Legislative Record Series Descriptions

Legislative Committee Minutes, Audio Records and Audio Logs

1926-present (Committee minutes and exhibits are not fully represented until 1961, tape logs replace minutes in 2007) 
Arrangement: house, senate or joint committee, thereunder, chronological by hearing date.

This series summarizes committee hearings and highlights major points of discussion. The minutes include date and time of hearing, individuals present, and measures heard. They reflect discussion and testimony by legislators and interested parties on proposed legislative acts. The legislative minutes are not a transcription of the audio records.

The legislative committee audio tapes begin in 1957 and consist of reel-to-reel tapes, dictation tapes (1967-69), and cassette tapes (1981-2009). Audio tapes are sometimes indexed in minutes or tape logs.

Some committee hearings are video taped in 1991 (See Records Inventory​).
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Legislative Committee Exhibits

1926-present (Committee minutes and exhibits are not fully represented until 1961) 
Arrangement: house, senate or joint committee, thereunder by bill number, date, letter, or subject.

This series includes written testimonies, proposed amendments, letters regarding bills, reports, measure analysis, and publications. Exhibits are submitted by legislators, committee staff, and witnesses.

Beginning in 1987 some exhibits were submitted on video tape.
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Legislative Original Bill Files

1856-present 
Arrangement: chronological by year, thereunder by bill number.

This series is a compilation of the original measure with subsequent engrossed versions and, if it passed, topped with the enrolled copy of the bill. The bill file can also include committee reports, printed amendments, history sheets, a fiscal analysis, and a staff measure analysis. The committee report is a daily notice of committee actions on measures. The staff measure analysis summarizes the issues and expected impact of the bill. The engrossed versions of the measure add and delete words, phrases, and sections as they go through the legislative process.

The original enrolled bills (1859-2010), those signed by the governor, are also housed in the Oregon State Archives as part of the Secretary of State's records (i.e. Legislative enrolled bills).
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Legislative Floor Proceeding Audio Records

1963-present
Arrangement: chronological by year, thereunder by tape number.

This series documents the House and Senate floor debates during the regular and special sessions of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. The House tapes begin in 1963, the Senate in 1973. They consist of reel-to-reel tapes and cassette tapes (Senate starts cassette tapes in 1981, House in 1993). Tape logs are available for most sessions.

The 1987, 1989, and 1991 floor proceedings are also on video tape.
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Emergency Board Minutes and Audio Records

1913-2010
Arrangement: chronological by hearing date.

This series summarizes hearings and highlights the major points of discussion of the Emergency Board. The minutes include date of hearing, individuals present, and hearings on state fiscal and budgetary matters. The Emergency Board minutes are not a transcription of the audio records.

The Emergency Board audio tapes begin in 1969 and consist of reel-to-reel tapes. Audio tapes are sometimes indexed in tape logs.
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The lobby of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem
The lobby of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. (Photo No. marDA0146)

Oregon Legislative Records Guide

Oregon Legislative Assembly History

Committee Records Inventory​

Legislative Assembly Committee Audio Logs and Minutes

Researching Legislative Records​

Glossary ​(Oregon Legislature website)​​