Tips When Researching Legislation: Context through Visualizations

Researching Massachusetts legislation should never be panic-inducing, but it can seem overwhelming when you aren’t familiar with the best methods of attack.  After years of educating researchers on the dos, don’ts, and how-tos of legislative research, I started thinking about other ways in which I could communicate the information so that it’s easier to understand.  Tracing the history of a bill, which is part of the process of compiling a legislative history, can be quite tedious, but the process is not difficult if you have a relatable way to visualize it.

First off, it’s incredibly important for inexperienced researchers to hold back on the impulse to dive right into the middle of legislative research; understanding the context of the law (passed or not passed) should always come first.  Context is developed by tracing a bill back to its beginning, which can range from straightforward to very complex depending on the topic of the bill, general interest, and/or contention surrounding it. I can sometimes sense dread when I describe the process to a new researcher, so lately I’ve been using a visualization that is more easily graspable: the genealogical family tree.

Most everyone knows what a family tree looks like and how it’s laid out, and the further you go back, the more research is needed to fill in branches of unknown relatives.  I realized that tracing a bill is actually not that different, as the goal to suss out its origin(s) is the same, and just like family trees, it can be straightforward or very complex.  Researchers usually begin with what I call the “trunk” of the tree, which is the final version of the bill (passed or not passed). And unless the bill went straight through the legislature without any redrafts, it most likely has direct “ancestors” (previous drafts and amendments).

Here’s a good visual example of the bill history for H4099, which ultimately became Chapter 113 of the Acts of 2019.

Sometimes a successful piece of legislation is not the first time it has been introduced.  Previous failed attempts could be considered distant relatives, and they can tell you how an idea or language originally came to be--but they should not be included in your legislative “family tree” as they are not directly related to the bill you are researching.  Check out my previous blog about rejected bills.

While the State Library’s physical location is currently closed until further notice, our librarians are committed to assisting our patrons via remote services.  Reach out to us if you have a question or research need, as we are available Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm via email (reference.department@mass.gov) and phone (please leave a message at 617-727-2590).  We’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Additional Resources:
Guide to Performing Massachusetts Legislative History
Massachusetts Law Resources in the State Library
Access to the State Library's Resources During Closure

Kaitlin Connolly
Reference Department