I.The Legislative Process
PROCEDURE / TYPES OF SOURCES / WHERE TO START1.Bill introduced into the House or Senate /
- H.R., S., H.J. Res., or S.J. Res can become law
- H.Res. and S.Res. are procedural
- H.Con.Res. and S.Con.Res. express opinion
- THOMAS
- Congressional Universe
2.Committee referral / Name of committee /
- THOMAS (by bill number)
Committee members /
- Current Congress
- Older committees
Calendars /
- Committee web site
Committee prints /
- Congressional Universe
- Committee web site (some)
Committee hearings /
- Congressional Universe
- Hearings web sites
Committee markups /
- Congressional Universe
Committee report /
- GPO Access
- Congressional Universe
3.Floor action / Calendar /
- Floor calendars
Debate /
- THOMAS
- Congressional Universe
Roll call votes /
- Clerk of the House
- Secretary of the Senate
- Congressional Votes Database
- CQ Weekly Report
4.Procedure repeated in second chamber / If bill goes from one chamber to another /
- Bill keeps original number in both houses.
- Procedures and sources are repeated as above; if passed, goes to President.
If bills introduced in both houses /
- Bills traced separately as above; one bill substituted for another under floor action; if passed, goes to President.
If disagreement in versions of bill /
- Conference committee called
- No hearings
- Committee markup/vote/report
- Continues with floor action
- If passed, goes to President.
5.President / If vetoed, veto message plus bill goes back to Congress for an override / Vetoes
- Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (from January 29, 2009 on)
- Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (from 1993 through January 28, 2009)
- White House
- Statements of Administration Policy
Override debate
- THOMAS
- Congressional Universe
Roll call votes
- Clerk of the House
- Secretary of the Senate
- CQ Weekly Report
If pocket vetoes, bill dies. /
- Academic Universe
- CQ Weekly Report
5. President (con’t) / If signed, bill becomes law. /
- See legal sources in #6 below
If not signed in 10 days and Congress is in session, bill becomes law. /
- See legal sources in #6 below
6.Law issued / New laws /
- THOMAS
- Congressional Universe
United States Code /
- GPO Access
- Congressional Universe
7.Regulations issued by the executive branch / Federal Register (proposed and new regulations) /
- GPO Access
- Congressional Universe
Code of Federal Regulations /
- GPO Access
- Congressional Universe
II.Who is Influencing Congress?
SOURCES / WHERE TO STARTPolitical parties /
- Political parties
- House Leadership
- Senate Leadership
Committee Chairmen /
- Contacting the Congress
- Congressional Directories
- Academic Universe (under News/Transcripts)
Colleagues /
- THOMAS
- Congressional Universe
- Congressional web sites
- Academic Universe (News/Transcripts)
Congressional hearings for lobby groups and executive branch testimony /
- Congressional Universe
- Hearings for Public Access
Executive Branch /
- Federal web sites
- President
- Statements of Administration Policy
Interest groups /
- Lobby groups
- Political Information
- Project Vote Smart
- State government associations
- Voter Information Service
Campaign finances /
- Open Secrets
Public /
- Congressional addresses/e-mail
- Public opinion polls
- Politics in America (paper edition only)
- Almanac of American Politics (paper edition only)
Based on a guide developed at the University of Michigan Library February 19, 2010
Modified by Greg Cotton, Interim Consulting Librarian for the Social Sciences, Cole Library