Legislative History Tutorial

What else might I need to know, or where else might I look?

Bulletins. Another place to look for information is the series of Legislative Counsel Bureau Bulletins. These reports summarize Interim Studies conducted by the Legislature, often including suggested legislation to be introduced in the following session. (Keep in mind that these studies are done during the Interim. For example, if you are looking for information concerning a 1957 bill, check the list of Bulletins for both 1957 and 1956.) The Bulletins are available online or you may contact our Publications Office for a copy:

Correspondence:
Legislative Counsel Bureau
Publications
401 South Carson Street
Carson City NV 89701-4747

Telephone: 775-684-6835
Fax:            775-684-6663

Email

Minutes from interim study committee meetings and final reports of the studies are available at the Research Library and, to some extent, online. The online minutes go back to the 1997-98 Interim. (See "Interim Info" on the legislative home page.) The online reports go back to 1947.

Audio. From 1961 through 2013 the activities on the Senate and Assembly floor were recorded and copies were sent to the Nevada State Archives for permanent storage. Legislative audio was recorded in the following formats:

• 1961-1969 Dictabelt
• 1971-1977 Reel-to-reel
• 1977-1999 Cassette tape
• 2001-2009 CD
• 2011-2013 Tape Drive

Committee meetings were also recorded, but were not permanently retained. Committee recordings were kept by the Legislative Counsel Bureau for a two-session period and then destroyed.

Beginning in 2015, the Legislature started an online archive of the video recordings of its floor sessions and committee meetings. The archive also includes video recordings of the interim committee meetings.

Reports or Studies from Outside Agencies. Occasionally a state agency or outside consultant will conduct a study that results in legislation being introduced. In these instances, the committee discussion of the bill may mention the agency, organization or the study itself. The Research Library or the State Library may have more information about the studies.

From 1849 to 1977 reports to the Legislature and other state documents were bound together in volumes entitled Appendix to Journals of Senate and Assembly. These reports cover a wide range of subjects, and may be a useful source of information.

Newspaper or Magazine Articles. For recent legislation, you may be able to find articles online. Check with your local library or the State Library for older items. The State Library also has a list of the newspapers that have some indexing.

Other Things to Keep in Mind:

• No minutes or written reports are prepared for conference committee meetings. Conference committees generally include three senators and three assemblymen who meet to reconcile differences in a bill as passed by the Senate and the Assembly.
• When amendments are added late in a session, the language may be derived from another bill that stalled earlier in the session. Check the bill index and research similar bills.
• A bill enacted in one session may have been extensively debated, but not passed, in a prior session. Check the bill index for previous sessions to identify legislation on a similar topic and research for background information.
• Early committee discussion on a bill may not reference the bill number, but rather the Bill Draft Request (BDR) number. Preliminary discussion may also be in the form of a presentation on the subject of the bill.
• In major revisions of NRS chapters or titles, language that appears to be newly introduced with the bill may actually have existed in older compilations of NRS. Check the subject index in older editions of the NRS or previous codifications.

What are some Legislative Counsel Bureau Publications that might be of help?