Citation Guides/Legislative History

How to Cite Legislative History in Bluebook Format

Master Bluebook citation format for legislative history materials, including committee reports, hearing transcripts, floor debates in the Congressional Record, and bills.

Citation Format

[Document Type] [Number], at [Page] ([Year]).

Citation Components

Document Type

The type of legislative document: 'H.R. Rep.' for House Reports, 'S. Rep.' for Senate Reports, '[Volume] Cong. Rec.' for Congressional Record entries, 'H.R.' for House Bills, 'S.' for Senate Bills.

Example: S. Rep.

Document Number

The number of the report, bill, or hearing. For Congressional Reports, use the format 'No. [Congress]-[Report Number].' For Congressional Record, use the volume and page.

Example: No. 111-176

Page Reference

The specific page cited, preceded by 'at.' For Congressional Record, use the page number directly after the volume.

Example: at 12

Year

The year the document was published or the statement was made, in parentheses.

Example: (2010)

Examples

Senate Report

S. Rep. No. 111-176, at 12 (2010).

House Report with reprint in U.S.C.C.A.N.

H.R. Rep. No. 109-31, pt. 1, at 2 (2005), reprinted in 2005 U.S.C.C.A.N. 88.

Congressional Record floor debate

155 Cong. Rec. 28,841 (2009) (statement of Sen. Durbin).

Senate hearing testimony

Confirmation Hearing on the Nomination of Elena Kagan: Hearing Before the S. Comm. on the Judiciary, 111th Cong. 12 (2010) (statement of Elena Kagan, Nominee).

House Bill

H.R. 3590, 111th Cong. § 1501 (2009).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting the Congress number from the report designation -- always include it in the format 'No. [Congress]-[Number]'
Failing to attribute statements in the Congressional Record to a specific speaker with a parenthetical
Confusing House and Senate report abbreviations -- 'H.R. Rep.' for House, 'S. Rep.' for Senate
Using 'p.' instead of 'at' before page numbers in committee reports
Citing a bill without specifying the Congress in which it was introduced (e.g., '111th Cong.')
Forgetting to include 'reprinted in' when the report is available in U.S.C.C.A.N.

Tips for Getting It Right

Legislative history is most commonly cited in statutory interpretation arguments -- committee reports are often the most persuasive source
Senate and House Reports are abbreviated differently: 'S. Rep.' vs. 'H.R. Rep.' -- note that 'H.R.' is used for both bills and reports, distinguished by 'Rep.'
For Congressional Record entries, always include a parenthetical identifying the speaker: '(statement of Sen. [Name])'
The U.S.C.C.A.N. reprint reference is valuable because it is more widely accessible than the original committee print
When citing hearings, include the full title of the hearing, the committee, the Congress number, and the specific page