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Please note: Some links on this page set up for UA Campus use ONLY
How to find a Bill
CIS holdings: full text online from 1989 (101st Congress) to present
How current is CIS? There may be a few days delay for a bill to be included in Congressional Universe after it is introduced. For the most recent documents, consult the Washington Post section named "Inside Washington" (online access to the Post requires free registration) or other large newspapers such as The New York Times (click here for online access to the Times' Washington News). |
Definition:
A bill is a proposed law. There are 2 types of bill numbers: "H.R." for bills working their way through the House of Representatives, and "S." for bills making their way through the Senate.
 Search by Bill Number:
- Select Bills by Number
- Choose H.R. or S.
- Fill in the number
- Select the congress
Example: H.R. 10 (limited to most recent congress) |
 Search by Keyword or Name:
- Select Bills
- Enter the Keyword(s) or Title
- Select the congress if known
Example: Aviation Security (limited to the 107th congress)
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Practice
1. Search the subject "terrorism" for the full text of a bill from the most recent Congress. What is the number of the bill, when it was introduced, and who was the sponsor?
2. Search by bill number (HR 19 for the 107th Congress). Where did you search in Congressional Universe? When was this bill introduced? Who was the sponsor? |
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How to find Congressional Debate on a Bill or a Topic
CIS holdings: full text online from 1985 (99th Congress) to present
Debates records prior to 1985 are found in the CIS Microform Congressional Record Collection in Compact Shelving, 1st floor |
Definition:
Debate (also called "remarks") is the time allotted by the House or Senate to discuss the bill, divided equally between majority and minority parties. Debates are referred to by their Bill Number (either H.R. or S.), and are located in the publication Congressional Record.
 Search by Keyword and Speaker:
- Select Bills
- Enter the Keyword(s) and Name of Speaker
- Select the Congress number if known
Example: Terrorism McCain (limited to the 107th Congress) |
 Search by Date:
- Select Congressional Record by page or date
- Type the date using the following format: May 28, 1908
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Practice
Find a recent remark on terrorism made by Senator McCain during the 107th Congress. |
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How to find Committee Hearings & Prints
CIS holdings: index only from 1970 (91st Congress) to present. Prior to 1970, see the CIS Congressional Indexes, 1789-1969.
Full text of Congressional Hearings are not available online. At the UA Library, Congressional Hearings are to be found in the CIS Microfiche Collection in compact shelving on the 1st floor. See also: How to find Hearing Testimonies. |
Definitions:
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A Hearing ("Hrg.") is House or Senate committee activity that involves asking individuals to testify on specific topics. Hearings may also be called to investigate a matter or conduct oversight of existing programs.
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A Committee Print ("Prt.") can be anything the committee wants to issue in support of its legislative and oversight functions. Prints are produced by the congressional staff for the committee members.
 Search by Subject:
- Select Subject
- Enter your keyword(s) or choose a subject from the Subject List
- Enter the appropriate date
- Select the Hearing or Print you want from the listed results
- Write down the CIS Number (i.e.: 92-H701-30) and the Congress (i.e.: 102-1)
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 Search by Number:
- Select Document Number
- Select the type of document (i.e.: H. Prt. or S. Hrg.)
- Select the Congress
- Fill in the number
- Select the Hearing or Print you want from the listed results
- Write down the CIS Number (i.e.: 92-H701-30) and the Congress (i.e.: 102-1)
Example: S. Hrg. - 106 - 10 |
Practice
Use the topic of terrorism to find a recent House and Senate Hearing or Print. Indicate the proper citation. Where are these documents located in the Library? What format are they in? |
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How to find Hearing Testimonies
CIS holdings: full text online from 1993 (103rd Congress) to present; 1988-1993 are not complete.
See also: How to find Committee Hearings & Prints |
Definition: Prepared statements and selected question & answer transcripts presented during congressional committee hearings.
 Search by Keyword(s) and/or Witness Name
- Enter as little or as much information as you know about the testimony, including
- Keyword(s)
- The name of the witness
- Type of committee
- Date
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Practice
Find the full text of testimony by actor Michael J. Fox on Parkinson's disease from a congressional hearing. |
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How to find a Public Law
CIS holdings: full text online from 1988 (100th Congress) to present |
Definition:
Laws are proposed legislation passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or passed over Presidential veto. Laws and Statutes are given a PL (Public Law) number.
 Search by Number:
- Select Public Law by Number
- Choose HR, S or PL
- Fill in the number
- Select the congress
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 Search by Keyword or Title:
- Select Public Laws
- Enter the Keyword(s) or Title
- Select the congress if known
Example: search by greenhouse effect (any congress) |
Practice
1. Find the text of a recently passed public law on terrorism. What is the public law's name and number?
2. Find the text of public law 38 from the 107th Congress. How did you find it? |
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How to find Statutes at Large
CIS holdings: full text online from 1789 to 1997 |
Definition:
Statutes at Large are the official compilation of public and private laws printed by the Government Printing Office. The Statutes At Large is printed annually and the laws within it are arranged by order of passage. Statutes are referred to by either a PL (Public Law) or a Stat (Statute) number.
 Search by Number:
- Select Statutes at Large by number
- Select the type of number you have:
- Statutes At Large (i.e.: 110 Stat 56)
- Public Law (i.e.: PL 104-104)
- Chapter
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 Search by Keyword:
- Select Statutes at Large
- Enter the Keyword(s) or the popular name of the law (use the list if you're not sure)
- You may limit by type of law or treaty and the date if you wish
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Practice
1. Find the full text of the Indian Depredation Act of 1891. How would you cite this act?
2. Find the full text of 110 Stat 56. In this citation, what does the "110" refer to? The "56?" |
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How to find U.S. Code
CIS holdings: full text of current codified law |
Definition:
U.S. Code is the codified and consolidated version of the laws passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or passed over Presidential veto. It is arranged by subject in 50 categories called titles; the citation is comprised of two numbers: the title number (which is between 1 and 50) and the section number, for example: 7 USC 1621.
 Search by Citation:
- Select United States Code citation
- Enter the title number and the section number in the boxes
Example: 7 [USC] 1621 |
 Search by Keyword:
- Select United States Code
- Enter Keywords or Title
Example: homeland security |
Practice
Find the codified laws related to the United States Flag. What U.S. Code titles have information about the commercial use of the flag? How would cite the first item on the list? |
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