LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Introduction: What Is A Legislative History?

A legislative history is research into the history of a bill often beginning before the bill is introduced in the legislature and ending when it is either passed into law or is tabled or vetoed. Most bills never get passed. A legislative history includes documents from every step of the law-making process. These documents have a bewildering array of names that are often used interchangeably

Terminology

1. Bill: a proposed act or law drafted by a legislative body. Bills are usually numbered consecutively as they are introduced.



2. Amendments: a bill often amends an existing act. Sometimes a bill is referred to as an amendment and an act is also referred to as an amendment when it amends an earlier act.



3. Act: a bill which has passed or been enacted is called an act and is usually first published in chronological order and is numbered consecutively.



4. Statute: usually an act, after being published chronologically, is organized by subject and then called a statute. The term "code" is also used this way.
   Sometimes enacted bills in chronological order are also called statutes.



5. Code: usually a subject arrangement of laws which have been previously published chronologically. Subject arrangements of Administrative Regulations are also called codes.



6. Law: the word law is used to refer to cases, statutes, acts, regulations, ordinances, etc.

Purposes: Why Do A Legislative History?

• Legislative Intent - Ambiguities in statutory language are often resolved in courts.

Legislative intent can be used to persuade a judge to interpret a disputed meaning of a statute in a favorable way for clients.


• Guide for Drafting Related Laws - Lawyers are often involved in the research and drafting of new bills in the interest of clients.
  Research into federal law is helpful when drafting similar state laws and vice versa.