Hein)
PL 098-353 – Bankruptcy Amdts & Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 (West) (Lexis)
PL 098-369 – Tax Reform Act of 1984 (Hein)
PL 098-376 – Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984 (Hein)
PL 098-616 – Hazardous & Solid Waste Amdts of 1984 (Lex)
PL 099-177 – Balanced Budget & Emergency Defict Control Act of 1985 (Hein)
PL 099-272 – Consolidated Omibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (Hein
PL 099-499 – Superfund Amdts & Reauthorization Act of 1986 (West) (Lexis)
PL 099-509 – Tax Reform Act of 1986 (West) (Hein (Hein)
PL 099-554 – Bankruptcy Judges, U.S. Trustees & Family ... of 86 (West) (Lexis)
PL 099-562 – False Claims Amendments Act of 1986 (West)
PL 099-571 – Government Securities Act of 1986 (West) (Hein)
PL 100-004 – Water Quality Act of 1987 (Lexis)
PL 100-119 – Balanced Budget & Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation Act of 1987 (Hein)
PL 100-181 – Securities & Exchange Auth. Act of 1987 (Hein)
PL 100-647 – Technical & Miscellaneous Revenue Act of 1988 (Hein)
PL 100-704 – Insider Trading and Securities Enforcement Act of 1988 (West) (Hein)
PL 101-073 – Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery & Enf. Act of 1989 - FIRREA (West) (Hein)
PL 101-336 – Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (West)
PL 101-429 – Securities Enforcement Remedies & Penny Stock Reform Act of 1990 (Hein)
PL 101-432 – Market Reform Act of 1990, Leg. Hist. of the (Hein)
PL 101-508 – Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Hein)
PL 101-549 – Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (West) (Lexis)
PL 102-242 – Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Improvement Act of 1991 (Hein)
PL 103-066 – Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Title VIII of OBRA) (Hein)
PL 103-068 – Securities Exchange Act Amdts, 1993 - Managed Account Restrictions (Hein)
PL 103-182 – North American Free Trade Agreement Imp. Act (NAFTA) (West)
PL 103-202 – Government Securities Reform Act of 1993 (West)
PL 103-325 – Riegle Community Development & Reg. Improv. Act of 94 (West)
PL 103-328 – Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking & Branching Eff. Act of 94 (West) (Hein
PL 103-394 – Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 (West)
PL 104-067 – Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Hein)
PL 104-104 – Telecommunication Competition & Deregulation Act of 1996 (West)
PL 105-024 – Riegle-Neal Amendments Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 105-033 – Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 105-034 – Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 105-035 – Tax Browsing Protection Act of 1997 (Hein)
PL 105-206 – Internal Revenue Service Restructuring & Reform Act of 1998 (Hein) (Hein2)
PL 105-227 – Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998, Title IX of Omnibus ...Aprop. Act of 1999 (Hein)
PL 105-353 – Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act of 1998 (Hein (Hein2)
PL 106-102 – Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 1999; Leg. Hist of the (Hein)
PL 107-016 – Economic Growth & Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) (Hein)
PL 107-204 – Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (West)- Corp. Fraud Responsibility (Hein)
PL 107-296 – Homeland Security Act of 2002 (West)
PL 108-159 – Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (Hein) (West)
PL 108-173 – Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement & Modernization Act (West)
PL 108-237 – Standards Development Org. Advancement Act of 2004 (West)  
PL 109-002 – Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (West
PL 109-280 – Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Hein
PL 110-166 – Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2007 (Hein)
PL 110-289 – Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Hein)
PL 110-343 – Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Div. A (Hein)
PL 110-343 – Alternative minimum tax relief (Title I) (Hein)
PL 111-005 – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - 2d item (Hein)
PL 111-147 – Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, 2010 (Hein)
PL 111-203 – Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, 2010 (Hein)
PL 111-312 – Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthor. & Job Creation Act of 2010 (Hein)
PL 112-025 – Budget Control Act of 2011 (Hein)
 


Other Specialized Collections of Commercial Legislative Histories


Appropriations Legislative Histories: 1992 to Current (Lexis)
Banking Acts, 1913-1956 (law & repts - 1913, 1927, 1933, 1935, 1956) (Hein)
Barton's Federal Tax Laws, 1913-1954 (text of IRC over time) (Hein)
Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act & Amdts, PL 75-717 et. seq. (Hein)
Federal Immigration - Leg. Hist. (selected committee reports from 1948 - West)
Federal Immigrartion - Cong. Record (selected excerpts from 1985 - West)
Federal Legislation to End Strikes: A Documentary History - 1967 cmte print GPO (Hein)
Federal Taxation - Leg. Hist (selected committee reports from 1948 - West)
Federal Taxation - Cong. Record (selected excerpts from 1985 - West)
Federal Taxation - Joint Cmte on Taxation repts & bluebooks from 1976 - West)
Immigration and Nationality Acts - 1950-78, 1977-86 (Hein1, Hein2)
Internal Revenue Acts of the U.S., 1909-1950 (laws, bills, hrgs, repts, regs) (Hein/Fox)
Internal Revenue Acts of the U.S., 1909-1950 (laws, bills, hrgs, repts, regs) (Index) (Hein2)
Internal Revenue Acts, 1950-1951 by B. Reams (laws, bills, repts, hrgs, regs) (Hein)
Seidman's Tax Legislative Histories - 1917-1946 (Hein)

Explanatory Notes


Federal legislative histories are generally considered compilations of documents related to a specific U.S. public law that precede the law's enactment and that is how the phrase is used here.   The chronology of the bill's (or bills') development is normally set out as well, including related legislation in previous Congresses. Legislative histories assist Federal agencies and the courts to interpret the Congressional intent of various Federal laws or a law's provisions especially if the text is somewhat ambiguous. The above listings are to individual laws in both alphabetical and public law number order. The term "legislative history" is also, at times, given to related Congressional documents of both the original act and its subsequent amendments or to special collections of related documents on a particular topic like tax law or environmental law. These special collections are listed at the conclusion of the above lists. Finally, the term "legislative history" is sometimes given to mere descriptions of the historical development and content of the original law and its amendments. However, the above lists and links include only histories with compiled Congressional documents related to a law and do not include those that only describe the history of a law.

The legislative histories on HeinOnline come from a variety of sources including those previously published in paper by the William S. Hein Company, Inc. and by the U.S. Government Publishing Office. However Hein's collection is growing primarily through the digitization of the legislative histories compiled in paper by certain law firms (Covington & Burling; Arnold & Porter). Note that the list of histories on HeinOnline is in alphabetical order, but frequently the titles are not those of the popular title to the public law, but rather the title of the book or compilation such as the "Legislative History of the Toxic Substances Control Act" or "Kaminstein Legislative History Project on the Copyright Act of 1976." However, HeinOnline now also presents histories via popular name order and public law number order as is done in the above lists taken from HeinOnline's Taxation and Economic Reform Library related to laws on taxation, banking, securities and related matters. HeinOnline also has hundreds of other histories in its U.S. Federal Legislative History Library. Searching for certain words or phrases in a specific history may require accessing various volumes or parts to the history and there is also  "Search" and "Advance Search" tools to research specific or multiple legislative history titles. HeinOnline's Legislative History Library includes  "Sources of Complied Legislative Histories" by Nancy Johnson as well Eugene Nabors' "Legislative Reference Checklist: the Key to Legislative Histories from 1789 to 1903."

LexisNexis legislative histories have complete word-search capabilities as well as navigational markers to pull up individual documents. Although the database has only 15 specific U.S. public law legislative histories that are searchable in this manner (largely environmental laws) there are a few combined collections (bankruptcy, tax and appropriations). The Lexis US CIS/Index of Legislative Histories (via Proquest) file has information on all U.S. public laws going back to 1970 with links to CIS abstracts of related Committee reports, hearings, and prints (from 1970) and to the full text of related Congressional Record debate pages (from 1985 - daily edition), bill track chronologies (from 1989), text of bills (from 1989), and committee reports (from 1995). Lexis also has word-search capabilities within each document (but not across documents) as well as the complete U.S. Statutes at Large in PDF and the all Congressional documents and reports from 1777 forward in the U.S. Serial Set.. Lexis and Lexis Advance are accessible by subscription.

At the end of 2010, Proquest purchased from LexisNexis its massive collection of CIS products (now called Proquest Congressional Collections) which include abstracts, indices and full text in digital format of all Congressional reports, documents, prints, and hearings from 1789 to the present. In addition, the CIS collection includes legislative history information for all U.S. public laws from 1970 to the present with a substantial number of links to the full text of the related documents in each legislative history. The full text links encompass related Congressional reports, hearings and prints (from 1970), related debates from the daily Congressional Record (from 1985 via Lexis), and related bills and bill chronologies (from 1989 via Lexis). In addition, Proquest has a new service, Proquest Legislative Insight, that offers near comprehensive legislative histories to thousands of U.S. public laws from 1789 to the present. About the only items generally absent from the histories are the text of proposed amendments in the Congressional Record as well as introductory and extraneous remarks on related legislation or subject matters.

Until recent years most of Westlaw's comprehensive legislative histories of specific U.S. laws (some 32) have come largely from the law firm of Arnold and Porter. They are all word-searchable using Westlaw's search software. However, Westlaw has now digitized  into PDF the more than 22,000 legislative histories compiled by the Government Accountability Office Library from 67th (1922) to 103rd (1994) Congresses (see GAO letter regarding its contract per a FOIA request). This is a premium Westlaw  database and each PDF document accessed may entail an additional charge depending on the subscription contract. Documents in each legislative history are arranged in reverse chronological order and some histories have multiple parts. The file has a template to access specific laws and documents as well as words and phrases. In addition, Westlaw  has selected committee reports and joint explanatory statements from 1933 and all committee reports from 1990. 

Compiled and maintained by Rick McKinney, retired Federal law librarian, Washington, D.C.
 

Please email your questions or comments to the Legislative SIS.

Last updated on May 3, 2018