Federal legislative histories are used to aid in determining the intent of Congress at the time a statute was planned and enacted or amended. Courts look to legislative intent when a statute’s meaning is ambiguous on its face.
"How Our Laws Are Made" image was created by Mike Wirth and Dr. Suzanne Cooper Guasco and is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Atrribution 3.0 United States License.
Reference librarians are available to assist you with your research.
In Person: Reference Desk, Monday through Friday, 11 am to 3 pm.
Email: Reference questions can be submitted through the Ask-a-Librarian form. Questions are reviewed Monday through Friday, and responses are usually made within 24 to 48 hours.
Chat: A reference librarian is available via our live chat service Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.