Legislative History & Recording

The Tennessee State Library and Archives houses a rich and varied collection of original, commercially published, and microfilmed legal and legislative documents. This material can be of use to legal historians and scholars, as well as to those individuals seeking information about current Tennessee legislation and laws. Listed on this web site are some of the most frequently requested items.

The Legislative Audio Recording Program keeps audio recordings and logs of the Tennessee General Assembly and various committees and subcommittees. This page describes the legislative recording process and how the materials can be used to trace a bill's history.

In 1955 the Tennessee State Library and Archives began audio recording the floor sessions of the Tennessee General Assembly. Over a period of years the program gradually expanded and by the late 1980’s all standing committees of the legislature were recorded. In 2006, legislative mandate ordered the expansion of the recording program to fully record the proceedings of the General Assembly, including all committees and subcommittees. This recording has now become a year-round process as many legislative committees currently meet 12 months of the year. In addition, recordings of various special committees have been added to the audio archive, creating a unique resource of primary materials.