Public Policy Formation (34:833:510)

"A hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, joint, or special committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or evaluate/oversee the activities of a government department or the implementation of a Federal law. In addition, hearings may also be purely exploratory in nature, providing testimony and data about topics of current interest. Most congressional hearings are published two months to two years after they are held." (GPO). The Government Printing Office prints the official, complete version, and not all hearings are published. 

Congressional hearings are also available  in microfiche and are filed by the SuDoc number in Alexander Government documents, cabinet 1-10+. This number is provided via Congressional Publications or the print CIS Index and Abstractslocated on DOCREF Table 1.