Policy Research: Histories & Tracings

What are histories and tracings?

Legislative histories or tracings show all pieces of legislative item's history as it moves through the law making process. Usually histories or tracings show a summary of the topic, dates bills were discussed in committees, hearings, reports related to the legislative issue, and more. These products can also show where or how a policy gets ingested into the United States Code, or locally, in the Oregon Administrative Rules. 

Why use histories and tracings?

Legislative histories and tracings provide rich contextual information about the legislation's formation. Edits to bills, congressional testimony, and viewing political processes provide a window into the complex network and circular nature of public policy. For example, a history will link to past versions of bills and hearings. From the hearings you will be able to view transcripts and read arguments made by witnesses from Congress, advocacy organizations, and citizens. This contextual information helps shape the policy story for any policy researcher.