The types of documents available in California for legislative history research vary according to the historical era in which one is researching. The following provides an overview of the types of documents generally available in particular historical eras, and for the older eras, a brief discussion of dominant legislative events of the era to help put the time period on context. The available material includes a procedural history of the bill which will provide the names of the committees that heard the bill, copies of the various amended versions of the bill, and committee and floor analyses, which often discuss the source and purpose of the proposal. In addition to the material available on line, more detailed information is available in the file documents contained in the files of the author, the policy committees, and other organizations within the executive and legislative branch that prepare analyses in response to pending legislation. The sources for documents on any particular piece of legislation depend on the subject matter of the bill.
Files can often be very voluminous.
It is often most cost effective to physically review files if you want to avoid very large photocopy bills, and many duplicate, non-substantive or redundant documents. In addition many offices will require that persons requesting access to files handle the photocopying. As of April of 1999 former Governor Wilson's files for legislation he signed from 1991 to 1998 are available. These documents have not been available previously. If you have research on a 1991 to 1998 bill, and the research was performed prior to April of 1999, these additional documents may prove valuable.