I.The Legislative Process

PROCEDURE / TYPES OF SOURCES / WHERE TO START
1.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 START
Political 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