A legislative history is the chronology of legislative action. To trace this legislative action, the researcher must first look at the sources of legislative information. Bills Bills are proposed legislation.
Bills give the text of legislation and name the sponsors of the legislation.
Both the sponsors' names and the text are useful in helping to determine legislative intent. Bills are numbered in the order in which they are introduced into the respective legislative bodies. If a bill becomes law, it is listed by the act number. Acts are numbered chronologically in the order in which they were passed. Committee Hearings Committee Hearings are sources of information concerning public sentiment expressed about proposed legislation.