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The legislative history of a bill is a record of its course through Congress. Each step during passage is documented. Once a bill is passed it becomes a law. The yellow tab to the left entitled "Tracing a Bill" describes this process in greater detail.
The tab "Indexes to Legislative History," describes the publications and online resources that serve as indexes to the entire legislative history of a bill.
State legislation often follows a different process than Congressional legislation. The tab "Tracing State legislation" describes the process for locating and tracking state bills and laws.
Listed below are several guides that explain the legislative process in detail.
- About Legislation of the U.S. CongressPosted on the Congress.gov website, gives a brief description of the legislative process and what sources can be found on Congress.gov and how they can be searched.
- Learn About the Legislative ProcessList of online sources that outline the legislative process. Includes sources suitable for end users and educators .
- How Laws are MadeShort summary tracing the legislative process emphasizing the differences in the House and Senate.
CQ Press Guide to Congress by Call Number: Available onlineISBN: 9781604267129Publication Date: 2007Chapter 15, "The Legislative Process" is a lengthy but engaging account of how a bill becomes law along with a description of the manipulation and maneuvering that takes place within that process.
Created & Revised by
Kristi S. Nilsen, 2/72; L. Browning/Matt Newell/A. Shaw, 1/76; A. Shaw, 9/76; Thomas Reynolds, 2/79; Deborah Mongeau, 6/91, 3/98, 6/04, 5/06; Hailie Posey, 3/10; Anthony Loffredio, 12/12; Deborah Mongeau, 3/18, 2/19, 2/22, 2/23