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Federal Legislative History: Hearings

What They Are

Transcribed hearings are initially held by the committee to which a bill has been referred, in order to obtain information from interested parties on whether the bill should be approved by the committee.

Committee member statements and testimony by notable witnesses, sometimes interested members of Congress or significant Executive Branch players, are more persuasive evidence of legislative intent than testimony by less significant, but interested parties.

Committee Hearings

Where to find committee hearings

ProQuest Congressional: Congressional Publications > Search by number > Narrow reults by Document > Hearings (official 1824- (PDF), selective unofficial 1988- (text))

Heinonline: Congressional Hearings (1927-  (56th Congress- ))

U.S. Congressional Documents > Congressional Hearings > Narrow by Congress > Chamber > Committee

Hearings are in numerical (e.g., 2001 National Park Service management policies) and alphabetical order.

 

WestlawNext: Legislative History > US Congressional Testimony (unofficial) (1993-) or US Political Transcripts (unofficial) (1994-).

U.S. Congressional Testimony. Agendas and witness lists for U.S. congressional committee hearings, transcripts of oral statements, and written statements submitted to committees of Congress. Coverage begins with January 1993.

U.S. Political Transcripts. Transcripts of news conferences, press briefings, political speeches, and oral testimony from congressional committee hearings. Coverage begins with February 1994.

Note: WestlawNext does not have a separate collection of hearings. They are included in the documents that comprise a public law's legislative history.

U.S. House Committee websites.

Select Committee > Committee Action (or Committee Activities) > Hearings. Note: Some Committees have a separate Hearings Tab.

Note: Hearing documents are usually posted immediately following each hearing for the current Congress. However, not all committees maintain archives of past hearings.

 

U.S. Senate Committee websites.

Select Committee > Hearings.

Note: Hearing documents are usually posted immediately following each hearing for the current Congress. However, not all committees maintain archives of past hearings

 

FDsys: Congressional Hearings (selective official PDF from GPO) (1985-)

Congressional Committees. Search for Congressional Hearings under individual House and Senate Committees.