The purpose of this research guide is to describe the resources available at this Law Library and set out the basic steps to compile a New York legislative history.
The purpose of a legislative history is to try to determine the intent of the legislature enacting the law. In other words, what is the issue the legislature is addressing and why does the legislature deal with the issue in the manner that they do.
Our Law Library holds many but not all of the materials that may make up a legislative history. This is why the focus of this guide is to explain what the researcher can do here.
The basic steps for compiling a New York legislative history; points to remember; and the materials/documents used and available at the Law Library are on the "Definitions" and "Overview of Process" pages.
See the Reference Resources box to the right for resources that provide more complete discussions on compiling a New York state legislative history. These resources mention materials we do not have and provide guidance for finding them.
Or, for other guides search google: research guide New York legislative history