CRS Reports – Legal Analysis from Congress’s Think Tank

The Congressional Research Service, a legislative branch agency housed within the Library of Congress, provides legal and public policy analysis for members of the U.S. Congress, both House and Senate. It is often called Congress’s think tank. Its analysis is nonpartisan and covers research areas such as domestic law and social policy, foreign affairs, and government and finance.  Scholars and practitioners interested in health law, economics, gun control, and technology and the law often examine CRS reports.

CRS reports are confidential when written, and do not become public until Congress releases them. While the CRS does not publish its reports online, other organizations do. The most comprehensive source on the Web for CRS reports is Open CRS. The National Defense Library maintains a research guide on How to Find CRS Reports that gives you additional places to look.