Frequently Asked Questions: Law Library of Congress

Congressional documents include House documents, Senate documents, and Senate treaty documents. These collections contain a variety of materials, such as reports of executive agencies and committee prints that were ordered to be printed by a congressional committee. Researchers typically look for these materials after finding a reference to document’s citation (e.g., H.R. Doc. No. 55-100 or S. Doc. 106-10). Many of these materials are accessible online through the websites listed below, but some may be available only in print or electronically through a subscription database.

GovInfo.gov – Congressional Documents

GovInfo contains congressional documents from 1995 to the present in text and PDF formats. Select older records going back to the 15th Congress (1817-1819) are also available through this collection. Documents published before 1995 were digitized by the Law Library of Congress, in partnership with the Government Publishing Office (GPO), through a multi-year effort. While older documents have been digitized and are consistently being added to this collection, it is not yet complete.

Law.gov – United States Congressional Serial Set

Committee documents are printed as part of the United States Congressional Serial Set. Many materials from the Serial Set are now available online through the Law Library of Congress online collection of Serial Set resources. Researchers can use the search bar at the upper-right corner of the page to search by keyword or report citation. Researchers may also browse the collection using the limiters on the left side of the screen. This collection is continually updated, but not yet complete.

If you cannot find a congressional document through these online resources, please submit an inquiry to the Law Library through Ask A Librarian.

For more information about congressional documents, visit the Law Library of Congress guide, Compiling a Federal Legislative History: A Beginner’s Guide.