Washington State Legislative History

Legal Research Guides

Updated April 24, 2008.
Prepared by Peggy Jarrett & Cheryl Nyberg.

• Researching Legislative History in Washington
• On the Internet
• Free & Commercial Online Sources
• At the Gallagher Law Library
• At the Washington State Archives
• Current Committee Files
• House & Senate Journal Tapes
• Legislative Process & Legislative Intent
• Territorial Materials
• Legislative History for Other States

Researching Legislative History in Washington

Washington State legislative history is generally available from the mid-1970s forward, although some earlier history may be available. Researchers need to gather all the pieces that make up a legislative history by starting at a library that collects legislative publications, and then if need be, contacting the State Archives for copies of the bill file. If the legislation was passed in the last two years, researchers need to contact the Committees that reported on the bill, and if a cassette tape of floor debate is needed, contact the House and Senate Journal Clerks. Some recent legislative history documents are available on the Internet or in fee-based databases.

When researching a legislative history, it is particularly important to know when to stop. It is often the case that the more time spent and the farther afield ventured, the lower the rate of return.

For more complete information, consult Chapter 6, Legislative History, Initiatives, and Bill Tracking, in the Washington Legal Researcher's Deskbook 3d. KFW75.W37 2002 at Reference Area & Reference Office.

Researchers may find our legislative history checklist (Word) useful for reminders on sources to consult and for note-taking.

On the Internet

Internet-based research is possible only for bill considered and enacted since 1997.

1. Start with a section of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
   1. If you have the RCW citation, retrieve a copy by using the Washington Legislature's search page or by browsing the RCW titles.
   2. If you do not know the RCW citation, search the RCW using the Washington Legislature's search page.
2. Record the session law citations found in brackets at the end of the section.
3. Proceed to the Chapter to Bill Table for the proper year at the Washington Legislature's Bill Information page.
   1. Note that the Bill Information page features the current biennium. Use the tabs to go to bill information pages for previous biennia.

2. Record the bill number. Help is available for understanding the various abbreviations used in the bill information displays.

4. Return to the Bill Information page and search by bill number. The presentation of information in these lists varies from one biennium to the next but the types of information are the same.
5. Review, print, or download documents under the bill number.
   1. Committee reports are often the most useful type of document. Look for fbr, hbr, or sbr; these abbreviations are used to designate bill reports.
   2. History notes the action of a bill through the legislative process, a chronology.
   3. Bill text and amendments show how the bill was changed during the legislative process.
6. Because older House and Senate Journals are not available online you may need to visit a library that has Journals before 1993.
   1. The Journals include information not found in online sources:
      1. point of inquiry: question and answer about a particular bill
      2. references to floor debate: needed to request audiotape from House or Senate Journal clerks.

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Free & Commercial Online Sources

1. Audio is free; videotapes are available for purchase.

2. A CD-ROM of the final House and Senate Journals for the 2005 session are available. KFW.18.2W33 2005 at Reference Area. The data is in large Portable Document Format files.

3. Veto messages are included in the Session laws.

4. LEGLink, a fee-based service of the Washington State Legislature, was discontinued at the end of the 2005 legislative session. Content available as "Detailed Legislative Reports" includes bill summaries, texts, roll call votes, bill status, companion bills, bill tracking, floor activity, reports, and indexes.

At the Gallagher Law Library

All materials are in the Reference Area.

1. Start with an RCW section. Note the citation to the session law you wish to follow (found at the end of each section in brackets).
2. Proceed to the Laws of Washington (1889/90-date; KFW25.A22). Note the bill number, which along with the year and session, is the key to finding legislative history. Look for veto messages and effective dates.
3. Look at the Final Legislative Report (1979-date; KFW15.2) for the background, summary, votes on final passage, effective date, and veto message if applicable.
4. Check various versions of the bill (1889/90-date; Senate, KFW6.S4; House, KFW6.H6).
5. Check the Legislative Digest and History of Bills (1970-date; KFW15.A2) for chronology and reporting committees.
6. Look at both the Journal of the Senate (1889/90-date; KFW18.2.W32) and Journal of the House (1889/90-date; KFW18.2.W3) for points of inquiry, amendments and substitutions, and dates of floor action.

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At the Washington State Archives

The Washington State Archives in Olympia, (360) 586-1492, has files on bills introduced after the mid-1970s. The date varies by individual committee. The files include whatever material the reporting committee compiled. Committees usually keep bill files for two years; for current bills, you must contact the reporting committee.

For bills considered before the mid-1970s, little material is available. Governor's files on specific bills are sometimes available from 1951-1955 and 1965-1984. Governors' files are not open until six years after he or she leaves office.

Legislative Council records from 1947-1973 and personal papers of some legislators may also be useful, although the files are incomplete. See Guide to the Papers of Washington State's Legislative Archives. CD3576.5.W37 1984 at Reference Office

Committee meeting tapes (real time, not transcribed) are also available from the mid-1970s. Tapes are not automatically sent when requesting a bill file; you must specifically request them.

The Archives has conduct a small number of oral histories of former legislators. Oral Histories Published to Date identifies the legislators and links to the text of the transcribed oral histories (PDF).

The Research Section of the Archives will pull, copy, and send bill files and committee tapes on request for a reasonable fee. Archives staff cannot pull and copy sections of massive legislation: the files are not organized by topic or bill section. The Archives are open to the public, so you may research any legislative history yourself. For more information, see the Legislative History guide prepared by the State Archives. and/or contact the Archives staff by email: Research@secstate.wa.gov.

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Current Committee Files

For current bills (those introduced in the past two years) contact the reporting committee for copies of the bill files. Occasionally, a committee may keep a bill file beyond the two-year mark. Both the Final Legislative Report and the Legislative Digest and History of Bills note the reporting committees. House and Senate committee information is available on the Internet.

House & Senate Journal Tapes

You can request tapes of floor action from the Journal Clerks. As with the committee tapes, they are not transcribed and are in real time. To request a tape, you need the bill number and date of action before writing or calling.

• Senate: tapes are available from 1971-date; contact the Journal Clerk, Washington State Senate, Legislative Building, PO Box 40482, Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 786-7579.
• House: tapes are available from 1969-date; contact the Journal Clerk, Washington State House of Representatives, Legislative Building, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 786-7790.

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Legislative Process & Legislative Intent

The Legislature meets annually beginning on the second Monday in January. During odd-numbered years the session lasts for 105 days; these are the budget years. During even-numbered years, the session lasts for 60 days. The Governor may call a special legislative session lasting 30 days, and the Legislature can call a special session with a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate.

More detailed information on the Washington State legislative process is found in the following sources:

• "Legislative History in Washington," 7 University of Puget Sound Law Review 571 (1984). Discusses Washington courts’ use of legislative history and how to research legislative history. Available on Hein Online. UW Restricted
• Sine Die: A Guide to the Washington State Legislative Process (1997). JK9271.S44 1997 at Reference Area & Reference Office.
• Legislative Manual, State of Washington. KFW421.5.R8L5 at Reference Area and Reference Office. Published biennially. Includes the state constitution, joint rules, Senate rules, House rules, state officials, list of legislators and standing committees. Senate and House rules are also available on the Internet: Permanent Rules of the Senate and Permanent Rules of the House of Representatives.  
• How a Bill Becomes a Law. Step-by-step process.
• Overview of the Legislative Process.
• Glossary of Legislative Terms.
• Statutes and Statutory Construction (6th ed.). KF425.S25 2002 at Reference Area. Volume 2A includes a general discussion of the use and relative weight of legislative history.

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Territorial Materials

See Ann Hemmens & Cheryl Nyberg, "Washington Territorial Legal Materials,” in 2 Pre-statehood Legal Materials: A Fifty-State Research Guide, Including New York City and the District of Columbia 1323-67. KF240.P688 2005 at Reference Area.

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Legislative History for Other States

• State Legislative History Research Guides on the Web links to guides produced by government agencies and law librarians. 
• State Legislative Sourcebook: A Resource Guide to Legislative Information in the Fifty States. JK2495.S689, latest edition at Reference Office. Good source. Includes Internet sites.
• "State Legislative Histories: A Select, Annotated Bibliography," 85 Law Library Journal 545 (1993). Lists legislative resources guides for various states. Available on Hein Online. UW Restricted
• National Conference of State Legislatures
  • State Legislatures Internet Links.
  • 2006 State Legislative Session Calendar lists dates convened and adjourned for regular and special sessions.
• Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC, State Legislatures, State Laws, and State Regulations provides links and phone numbers.
• Pre-statehood Legal Materials: A Fifty-State Research Guide, Including New York City and the District of Columbia, 2 vols. KF240.P688 2005 at Reference Area.

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