Committee minutes contain only highlights of the proceedings concerning a bill, but the tape recordings are a direct record of a committee's discussions. The quality of the tapes is often poor and not all sessions were recorded.
Only audio recordings from 1991 and after still exist.
House and Senate Audio Files, 1991-2003:
As of October 29, 2018, the Legislative Reference Library has digitized 29,000 House and Senate audio tapes spanning the years 1991-2003. All of this audio is available for online browsing and streaming via this database.
Note: You will need to use the Journals and Committee Minutes to get the committee names and exact dates of hearings for your bill (See Step 2 and Step 3).
Any questions about access to these digitized recordings? Call (651-296-8338) or email the Legislative Reference Library.
House and Senate Audio Files, 2004 to present:
Senate floor and committee recordings (2001 onward)
House floor and selected committee recordings (1998 onward)
