Congress, Legislative Resources & Regulations - Government Information - Selected Resources by Subject

Congress

Congress.gov
The official website for U.S. federal legislative information. Find bill text, track bill history and activity including roll call votes, get information on current members of Congress, and more.
Congressional Directory
Official directory of the U.S. Congress, including short biographies, committee memberships, terms of service, etc. From 1869-1870 to present.
Dates of Sessions of the Congress
Listed here are convening and adjournment dates for legislative sessions in each Congress.
Proceedings of Congress and General Congressional Publications
Access digitized copies of the Congressional Record, Congressional Serial Set, House and Senate Journals, and more. Dates of coverage vary.
See links on left of landing page for additional categories.
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: US Congressional Documents and Debates
Portal to digitized publications from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention and early statutes, documents, journals, and debates of Congress.

Congressional Publications This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive indexing for US legislative information, with much full text from mid-1990s. Added in 2017 is full text for Congressional hearings (1824-1979), committee prints and Congressional Research Service reports (1830-2003), and unpublished hearings (House: 1973-1982; Senate: 1985-1992). UNH subscription. Dates of coverage: 1789-current

Other Useful Congressional Sources

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

CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports, 2018+ This link opens in a new window
Now directly released by the CRS, which prepares these reports for the use of Congress in its legislative, oversight, and representational duties. Reports are produced on topics of interest to Congress.
CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports, 1965-2018 This link opens in a new window
Public policy briefs issued by the Congressional Research Service to inform members of Congress and their staff on subjects of current interest. Funded by taxpayer money and thus all in the public domain, these reports are nonpartisan and concise.
Note: The information on this site is compiled and made available as a public service by the Government Documents Department at the University of North Texas Libraries. UNT does not make any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for results obtained from the use of the information. Distribution of the information does not constitute such a warranty. Use of the information is the sole responsibility of the user.

The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.

GAO Reports
1922-present

Legislative Resources

Enactment of a Law
Senate legislative procedures.
How Our Laws Are Made
Web version of PDF “How Our Laws Are Made” (House Document 110-49); revised and updated by John V. Sullivan, Parliamentarian, United States House of Representatives, July 2007.
Research Guides (Law Library of Congress)
Research guides provide a starting point for researching legal topics and recommend relevant materials in the Law Library's collections and online. Over 250 guides in 36 subject areas are available.

Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Annual CFRs from 1996 to present. The CFR arranges by broad subject the general and permanent rules of the executive departments and agency of the federal government.
e-CFR
The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a currently updated version of the CFR but isn't an official legal edition of the CFR. Various search options are available.
Regulations.gov
Source for information on the development of Federal regulations and other related documents issued by the US government. Through this site, you can find, read, and comment on regulatory issues that are important to you.
Federal Register
"Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents."
Executive Orders
The US President manages the operations of the Executive branch of Government through Executive Orders. This site includes all Executive Orders since 1994.