Legislative Bill Archive

Legislative Bill Archive

The Legislative Reference Bureau has undertaken a preservation and public access project to digitize the bills, resolutions and other legislative measures considered by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1816 to the 1969-1970 session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Legislative Bill Archive is comprised of digitized images obtained from the microfilm collection of the Legislative Reference Bureau and published legislative histories of the Senate and House of Representatives from 1915 through 1970.

Legislative practices relative to the printing and numbering of bills, resolutions and other legislative measures evolved over time. Note when viewing documents in the Legislative Bill Archive:

• Prior to 1915, legislative history information for bills, resolutions and other legislative measures for the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives is not available.
• From 1917 through 1930, published legislative histories identified bills by bill number and pink and white file folio numbers, rather than printer's numbers. Bills were printed on pink paper upon introduction. When bills were reported from committee, they were reprinted on white paper. Bills moving from the chamber of origin were given a new bill number in the chamber of reference. Published legislative histories only list one file folio number for a given bill regardless of whether the bill was amended.
• From 1931 through 1940, published legislative histories identified bills by bill number and, if reported from committee, printer's number. The legislative histories only list one printer's number for a given bill regardless of whether the bill was amended. Bills were printed on pink paper upon introduction. When bills were reported from committee, they were reprinted on white paper. Bills moving from the chamber of origin were given a new bill number in the chamber of reference.
• For the 1941 legislative session, legislative practice was the same as 1931-1940, except prior printer's numbers for House bills were noted in the legislative histories.
• From 1943 through 1958, legislative practice was the same as 1931-1940, except prior printer's numbers for both House and Senate bills were noted in the legislative histories. Bills are assigned a single bill number, which is not changed as the bill moves between chambers.
• For the 1959 legislative session, legislative practice was the same as 1943-1958, except printer's numbers were assigned to bills upon introduction.
• From 1961 through 1970, bills were printed on white paper upon introduction, which resulted in the printing of bills and legislative histories in their present-day form.