Legislative history refers to the progress of a bill through the legislative branch and to the documents that are created during that process. Attorneys, judges, and others often turn to these documents to learn why Congress enacted a particular law or to aid in the interpretation of a law.
Legislative History research is very important to infer what the meaning of the law is by using the language recorded throughout the process of enacting a piece of legislation. This can be crucial in clarifying legislative intent.
The components of legislative history for a bill (in order of their importance) are:
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