Committee Records

The bulk of the lawmaking process takes place in legislative committees. Committees study the issues, listen to testimony, and form policy on proposed bills. As a result, committee records are frequently the best source for understanding the legislative intent or reasoning behind a law.

Standing, Joint, and Conference Committee Records

The State Archives has extensive committee information available for research. Most of the records were created by standing committees, although a few records of joint committees and conference committees are available. Search our Online Guide for General Assembly records  Records from the current biennium are available on the General Assembly's website.

A card index to hearing transcripts dating from 1966 to 1994 is available in our Reference Room and can be searched by bill number, witnesses, subjects, and committee. A card index to hearing audio recordings from 1985 to 1994 is also available in our Reference Room. This index can be searched by subject, bill number, committee, or witness name.

A similar index for the recordings since 1994 is available on the General Assembly's website. Researchers can use the legislative website to research committee meetings by bill to identify the relevant box and media information for specific hearings.

Committee records are in the form of audio and audiovisual recordings (some transcribed) and textual records. Digital committee records, beginning with the 2015-2016 biennium, are available and searchable online through the digital state archives, VT Re·tain.

Study and Interim Committee Records

The work of study and interim committees can often influence legislation years after these special committees have ceased to exist. The legislative intent of particular laws can sometimes be found in the findings and deliberations of these committees established to examine specific issues.