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Native American Law: Federal Laws, Regulations & Other Administrative Materials + Sources of Federal Legislative History

Research guide to support the spring 2024 Native American Law course taught by Professor Precious Benally.

Digital Starting Points to Find Legislative Material (publicly accessible)

Click here to access publicly accessible sources (including Congress.gov and GovInfo) in BLS Library's U.S. Government Information guide.

Legislative History Documents in the Congressional Serial Set (publicly accessible)

American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 (@ University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons)

  • University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons states: "The Serial Set is a compilation of U.S. Congressional publications published by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives about the bills and resolutions involved in lawmaking. It also includes reports of executive departments, government-funded institutions, and other independent organizations....This collection offers detailed contemporaneous documentation of political, military, and governmental activities related to [I]ndigenous peoples of the continental United States and Alaskan territory during the 19th century."
  • Also provides: How to Use the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 Collection to Research Tribal History.

Searchable Databases for Legislative/Legislative History Research (subscription, BLS LIbrary)

CQ.com (daily news/analysis, when the U.S. Congress is in session) & CQ Magazine (weekly news/analysis) > in each of BLS Library's SARA catalog records, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION - (CQ) - Reports on acts of the U.S. Congress. [Provider: FiscalNote] (remote access requires BLS proxy server)

ProQuest Congressional > in BLS Library's SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION - (PROQUEST) - Provides the full text of many U.S. legislative and executive publications. (remote access requires BLS proxy server)

  • Tip: Link: Advanced (beneath main screen search box) supports searches by content type + states the date range of available material for each content type (example: Content type: Hearings: 1824-Present).
    • Search example: Researchers can enter the name of a witness/panelist and limit the search by content type: Hearings.

ProQuest Legislative Insight > in BLS Library's SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION - (PROQUEST) - Provides legislative histories of U.S. public laws.  As ProQuest notes here: "[l]egislative histories enable you to trace the development of a public law from early consideration to enactment."  These legislative histories include links to specific documents (such as bills, discussions in the Congressional Record and reports). (remote access requires BLS proxy server) 

  • Offers a main screen search box, including a link to Popular Law Names. 
  • Offers an Advanced Search feature to search by number/citation (e.g., by bill number or by public law number).
  • Supports searches in the full text of documents associated with a U.S. public law.
  • Allows researchers to download documents.

U.S. Congressional Documents Library (in HeinOnline) > in BLS Library's SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION - (HEIN). (remote access requires BLS proxy server)

  • Features the Congressional Record bound volume set (1873-present) + its predecessor titles: Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837) and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873).  Also provides the Congressional Record Daily edition from 1980-present.
  • Features House and Senate documents and reports included in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set (scope:1817-2017) + a collection titled: Congressional Documents (2018-present).
  • Also provides collections of Committee Prints and Congressional Hearings.

Westlaw tab: Statutes & Court Rules (enter BLS username/password) provides:

Westlaw tab: Legislative History (enter BLS username/password) includes:

  • Arnold & Porter Legislative Histories
  • Congressional Record (scope: 99th Congress (1985) - present)
  • Legislative History - 1776 (scope: "Documents related to the founding of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, notes on the debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, the Federalist papers, and ratification resolutions of the states. Coverage begins with selected resolutions passed by the First Continental Congress in 1774.")
  • Legislative History - Congressional Reports (scope: "All congressional committee reports, including reports on bills that did not become law, beginning with 1990. Also sets out the legislative history of public laws as reprinted in U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) from 1948 through 1989, as well as the legislative history of securities laws beginning with 1933 and presidential signing statements reprinted in USCCAN beginning with 1986.")
  • U.S. GAO Federal Legislative Histories (for many public laws enacted between 1921-1995)

Federal Laws & Regulations (subscription, BLS Library)

Current:

Westlaw (enter Westlaw username/password):

Constitution of the United States (source: United States Code Annotated) (in Westlaw)

Federal Native American Law Statutes and Court Rules (in Westlaw)

  • Contents: Title 25 (source: United States Code Annotated)

Westlaw also provides this treatise that discusses applicable federal environmental laws (the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Wilderness Act): William H. Rodgers, Jr. & Elizabeth Burleson, Environmental Law in Indian Country (w/ Summer 2024 update).  It includes Chapter 1.50. Tribal-Federal Environmental Indian Law: Evolving Best Practices—Timeline.

Federal Native American Law Regulations (in Westlaw)

  • Contents: Appears to be Title 25 (source: Code of Federal Regulations)

Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA) (in Westlaw)

  • Contents: "Adjudicative decisions released by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA) in the Office of Hearings and Appeals of the Department of the Interior. Also includes appeals from administrative law judge decisions in Native American probate matters. Coverage begins with 1970."

Lexis+ (enter Lexis+ username/password):

Constitution of the United States (source: United States Code Service) (in Lexis+)

Native American Law, section: Statutes and Legislation (in Lexis+)

  • Includes: Title 25 (source: United States Code Service)

Native American Law, section: Administrative Materials, Codes and Regulations (in Lexis+)

Historical:

Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: History, Culture & Law (in HeinOnline) 

  • Access tip: To access this database from a remote location, implement the BLS proxy server instructions for one web browser. Librarians recommend the proxy server instructions for Firefox browser.   

Includes: