Congressional committees issue committee prints on a wide variety of topics related to legislative or research activities. Some basic types include: directories, statistical materials, investigative reports, historical reports, situational studies, confidential staff reports, and legislative analysis.

Congressional committee prints have less persuasive value as they typically contain background information rather than the words of the legislators. 

Committee Prints are challenging to find by citation as they are often unnumbered.  The title of a committee print will often incude the legislation it relates to, or the name of the committee which issued it.

Committee prints do not have a consistent numbering system or publication history, because these papers are printed copies of a committee's work. The Senate has used a numbering system for its committee prints since 1983 (S. Prt. 108-3), but the House does not have one.