1. Using Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov/

2. You can search bills submitted to the current Congress by using this search box. Use the key words from your topic. For example: gun control, juvenile crime http://thomas.loc.gov/ You can search previous years by clicking here. For this assignment, you should definitely research at least the previous two Congresses (108 th and 107 th ).

3. Learn to read the title! S stands for Senate. This particular bill was the 119 th bill submitted to the Senate in the 109 th Congress. H.R. stands for the House of Representatives. This means the bill started in the House. Your search will produce a list of bills submitted to a particular Congress. To find out more about a particular bill, click here. Use the following slides to find out more about using Thomas to research specific bills.

4. Click here to find out the current status of the bill. You will want to find out if the bill became a law or if it met some other fate. More than likely the bills you are looking out will have been assigned to a committee.

5. The bill summary and status page will tell you the last major action taken on your bill. All bills go to committees first. A committee must vote on the bill before it comes to the floor of the House or the Senate. Most bills die in committee which means they never get an opportunity to be voted on by the House or the Senate. This particular bill is now being considered by the Judiciary Committee. If this option is available, it will provide you with a short summary of the bill. If not, click on Text of Legislation.

6. Bills have many sections. You’ll learn more about this as you begin to write your own legislation. For the purposes of this assignment, pay attention to the purposes of the particular bill.