Legislative History

What are committee reports?

Congressional committees issue three types of reports.

1. House and Senate reports are most common. They accompany bills when they are reported out of committee. These usually include
   • a summary and a statement of purpose;
   • the full text of a proposed law or amendment;
   • background, hearing, and budget information;
   • minority views, if there are any; and
   • other analysis.
2. Conference reports are less common; sometimes there are fewer than a dozen in a session. They document House and Senate negotiations over differing versions of bills passed by each chamber. Conference reports are submitted to both chambers for their approval or rejection. Tip: by agreement, the House always issues conference reports. See the sample citations below.
3. Senate executive reports relate to treaty ratification and executive-branch nominations.

Tip Committee reports are separately numbered from their bills.

How do you cite commitee reports?

Reports are cited with reference to the originating chamber, the number of the Congress, and the report number.

See Bluebook Rule 13.4. Examples include:

H.R. Rep. No. 109-447 (2006).
H.R. Rep. No. 109-711 (2006) (Conf. Rep.).

Best Bet

For most UCI researchers, ProQuest Congressional is the best starting point for finding PDF versions of Committee Reports from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. For older materials, check one of the other options below.

Other Options