Journals

Legislative journals record the formal actions taken on a bill in the House and Senate. Each chamber maintains its own journal. The journals can be used to find out when a bill was introduced; who sponsored it; which committees it was sent to; and when it may have been amended. Occasionally the journals also include the text of bills, amendments, remarks and roll call votes.

Print and online versions of the journals are available:

• Vermont State Legislature Legislative Research Page: Beginning with the 1995 biennium, the journal information related to a bill can be researched online.
• Published House and Senate Journals (1778-Present): Hard copy compilations of the journals are published each biennium. Copies of these versions can be found in local libraries, town offices, the State Library, and our Reference Room. Digital versions of some of the House and Senate journals up to 1917 can be found online.

• Records of the Governor and Council, 1775–1836: Prior to 1836, Vermont had a unicameral legislature. The journals of the Governor and Council add context to the work of the General Assembly during this period. The eight volume series can be researched online.

Journals are particularly helpful for identifying the committees to which a bill was referred. Researchers can then use this information to locate the records of those specific committees.