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Legislative History: Federal and Washington

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Title: Legislative History: Federal and Washington


1
Legislative HistoryFederal and Washington
  • Bridge the Legal Research Gap 2006
  • Ann Hemmens
  • University of Washington Law Library

2
What is Legislative History?
  • The progress of a bill through the legislative
    process
  • The documents created during that process
  • versions of bills and amendments, committee
    reports, debates, and hearings

3
Why does it matter?
  • Courts look to legislative history (LH) to
    interpret unclear statutory language determine
    intent of Congress
  • Stephen Breyer, On the Uses of Legislative
    History in Interpreting Statutes, 65 S. Cal. L.
    Rev. 845 (1992).
  • Reasonable uses of LH
  • avoid an absurd result
  • correct a drafting error
  • recognize specialized meanings of words (e.g.,
    standing)
  • identify reasonable purpose of phrase
  • choose among reasonable interpretations on
    politically controversial issue
  • Argue against use of LH
  • Plain meaning rule (look to the language of the
    statute)

4
Washington Court of Appeals uses Legislative
History
  • When a statute is ambiguous, we apply principles
    of statutory construction, legislative history,
    and relevant case law, giving effect to the
    Legislature's intent.
  • State v. Manro, 125 Wash.App. 165, 173 (2005)
  • West Digest Topic Statutes Key Number
    217.2
  • 361k217.2 k. Legislative History of Act.

5
U.S. Supreme Court looks to Legislative History
  • As for the propriety of using legislative
    history at all, common sense suggests that
    inquiry benefits from reviewing additional
    information rather than ignoring it. . . Our
    precedents demonstrate that the Court's practice
    of utilizing legislative history reaches well
    into its past. See, e.g., Wallace v. Parker, 6
    Pet. 680, 687-690, 8 L.Ed. 543 (1832). We suspect
    that the practice will likewise reach well into
    the future.
  • Wisconsin Public Intervenor v. Mortier, 501 U.S.
    597, 610 (1991)

6
Questions Answered in Legislative History
  • Who sponsored this legislation and why? What did
    he or she say about it during debates?
  • How did the language of the law change in various
    versions of the bill?
  • What did the Committee recommend in their Report?

7
Most important legislative history materials, in
order
  • Committee Reports (contain analysis
    recommendations)
  • Bills (including different versions amendments)
  • Sponsor remarks made on House or Senate floor
    (debates)
  • Committee hearings (public hearings held by
    committees considering bills)

8
Federal Legislative History
  • Research Guide http//lib.law.washington.edu/ref/f
    edlegishist.html
  • Remember
  • CIS Index / LexisNexis Congressional
  • THOMAS http//thomas.loc.gov/
  • USCCAN (United States Code Congressional and
    Administrative News)

9
(No Transcript)
10
Step 1Look for Compiled Legislative History
  • Sources of Compiled Legislative Histories A
    Bibliography of Government Documents, Periodical
    Articles, and Books, 1st Congress-105th Congress
    (by Nancy P. Johnson)
  • Hein Online database contains a Legislative
    History Library with 15 compiled legislative
    histories.
  • USA Patriot Act
  • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
  • Search Library Catalogs
  • USA PATRIOT Act A Legislative History
  • Federal Estate, Gift, And Generation-Skipping
    Taxes A Legislative History

11
Step 2 Identify LH Documents
  • CIS Index Legislative Histories
  • Print
  • Online
  • LexisNexis Congressional (available at UW)
    http//lib.law.washington.edu/research/dbind.html
  • Lexis (Legal gt Federal Legal - U.S. gt Legislative
    Histories Materials gt US - CIS Legislative
    Histories)
  • THOMAS website

12
CIS Index (LexisNexis Congressional) Search for
Legislative Histories by keyword or Public Law or
Bill Number.
13
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of
1996, Pub.L. No. 104-132
LexisNexis Congressional Link to Bills, Debates,
Reports, Hearings etc.
14
Thomas http//thomas.loc.gov/
  • Free website
  • Reliable (Library of Congress)
  • Contains public laws, committee reports, bills,
    debates, hearings
  • Example
  • Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (108th
    Congress)

15
Search by keyword across multiple
Congresses (1989 current)
16
Search for Bills by keyword (1989-present)
17
(No Transcript)
18
THOMAS Bill Summary and Status
19
Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 on THOMAS
THOMAS Links to Reports, Debates, Votes,
Public Laws etc.
20
Step 3 Locate the Documents
  • Committee Reports Public Laws
  • United States Code Congressional and
    Administrative News (USCCAN), 1941-date.
  • Print OR Westlaw (USCCAN)
  • Westlaw Graphical Statutes
  • CIS Legislative Histories online (LexisNexis
    Congressional or Lexis)
  • THOMAS (http//thomas.loc.gov)

21
Sample Documents
  • Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
  • Pub.L. No. 108-105 (Public Law)
  • H. REP. NO. 108-288 (House Report)

22
Use Adobes SEARCH function
Public Law cite to 18 U.S.C. 1531 found in
margin
23
Westlaw Graphical Statutes
24
Westlaw GRAPHICAL STATUTES Link to Public Law,
Bills, Reports, Debates, Hearings from
the statute (U.S.C.)
25
USCCAN Contains Public Laws Committee Reports
26
View Public Law link to Legislative History Docu
ments
27
Step 3 Locate the Documents Committee Hearings
  • GPO Access
  • covers 1997-date, selective.
  • http//www.gpoaccess.gov/chearings/index.html
  • only online source of official published hearings
    (other sources are testimony transcripts only).
  • Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003.

28
www.gpoaccess.gov free source of
Congressional publications (e.g., hearings)
29
Step 4Analyzing the Documents
  • Norman J. Singer, Statutes and Statutory
    Construction (6th ed.).
  • also known as Sutherland on Statutory
    Construction
  • Ronald Benton Brown et al., Statutory
    Interpretation The Search for Legislative Intent
    (2002).

30
Washington State Legislative History Research
31
Basics of WA Legislative History Research
  • In 1897, WA Supreme Court looked at sequential
    drafts of a bill to determine legislative intent.
  • Howlett v. Cheetham, 17 Wash. 626 (1897).

32
Basics of WA Legislative History Research
  • Materials (mid 1970s-current)
  • Available
  • in print at law libraries
  • WA Legislatures website, TVW website, Westlaw
    LexisNexis.
  • Types of Materials?
  • Bill Files, Committee Reports, versions of bills,
    House Senate Journals (audiotapes of debates),
    Committee Meetings (audiotapes)
  • Contact People
  • WA State Archives -- request copies of Bill
    File
  • House Senate Journal Clerks audiotape of
    Debates

33
Washington Legislative History
  • Research Guide http//lib.law.washington.edu/ref/
    washleghis.html
  • Remember
  • Legislatures website
  • State Archives
  • TVW website

34
(No Transcript)
35
Step 1 Start with RCW section
  • RCW 9.91.170Interfering with dog guide or
    service animal.
  • Statutory history in parenthetical
  • 2003 c 53 52 2001 c 112 2.
  • WA Legislatures RCW page
  • http//apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/

36
  • WA Legislatures website
  • Bill Information (1997-current)
  • Laws and Agency Rules (RCW)

37
Step 1 RCW 9.91.170
38
Step 2 Look at Session Law to Get Bill Number
  • WA Legislatures Bill Information page,
    http//apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
  • Legislative documents
  • bills amendments, session laws, committee
    reports (1997 current)
  • How to find Bill Number?
  • Chapter to Bill Table, RCW to Bill Table, Topical
    Index
  • Example Use Session Law to Bill Table
  • (2001, c.112 2) ? Senate Bill 5942 Increasing
    penalties for crimes against dog guides and
    service animals

39
What is the bill number? Use Bill to Law Cross
Reference Tables
40
Bill Information page Search for legislative
documents by Bill or keyword (1997-current)
41
Step 2 Bill Information Page
Links to bills, amendments, reports etc.
42
Step 3Documents Available Online(1997-current)
  • House and Senate Committee Reports
  • Final Legislative Report (Final Bill Report)
  • (in print 1979-current)
  • Bills Amendments
  • Legislative Digest and History of Bills
    (chronology reporting committee)
  • (in print 1970-current)
  • Roll Call Votes

43
Step 4WA House Senate Journals
  • In print at law libraries (1889-current)
  • online at Legislatures website (2005-current).
  • Includes
  • dates of floor action
  • amendments
  • point of inquiry or debate ensued (debate
    about a bill)
  • Debates are not printed in Journal they are
    available on audiotape from House or Senate
    Journal clerks (not transcribed).

44
WA Senate Journal Example
  • Journal of the Senate (March 12, 2001)
  • POINT of INQUIRY
  • concerning Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No.
    5372
  • Senator Brown Senator Prentice, is it the
    intent of this legislation to provide only for
    agreements with twelve tribes that own and
    operate smoke shops and not provide a precedent
    for other tribes which have different
    circumstances such as independent smoke shops
    that are licensed by the tribal government, such
    as Puyallup?
  • Senator Prentice Yes, this bill represents
    terms and conditions agreed to by only the tribes
    listed in the bill. The state recognizes that
    agreements with other tribes may involve
    alternative rates and conditions.
  • Debate ensued.

45
Step 6Contact WA State Archives
  • Committee Bill Files
  • Mid-1970s forward
  • Committee Meeting audiotapes
  • Mid-1970s forward (not transcribed).
  • Research Section of the WA State Archives in
    Olympia
  • (360-586-1492) Research_at_secstate.wa.gov
    http//www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/leg_history.as
    px
  • They copy and send bill files for reasonable fee.
  • Open to the public.
  • Governor's files on specific bills
  • (1951-1955 1965-1984)
  • Legislative Council records (1947-1973) and
    personal papers of some legislators (files are
    incomplete).

46
Step 7TVW WAs Public Affairs Network
  • http//www.tvw.org/media/archives.cfm
  • WA House and Senate Committee Hearings and Floor
    Debates
  • audio and video
  • 1996/97 to current

47
REMEMBER
  • Federal LH Research Guide http//lib.law.washingto
    n.edu/ref/fedlegishist.html
  • USCCAN (WL Graphical Statutes)
  • THOMAS website
  • CIS (LN Congressional)
  • Washington LH Research Guide http//lib.law.washin
    gton.edu/ref/washleghis.html
  • Legislatures website
  • State Archives TV W
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