Research & Legislation - Legislative Reference Library

The mission of the Legislative Reference Library is to meet the informational needs of legislators and staff by making library materials readily available, to serve as an access point for requested information, and to function as a depository for legislative documents.

Library Resources

The Legislative Reference Library, established according to Section 67-429(3), Idaho Code, to serve the informational needs of legislators and legislative staff, maintains comprehensive resources to assist with research. State documents maintained in the library include Attorney General Opinions, Executive Budgets, and Executive Orders. Legal materials available are:

• Idaho Code, current and superseded volumes back to 1887 Revised Statutes
• Idaho Administrative Code, current and superseded volumes
• Idaho Reports from 1866

Legislative Materials

The library maintains and keeps current a collection of legislative materials that includes the following documents:

• House and Senate bills from 1957
• House and Senate Journals from 1884
• Standing committee minutes from 1960 in the House and 1970 in the Senate
• Territorial and State Session Laws from 1863
• Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee minutes
• Legislative Budget Books and Legislative Fiscal Reports
• Interim study committee minutes and attachments from 1963

Legislative History Assistance

The Legislative Librarian provides guidance to the public in researching the legislative history of a statute, both through books maintained in the library and, for recent legislation, through the Legislature's web site.

Online Resources

The librarian has access to a number of online proprietary databases, as well as the Internet, and is experienced in searching databases in response to information requests. The wealth of information available on the Internet includes information such as legislation in other states, federal laws and regulations, bills pending in Congress, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions. In addition to the Internet, the librarian has access to proprietary databases such as:

• National Conference of State Legislatures. This organization provides information on its web site, but restricts access to some of its research reports and publications to members-only. The Idaho Legislature is a member of NCSL and therefore the librarian can access these restricted publications.
• Council of State Governments. As with NCSL, CSG restricts some of its best research and reports to member legislatures only, through its "STARS" database. The librarian has access to these publications as well.
• Libraries Linking Idaho. Through the Idaho State Library, which funds the "LiLI" information database, the librarian has access to this group of periodical databases from EBSCO and ProQuest. Hundreds of magazines, newspapers and newsletters can be searched simultaneously using this valuable database.
• West Publishing. The Legislative Library has access via CD-ROM and the Internet to West's fee-based electronic databases, and resort may be made to these resources when the free databases do not yield the necessary information.

The legislative librarian is experienced and trained to solve informational problems, and to facilitate access to the sources that will best supply requested data. Information is never shared about users of the library's materials or services.

The library is located in the east end of the basement of the Capitol and is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

For more information, contact:
Kristin Ford, Legislative Librarian via email or telephone: 208/334-4822.