What We Don't Have

Just as it's important to understand the types of records the Center for Legislative Archives holds, it is also important to understand what we do NOT have:

• Personal papers of members of Congress (including Member correspondence) are not retained with committee papers; therefore, they are not transferred to the National Archives. Researchers can find personal paper collections using the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. Read our research guide on the Personal Papers of Members of Congress for more information.
• We do not have the signed, official copy of a public or private law. Read our research guide on the Records of Congress & Signed Laws and send your inquiry to archives1reference@nara.gov.
• The Center only holds the records of the 1st Congress (1789) to the Present. Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses are located with the Textual Reference Branch of the National Archives as part of RG 360. Inquiries should be sent archives1reference@nara.gov. The Journals of the Continental Congress are available online via the Library of Congress. 
• Executive and Judicial branch records are in the custody of other units at the National Archives. Review the National Archives website or the Record Group Explorer for the correct contact for civilian agency records, military records, court records, records of executive-branch commissions, or other non-legislative records. Keep in mind, many agencies submitted copies of records to the U.S. Congress as part of an annual or mandated report, but the original copy and any supporting documents will remain with executive-branch records.
• Executive Orders are issued by the President and can be located through the American Presidency Project. Executive Communications are submitted to the U.S. Congress and can be located in our holdings. The Law Library of Congress has a webinar on how to locate congressionally mandated reports.
• The Center holds legislative-branch records at the Federal level. You must contact your local or state archives for records of state legislatures, including original state constitutions and state laws.
• The Center holds very few congressional hearing videos and very little audiovisual material in general—our records are primarily textual. Researchers should search C-SPAN for committee hearing videos and check with television and news archival repositories for earlier hearings. Read our guide on Videos of Congressional Hearings for more information. 

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