what the Legislature really meant when it approved a specific law.

Used by courts to interpret statutes when the actual wording of the law is ambiguous or unclear. It consists of members' statements made during debate on a bill. Sometimes members make statements about a bill's meaning during debate specifically to establish legislative intent.

If the words of a law can be broadly interpreted, the court may refer to the journal to establish the "intent" of the legislature in passing certain bills.

In law, the legislative intent of the legislature in enacting legislation may sometimes be considered by the judiciary when interpreting the law (see judicial interpretation). The judiciary may attempt to assess legislative intent where legislation is ambiguous, or does not appear to directly or adequately address a particular issue.