Numbering and Citations
1. Bills introduced in every Congress are given sequential numbers, e.g., H.R. 1, H.R. 2, S. 1, S. 2, etc.
2. It is also important to know the number of the Congress, e.g., 117th. See Dates of Sessions of the US Congress. The session of congress is often included in the bill number (e.g. 117 H.R. 110)
3. Once a bill becomes law, it gets a public law number in its first printing as a slip law. The public law number has two parts-the first part is the number of the Congress, and the second part indicates it was the nth law passed by that Congress, e.g., Public Law 111-148. Public law is often abbreviated PL in citations.
4. The public law is also cited to the Statutes at Large, a second printing of the slip laws, arranged chronologically in bound volumes. A Statutes at Large citation , e.g., 120 Stat. 648, includes the volume and page number on which a law can be found.
5. The public law finally becomes part of the United States Code. This is arranged by subject, so provisions in the public law can be codified in several different titles (subjects.)
The Timeline of Printing a Federal Law 
U. S. Congress-Legislation
- Congressional Publications (ProQuest)For current legislation, select only Bills & Laws, from the facets on the left, and search by keyword. Also make sure you limit by Congress-the current Congress is the 114th.
For enacted legislation, select only Legislative Histories from the facets on the left and search by keyword or act name.
To search by bill number, public law number, etc., go here - GovTrack.usTo search, on the left, enter your keyword(s), select a Congressional term and current status. Alternatively, select a Congressional term, scroll down and select a subject. You can also browse by subject: From the home page (www.govtrack.us), select "Bills and Resolutions" and then select the "By Subject" tab.
- Congress.govCongress.gov is the official source for federal legislative information, replacing Thomas. On the main page, the default search is for current legislation. You can change the pull-down menu on the left to "All Legislation." Enter your keywords, topic, e.g., "mental health," "child nutrition," etc. On the results page, use the facets on the left to limit your search to specific Congresses and legislation type, e.g., "Status of Legislation."
Other Sources for Finding Legislation
- CQ AlmanacContains narrative accounts of every major piece of legislation that lawmakers considered during a congressional session. It is organized thematically.
- NASW AdvocacyNASW's key federal and state issues. Select the Washington Update link.
- CQ WeeklyProvides current, non-partisan political analysis of Congress. It identifies major legislation, the issues and players, and roll call votes. This resource is available in print in Alexander Government Documents: DOCREF JK1.C15.
U.S. Congress-Committee Reports
Committee reports are analyses and recommendations regarding legislation, and are very useful for ascertaining the purpose or intent of a bill. When the House and Senate cannot reconcile their different versions of a bill, a committee with members from both houses works out a compromise and issues a conference committee report.
- Congressional Publications (ProQuest)Enter your search terms and make sure you select only House & Senate Reports, 1970-present from the facets on the left.
Or you can go here and search by public law, statute at large, or bill number, and then narrow your results to House & Senate Reports.
USE the LINKS below to find a PDF version of the ACTUAL REPORT. For Congresses earlier than 1993/1994, you will need to use the print version in Alexander Government Documents. - Congress.govOn the main page, change the pull-down menu on the left to "Committee Reports."
You can enter keywords from the report title,e.g., "children's safety act," or enter the report number, e.g., 109-218. - govinfo:Congressional Reports, Advanced SearchSelect your collection (in this case, reports) and enter your keywords.
- govinfo: Congressional ReportsYou can only browse on this site, and you will need to drill down.
U.S Congress-Hearings
"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 Publications (ProQuest)Select Hearings, 1824-present, from the facets on the left, and search by keyword.
Links are provided for the fulltext of hearings up to 2003. Hearings after 2003, note the title and use the links below. - FDsys: Congressional Hearings, Advanced SearchSelect your collection (in this case, hearings) and enter your keywords.
- FDsys: Congressional HearingsYou will need to drill down in this database, and it helps if you know which committee had the hearing and the Congress.
- Senate CommitteesThe committee websites may have links to selected hearings (both published and unpublished), and date coverage varies.
- House CommitteesThe committee websites may have links to selected hearings (both published and unpublished), and date coverage varies.