CRS – Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources. Ada S. Cornell, Information Research Specialist; Laura A. Hanson, Information Research Specialist; Michael Greene, Information Research Specialist. March 25, 2014.

“During the legislative process, many documents are prepared by Congress and its committees. Governmental and non-governmental entities track and record congressional activities, and many more entities chronicle and analyze the development of public policy. The wide availability of such information can be overwhelming to those involved in legislative research. The purpose of this report is to assist Members and congressional staff in identifying and accessing key resources used during legislative research. The report does not define or describe the purpose of the various information resources and documents; that information can be found in companion CRS Report R41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff and CRS Report RL33895, Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff. This report is not a comprehensive catalog of resources for conducting legislative research; instead it provides a selection of widely used resources. Some of the resources mentioned are only available with a paid subscription while others are free: this availability is noted in the report along with the access points for Members and congressional staff. The inclusion of resources in this report does not imply endorsement by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the content or the products listed. In addition, CRS does not acquire or manage congressional offices’ access to subscription resources.”