Research Guides: Legislative History: Committee Hearings & Prints

About Committee Hearings & Prints

Congressional committees often hold hearings while considering the merits of a bill. Hearings can provide committee members with opinions and facts regarding the strengths and weaknesses of a bill. Hearings can include testimony of witnesses, experts, interested parties, agencies, members of the public, advocates, and many other parties interested in topic of the bill. Transcripts of hearings as well as documents considered during hearings may be published as “committee prints” and can be a crucial part of a bill’s legislative history.

However, it is also important to remember that not every bill has a hearing, not every hearing relates to a particular bill, and not all hearings are necessarily published. Other types of hearings include oversight, investigative, or confirmation hearing. In these cases, hearings sometimes eventually lead to the introduction of a bill later at a later date.

Finding Hearing Transcripts and Other Documents

Official versions of hearing documents can be published months or years after a hearing and can include transcripts, question and answer sessions, exhibits and/or supporting documents. Unofficial versions of hearing documents can become available much sooner. The text may vary and usually does not include as much information as official versions.

Committee Documents In Print (1^st Floor):

Find select hearing documents by looking in our catalog by hearing name
U.S. Congressional Serial Set, selected volumes (#1502 – #15375), 1871 – 2010
Senate Journal, 1954 – 2012
House Journal, 1966 - 2011

Freely Available Government Sources:

govinfo.gov:
- Congressional Hearings, 1985 – present
- Congressional Committee Prints, 1975 – present
- Journal of the House of Representatives, 1992 – present
House.gov and Senate.gov may publish select hearings and prints
Committee websites also may include select hearings and prints
Library of Congress (loc.gov),
- Senate Journal, 1789 – 1875

C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network):

c-span.org: “A public service created by the American Cable Television Industry”
Video Library. Includes searchable video of all C-SPAN programming including floor proceedings and hearings; 1987 – present.

Commercial Databases:

Westlaw Next:
- U.S. Congressional Testimony, 1993 – present
- U.S. Political Transcripts, 1995 – present
ProQuest Congressional
- Hearings, 1824 – present
- Committee Prints & Misc. Publications, 1817 – present
HeinOnline (via “U.S. Congressional Documents” library):
- Congressional Hearings, 1887 – present
- Committee Prints, 1993 – present
Readex (search for Readex in our catalog)
- U.S. Congressional Serial Set – Hearings, 1817 – present

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