Research Guides: UST 616/716: Systems and Processes of Policy Development: Legal & Policy Resources

Michael Schwartz Library

How to Find Legislation (Bills)

To find CURRENT Ohio legislation, go to The Ohio Legislature. You can also Search Legislation from the past several years here.

To find legislation and enacted bills from previous Ohio Legislature sessions (also called General Assemblies), go to the Ohio General Assembly Archives.

Look at the issues discussed in Ideastream's Statehouse News Bureau.

Ohio Legislative Service Commission - LSC is a nonpartisan agency providing the Ohio General Assembly with drafting, research, budget and fiscal analysis, training, and other services.

See the Legislative History Research Guide prepared by the CSU Law Library. It is a guide to find the documents created during the legislative process: versions of bills & amendments, committee reports, debates, hearings, etc.

National Conference of State Legislatures - Use this website to see if other states have similar legislation to the bill you are analyzing.

OpenStates.org - Legislative information about bills in all US states.

Find current and past bills from the United States Congress.

Ohio Laws

Ohio Constitution The Ohio Constitution lays out the framework for the state's government and provides rights for the people of Ohio.
Ohio Revised Code The general laws of the state of Ohio. The Revised Code is organized into 31 general titles broken into chapters dealing with individual topics of law. The chapters are divided into sections which contain the text of individual statutes. The laws are collected and published in the Ohio Revised Code.
Ohio Administrative Code The rules adopted by the agencies of the state of Ohio. State agencies adopt rules to carry out the policies and intent of laws passed by the General Assembly. The rules are collected and published in the Ohio Administrative Code.

Legal Research Databases

Hein Online This link opens in a new window Image-based collection of nearly 400 legal periodicals from inception (pre-1980 coverage unique to this service); includes charts, graphs, and photographs. Can search US Law Journal Library, most cited law journals, core U.S. law journals, and international law journals.
Legal Collection This link opens in a new window Offers full text for nearly 250 of the world's best law journals and covers legal topics such as criminal justice, international law, federal law, organized crime, medical, labor & human resource law, ethics and the environment.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window Containing more than 15,000 news, legal and business sources, Nexis Uni helps students find credible sources including: Print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs; Local, regional, national and international newspapers with deep archives; Extensive legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790; Business information on more than 80 million U.S. and international companies and more than 75 million executives.

Selected Ohio Policy Organizations

The Buckeye Institute "Founded in 1989, The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states."
Greater Ohio Policy Center "Non-partisan Voice, Bi-Partisan Work. Our policy platforms are based on objective data, not politics, and we work with both sides of the aisle to achieve our goals."
Greater Ohio Policy Center: Bill Tracker
Greater Ohio Policy Center: Issues & Advocacy
Health Policy Institute of Ohio The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) is a statewide, nonprofit organization located in Columbus, Ohio, that was created in 2003 by a group of health foundations. These funders recognized the need for a statewide organization focused on independent, non-partisan health policy analysis. HPIO has earned a reputation as a trusted and credible resource for state policymakers and other key stakeholders.
Policy Matters Ohio "Policy Matters Ohio, a non-profit policy research institute, creates a more vibrant, equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio through research, strategic communications, coalition building and policy advocacy."

Selected Think Tanks

American Enterprise Institute The American Enterprise Institute is a public policy think tank dedicated to defending human dignity, expanding human potential, and building a freer and safer world. The work of our scholars and staff advances ideas rooted in our belief in democracy, free enterprise, American strength and global leadership, solidarity with those at the periphery of our society, and a pluralistic, entrepreneurial culture.
Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace With a global network of more than 150 experts across twenty countries, Carnegie is renowned for its independent analysis of major global problems and understanding of regional contexts.
Cato Institute For more than 40 years, Cato has led the charge for liberty in our nation and around the world. The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—or think tank—that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy debates. Our mission is to originate, disseminate, and advance solutions based on the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.
Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities We are a nonpartisan research and policy institute that advances federal and state policies to help build a nation where everyone — regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ZIP code, immigration status, or disability status — has the resources they need to thrive and share in the nation’s prosperity.
Economic Policy Institute The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. EPI believes every working person deserves a good job with fair pay, affordable health care, and retirement security. To achieve this goal, EPI conducts research and analysis on the economic status of working America. EPI proposes public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers and assesses policies with respect to how they affect those workers.
The Heritage Foundation A conservative think tank promoting public policy research and analysis based on free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
Hoover Institution The Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity, while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind.
Hudson Institute Hudson Institute is a research organization promoting American leadership for a secure, free, and prosperous future.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. We are roughly 550 plus people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. We direct our advocacy towards governments, armed groups and businesses, pushing them to change or enforce their laws, policies and practices.
National Bureau of Economic Research The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is a private, nonpartisan organization that facilitates cutting-edge investigation and analysis of major economic issues.
Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions.
RAND Corporation RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. As a nonpartisan organization, RAND is widely respected for operating independent of political and commercial pressures. Our core values are quality and objectivity.