Legislative history attempts to discern the intent of the legislature when making law and is one of the more challenging areas of legal research. Fortunately, the New York State Library has produced a comprehensive guide.
Bills
Sponsor's Memoranda
Bill Jackets
The New York State Legislature is composed of two houses: the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. The website contains bills and other legislative materials from 1995-present. The website is not very intuitive or aesthetically pleasing, but it can be searched the furthest back in time.
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The website contains bills and other legislative materials from 1999-present. Although it does not go as far back in time as the Legislature's website, it is easier to use and contains more information (e.g., videos and transcripts).
The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature. The website contains bills and other legislative materials from 2009-present. One of its main advantages is that you can search for public hearing transcripts.
The New York State Archives is the official repository of bill jackets sent to the governor. It contains bill jackets from 1995-2020. For bill jackets prior to 1995, try emailing archref@nysed.gov.
The New York Legislative Service publishes the New York State Legislative Annual, a yearly compilation of legislative histories of each chapter law, veto, proposed constitutional amendment, and ballot proposal from 1946-present. However, the library only offers print access.
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