Congressional documents originate from congressional committees and cover a wide variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations made for Congress, and annual reports of non-governmental organizations. Congressional documents, along with Congressional reports, are part of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, commonly referred to as the Serial Set. There are three types of documents:
House and Senate Documents
Contain various other materials ordered printed by both chambers of Congress. Documents can include reports of executive departments and agencies, some of which are submitted in accordance with Federal law, then later are ordered printed as documents. Sometimes committee prints are ordered printed as documents also, if the information they contain is in demand. Documents have a larger distribution than committee prints.
Senate Executive Documents
Contain the text of a Treaty as it is submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification by the President of the United States. Beginning with the 97th Congress in 1981, Executive Documents became known as Treaty Documents, and they are now numbered instead of lettered alphabetically.
Senate Treaty Documents
Contain the text of a Treaty as it is submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification by the President of the United States. Numbered consecutively from the 1st Session through the 2d Session of a Congress. Prior to the 97th Congress known as Executive (Lettered) Documents, and identified by letters of the alphabet.
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set, commonly referred to as the Serial Set, contains the House and Senate Documents and the House and Senate Reports bound by session of Congress. It began publication with the 15th Congress, 1st Session (1817). Documents before 1817 may be found in the American State Papers. In general, it includes: committee reports related to bills and other matters, presidential communications to Congress, treaty materials, certain executive department publications, and certain non-governmental publications.
Y 1.1/2: U.S. Congressional Serial Set
Y 1.1/3: Senate Documents
Y 1.1/4: Senate Treaty Documents
Y 1.1/5: Senate Reports
Y 1.1/6: Senate Executive Reports
Y 1.1/7: House Documents
Y 1.1/8: House Reports
Congressional reports originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. Congressional reports, along with Congressional documents, are part of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, commonly referred to as the Serial Set. There are three types of reports:
House and Senate Reports
Reports of congressional committees concerning proposed legislation and/or contain findings on matters under investigation.
Senate Executive Reports
Reports of the Committee on Foreign Relations relating to Treaties between the United States and foreign nations, which have been submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification, or are reports of various Senate Committees regarding nomination of individuals.
Conference Reports
A conference report is an agreement on legislation that is negotiated between the House and Senate via conference committees. It is printed and submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval.
For more information about Conference Reports, see http://www.gpo.gov/help/about_congressional_reports.htm.
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