United States Administrative & Legislative Information Sources
UNITED STATES ADMINISTRATIVE & LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION SOURCES
Carla Pritchett
Tulane Law Library
Directories/Telephone Sources
Congressional Directory 2007-2008. (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2007).
This directory lists addresses, phone numbers and biographical information for members of Congress.
It includes information on Congressional committees and subcommittees as well as Executive departments, boards,
commissions and advisory organizations and administrative agencies. It includes a personal name index.
The Tulane Law Library has this documentonline
and in print (Y 4.P 93/1:1/). The Loyola Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 1011).
Congressional Staff Directory. Ed. Ann L. Brownson. (Mt. Vernon, VA: Staff Directories, Ltd., 2007).
Emphasis is on the staffs of the Members and the staffs of the committees and subcommittees.
It includes biographies as well as directory information. The Tulane Law Library has the current copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 1012 .C65 2007 Summer). The Loyola Law Library also has the current copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 1012 .C65 2007 Summer).
This is a quarterly who's who in Congress, including committees and key staff.
It includes telephone numbers, fax numbers, zip codes by Congressional District, and District Maps.
Congressional support agencies are also listed with names of senior personnel. The Loyola Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 1083 .B55 2007).
Encyclopedia of Associations. Ed. Deborah M. Burek. 44th ed., 2007. (Detroit, MI: Gale Research, Inc., 2007).
A guide to national and international organizations including commercial, legal, governmental, military, public administration,
health, educational, chambers of commerce, tourism and others. Volume 3 is a Name and Keyword index which refers to the entry numbers in volumes 1 and 2.
Entries include name, address and phone numbers, founding date, publications and more. This is available on LEXISNEXIS in the file LEGIS/ENASSC.
The Loyola Law Library also has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(AS 22 .E5).
Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations. Eds. Donna Batten and Peter D. Dresser. 21st ed., 2006. (Detroit, MI: Gale Research, Inc., 2006).
Entries include organization name, address and phone number.
History, authority, program description, meeting times and information on publications and reports are provided.
Indexes have alphabetical and keyword access points and include personnel and publications. The Loyola Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 468 .C7 E5 2006).
Federal Regulatory Directory. 13th ed. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, 2008).
This directory provides easy-to-use information for the user who must understand and work with federal agencies.
It includes history as well as current regulatory issues and administrative agency procedures and controls.
Descriptions of the 13 largest agencies are included with brief biographies and pictures of commissioners or board members and information sources.
Profiles of other agencies are also included with summaries of responsibilities and telephone contacts listed.
The appendix explains the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations and includes texts of important acts affecting regulatory law.
The Tulane Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(KF 5406 .A15 F4). The Loyola Law Library also has the current paper copy in their Reference Collection
(KF 5407 .F4).
Federal Staff Directory. Ed. Ann L. Brownson. (Mt. Vernon, VA: Staff Directories, Ltd., 2007).
Entries list addresses and phone numbers for Executive branch offices (OMB, National Security Council, etc.),
Departments, Agencies, and advisory organizations. Also included is biographical information for key executives.
It includes indexes by individual and by subject. The Tulane Law Library has this title on Reference
(JK 723 .E9 F44 2007 Fall).
Federal Yellow Book. (Washington, DC: Monitor Publishing Co., 2008).
This is a quarterly who's who in federal executive departments and agencies.
It includes telephone numbers, fax numbers, and regional office information for the more than
35,000 top people in the executive branch of the federal government. The Loyola Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 6 .F45 Summer 2008 64:1).
The United States Government Manual 2007/2008. (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2006).
The Manual provides information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial and executive branches as well as boards,
committees, and commissions. It gives summaries of agencies' purposes, brief histories and also gives consumer and public interest information.
It includes indexes by personal name and agency/subject. The Tulane Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(AE 2.108/2: 2007). The Loyola Law Library also has the current paper copy in their Reference Collection
(JK 421 .A3 2007). Current edition is also available online.
Washington Information Directory 2007-2008. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 2007).
Information concerning the federal government is given in this directory.
Information on private, nonprofit organizations in Washington is also included. The Tulane Law Library has the current paper copy on Reference
(F 192.3 .W33 2007-08). The Loyola Law Library also has the current copy in the Reference Collection
(F 192.3 .W33 2007-08).
Washington Representatives. Ed. J. Valerie Steele. (Washington, DC: Columbia Books, Inc., 2007).
A compilation of Washington representatives of the major national associations,
labor unions and U.S. companies, registered foreign agents, lobbyists, lawyers,
law firms and special interest groups, together with their clients and areas of
legislative and regulatory concerns. The Loyola Law Library has the current paper copy in the Reference Collection
(JK 1118 .D58 Spring 2007).
Drafting and Other Information Sources
The Art of the Statute. By Jack Stark. (Littleton, CO: Rothman, 1996).
This is a legislative drafting manual focused narrowly on legislative language and form and less on broad legal
writing theories. The author is a drafter of tax legislation for the state of Wisconsin. The Tulane Law Library has this book in the Reference Collection
(KF 4950 .S73 1996). The Loyola Law Library also has this book in the Reference Collection
(KF 4950 .S73 1996).
This commercially produced looseleaf service lists, summarizes and indexes public bills.
Weekly supplements are issued while Congress is in session. The two volumes for each Congress,
Senate and House, contain a list of bills passed, give histories with hearing dates for all bills introduced,
and include a detailed subject index.
Bills are also indexed under the name of the principal legislative sponsor or author of the bill. The Tulane Law Library has this title in Government Documents on the 5th Floor
(KF49 .C6). The Loyola Law Library has this title in the Reference Collection
(KF 49 .C6).
CIS/Index. (Washington, DC: Congressional Information Service, 2008).
This is a great source for determining if bills, hearings, prints, reports or enacted laws exist on a topic.
Each abstract gives a summary of the contents of a particular document, including title, date, committee, and for hearings,
witness testimony information. It is published first in monthly pamphlets which cumulate into bound volumes.
It can be used to search for subject, bill number, Public Law number, committee, title, or persons testifying at hearings.
This title also has a "Legislative History" volume organized by Public Law number that lists and summarizes all documents relating to the act. The Tulane Law Library has this title in Government Documents on the 5th floor
(KF 49 .C62). The Loyola Law Library has this title in the Reference Collection
(KF 49 .C62).
This slick commercial publication with pretty pictures summarizes Congressional activity on major
legislation, publishes tables of House and Senate votes, and covers analysis and commentary on current
legislation and happenings in Congress. The Tulane Law Library has this in the Government Documents Collection on the 5th floor.
Drafting Legislation and Rules in Plain English. By Robert J. Martineau. (St. Paul, MN: West, 1991).
This is a "How-To" manual on legislative drafting.
It is intended to be a guide to drafting constitutional amendments, statutes, charters, ordinances and administrative or court rules.
This book includes material on style and substance and advice on how to write in plain English that will result in concise, logical and consistent laws.
Chapters are on the legislative process, statutory construction, and the organization and subdivision of a bill. The Loyola Law Library has this on Reference and in the stacks
(KF 4950 .M375 1991).
Government Assistance Almanac 2006-07. By J. Robert Dumouchel. (Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc., 2006).
This is a guide to federal domestic financial aid and other programs covering grants, loans, fellowships, scholarships, and other useful services.
Over 4,000 helpful addresses and phone numbers are listed, and it has a good index. The Loyola Law Library has this in the Reference Collection
(HC 110 .P63 D85 2006-07).
How To Research Congress. By Fenton S. Martin and Robert U. Goehlert. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, 1996).
This book provides information on basic research on Congress.
Included are specific guides to finding and interpreting statutes as well as general guides to Congressional and legal resources. The Loyola Law Library has this item
(JK 1108 .M349 1996).
Lawmaking and the Legislative Process: Committees, Connections, and Compromises. By Tommy Neal, National Conference of State Legislatures.
(Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1996).
This book tries to "shed light on the mysteries of lawmaking and the workings of legislatures."
The sample bills that are included are based on the Colorado legislature bill format. The Loyola Law Library has this item
(KF 4945 .Z9 N43 1996).
The Legislative Drafter's Desk Reference. By Lawrence E. Filson. (Washington, DC, Congressional Quarterly, 2008).
This reference book gives an overview of how to draft legislation.
It includes chapters on organizing and writing a bill, writing amendments to bills, and unique federal forms and writing styles. The Tulane Law Library has this item
(KF4950 .F55 2008).
Presidential Vetoes, 1789-1988, 1989-2001 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001).
Compiled by the Senate Library, this publication arranges vetoed bills by Congress, then by Senate, and then by House.
It lists the bill number and date it was vetoed, whether the veto was sustained or overridden by Congress, and related legislation.
It gives citations to veto messages in the Congressional Record, House Documents, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
and the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. The Loyola Law Library has this in the Reference Collection
(KF 42 .U55). The Tulane Law Library has this in Reference
(Y 1.3:S.PUB.107-10).
Sources of Compiled Legislative Histories: a Bibliography of Government Documents, Periodical Articles, and Books, 1st Congress - 110th Congress.
Compiled by Nancy P. Johnson. (Littleton, CO: Rothman, 2007).
This is a resource which indexes all compilations for major laws included in congressional documents,
legal periodicals, treatises, and looseleaf services. Johnson annotates the entries to distinguish those sources
providing the full text of documents from those sources which contain only excerpts from or citations to sources. The Tulane Law Library has this item on Reserve and in Government Documents Reference
(KF 42.2 1979). The Loyola Law Library has this in the Reference Collection
(KF 42 .S6 current to 2007).
LEXIS and WESTLAW
Both services include the full text of enacted laws, bills, the Congressional Record,
and other primary sources as well as many commercial sources.
These databases can be used to search full text judicial opinions for discussions of legislation by judges interpreting statutes.
The full text of newspaper and magazine articles are often good sources for legislative sponsors of bills or news of Congressional reports.
LEXIS includes all legislative histories from the CIS/Index from 1970 to the present.
It also includes some full text legislative histories in specialty libraries such as the Federal Tax Library and the Securities Library.
WESTLAW contains committee reports from USCCAN in its Legislative History database.
WESTLAW also has a Congressional testimony database which often provides testimony from hearings which have not yet been published by the Government Printing Office.
Internet
The Internet has a wealth of information on legislation and Congress.
The Library of Congress, the Government Printing Office and many administrative agencies
also have information available through the World Wide Web.
This information changes so fast that you would do best to ask a
librarian or information professional for the latest information.
Sources for Primary Administrative Materials
Federal Register (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office)
Published every business day, this is the first official source for proposed and final federal regulations, as well as for
informational notices regarding regulatory matters. It also contains the text of presidential documents and executive orders.
The daily Federal Register has a finding aid in the Readers Aid section in the back of the issue entitled "CFR Parts Affected in This Issue."
It is a cumulative list of CFR parts affected during the current month by new regulations published in the Federal Register.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office)
The final versions of rules and regulations and all presidential documents and executive orders are arranged by subject or codified into the CFR.
Sources for Primary Legislative Materials
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States. (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
This begins with the papers of Herbert Hoover (excluding Franklin Roosevelt) and continues to the present.
It is annual and contains a wide range of documents relating to the Presidency, including messages to Congress,
public speeches, news conferences and public letters. The final volume of each year contains a cumulative index for the year.
United States Bills (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
The Government Printing Office makes these available in microfiche and through the Internet on the GPO Access Web Page.
They are also on a Web Page called "Thomas" produced by the Library of Congress and included in the LEXIS and WESTLAW databases.
United States Code (USC) (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
This is the codified version of the laws currently in force. It is the subject arrangement of the United States Statutes At Large.
United States Code Annotated (USCA) (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.).
This is a commercial publication of the U.S. Code. It includes some history of legislation and citations to other related material.
It is updated by pocket parts.
United States Code, Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.).
This publication prints the text of enacted public laws, some presidential messages and selected Congressional
committee reports on important acts. It is updated each Congressional session with by bi-weekly advance sheets
which cumulate into bound volumes at the end of the session. The legislative history table for each public law includes the date approved,
United States Statutes At Large cite, bill and report numbers, the committees that recommended the legislation, and the dates of consideration and passage.
United States Code Service (USCS) (Rochester, NY: Lawyer's Cooperative Publishing Co.).
This is another commercial publication of the U.S. Code like the USCA.
United States Congressional Committee Reports And Documents (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
Reports and Documents are published separately as slip reports and then are bound as part of a numbered series called the U.S. Congressional Serial Set.
United States Congressional Hearings and Committee Prints (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
These are the published, verbatim transcripts of testimony and discussion offered at hearings held before Congressional committees.
United States Congressional Record (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
This publication is most valuable as a source for Congressional debates, but it also includes almost any other material
a Senator or Representative wishes to get into the Record. This can be the full text of presidential messages or committee reports.
The Daily Digest section summarizes action taken within committees and news of legislation introduced, reported or passed. At the end of the
Session a complete status table called "History of Bills and Resolutions" is published, with access by subject, sponsor and bill number.
It is also available on LEXIS and WESTLAW and on the Internet through GPO Access.
United States Congressional Serial Set (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
This set consists of the bound House Reports, House Documents, Senate Reports, Senate Documents and Senate Treaty Documents.
United States Statutes At Large (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
This is a chronological listing of enacted public laws.
U.S. Congressional Legislative Calendars and Journals (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office).
These give the status and history of bills with some subject and title access and also list legislative sponsors.
Dates for any hearings scheduled and presidential messages received are also given.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office)
This compilation includes addresses, remarks, and messages to Congress as well as appointments, nominations,
and other presidential materials. It has an Index of Contents at the front of each issue for documents in and a quarterly cumulative index in the back.