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Legal Research

What is CRS?

What is the Congressional Research Service (CRS)?
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a federal legislative branch agency located within the Library of Congress, serves as shared staff exclusively to congressional committees and Members of Congress. CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process — from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.

CRS approaches complex topics from a variety of perspectives and examines all sides of an issue. Staff members analyze current policies and present the impact of proposed policy alternatives. CRS services come in many forms:

  • reports on major policy issues
  • tailored confidential memoranda, briefings and consultations
  • seminars and workshops
  • expert congressional testimony
What are CRS reports?
CRS reports provide Congress with both anticipatory and on-demand research and analysis to support their legislative, oversight, and representational duties. All reports adhere to the core values of CRS; they are authoritative, objective and nonpartisan. Reports range in length from several pages to more than one-hundred pages and cover the full breadth of topics of interest to Congress.

Finding CRS Reports

You can access CRS Reports from:

  • HeinOnline - (Monmouth University login required)
  • CRS Search - For an index of CRS products, click the SEARCH button without entering a search term.