CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a branch of the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS that provides objective, nonpartisan research, analysis, and information to assist Congress in its legislative, oversight, and representative functions.
U.S. senators and representatives, and their staffs
consult the CRS for timely and accurate infor-
mation regarding major issues and policies. The
CRS researches and advises on questions and
concerns related to many subject areas. It is
organized into six interdisciplinary research
divisions: American Law; Domestic Social Pol-
icy; Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade; Govern-
ment and Finance; Information Research; and
Resources, Science and Industry. Each division is
organized into smaller sections, which focus on
specific areas of public policy. The work of these
divisions is supported by five offices: Congres-
sional Affairs and Counselor to the Director;
Finance and Administration; Information
Resources Management; Legislative Informa-
tion; and Workforce Development.
The CRS is made up of two reference divi-
sions: the Congressional Reference Division and
the Library Services Division. These provide ref-
erence, bibliographic, and other information
services using advanced methods of computer-
ized searching.
The CRS conducts a host of other support
activities for Congress. It develops specialized
reading lists for members of Congress and their
staffs. It operates the Library of Congress’s auto-
mated legislative information systems, including
digests of all public bills and briefing papers on
major legislative issues. It also attempts to antic-
ipate congressional research needs, and it devel-
ops seminars that allow members of Congress,
their staffs, CRS researchers, and outside experts
to exchange ideas on timely issues. The CRS has
produced programs on the congressional CABLE
TELEVISION system, and it provides language
service support and translations for members of
Congress.
The CRS is governed by a director, a deputy
director, and a management team. The highest-
level researchers are called senior specialists.
They are often nationally and internationally
recognized experts in their field of study. CRS
offices include Special Programs, Operations,
Policy, and Research Coordination.
The Congressional Research Service evolved
from the Legislative Reference Service, which
was created by the Legislative Reorganization
Act of 1946 (codified as amended at Act of Aug.
2, 1946, ch. 753, 60 Stat. 812), and the Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1970 (codified as
amended at Act of Oct. 26, 1970, Pub. L. No. 91-
510, 84 Stat. 1140). In the beginning of the
twenty-first century, the CRS experienced
tremendous growth as Congress sought to
respond to the increasing scope and complexity
of public policy issues. Specifically, the service
expanded its website to enhance on-line
research. In 2001, over 540,000 users accessed
the CRS site to obtain reports and briefs. The
CRS anticipates expanding web services as Con-
gress demands 24-hour access to its research data.
FURTHER READINGS
Congressional Research Service. 2001 Annual Report.
Available online at www.loc.gov/crsinfo/whatscrs.html#report (accessed May 20, 2003).
