The legislative files include information on specific legislation or on general topics. There is correspondence from constituents, colleagues, public interest groups, professional organizations, administration officials, and local governments. Also included are internal memos and notes, drafts, final reports, and studies, copies of bills, publications, clippings, copies of letters co-signed by other legislators, press releases, and copies of testimonies by Sisisky and others before congressional committees. Some of the topics represented are asbestos abatement legislation, the balanced budget amendment and budget reconciliation, appropriations, campaign finance reform, colorectal cancer screening, defense issues relating to Fort Lee, Fort Pickett, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, defense business, base closure and realignment, issue papers, and military construction, "Fast Track" trade agreement negotiating authority, NAFTA, disaster relief, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the presidential election of 2000, small business legislation, and velvet textile import tariffs. This series also contains awards and endorsements given to Sisisky, co-signed letters and co-sponsorship information, legislative activity guides, profiles, and status information distributed by the House Clerk, and voting record scorecards and publications from various interest groups.

The project files includes material on the establishment, construction, renovation, or maintenance of projects of local interest in Virginia's Fourth Congressional district. Some of the projects, issues, or groups represented include the dredging of the Appomattox River, Army Corps of Engineers projects and Norfolk District overviews, the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway Bridge at Great Bridge, the City Point Unit of the Petersburg National Battlefield, Consolidated Launcher Technology, Elizabeth River restoration, defense conversion projects, empowerment zones, cleanup of the Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot, Hampton Roads light rail, the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, housing projects and issues, Hurricane Floyd relief, the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation and commemorative coin, the Lake Gaston pipeline project, the Petersburg tornado in 1993, Route 168 in Chesapeake and other transportation projects, and wetlands conservation. This series contains notes, clippings, correspondence, interoffice memoranda, background materials on specific projects, drafts, reports, feasibility studies, grant proposals and notifications, news releases, and publications. Copies of Sisisky's newsletter to constituents are also included in this series.

The computer letter texts are drafts and final versions of form letters sent to constituents on specific legislation or issues. Some have approval sheets attached requesting review by Sisisky or senior staff. Various coding systems were used. Two have prefixes PF and GG (iinitials for two members of Sisisky's staff), followed by consecutive numbers. There is also a group numbered from 18000 to 30015, a series numbered A1-A22221 which includes a partial key, and finally a group with the letter notations AGBIL-WEREF, which includes a complete key.

The press clippings cover the period from December 1982 to December 1995, and are arranged chronologically. There are a few articles from 1996 to 2001. This series contains photocopies of articles on Sisisky and other members of the Virginia congressional delegation, and other stories of local or national interest. They are mainly from Virginia newspapers, but there are some from national publications as well. There are typed listings of each clipping at the beginning of each month for the years 1984 and 1985.

The press releases contain statements by Sisisky on legislation or events of local or national importance. They are arranged chronologically. Many of the releases are announcements of grants to localities or organizations, upcoming mobile office schedules, and notifications of events where Sisisky would be appearing or speaking. There is a listing of releases issued for 1990 to 1995 at the beginning of each folder.

The speeches contain copies of remarks delivered by Sisisky to various civic, religious, and cultural organizations, mostly in Virginia's Fourth Congressional district. There is also testimony by him before various House and Senate committees. There are copies of floor statements and testimonies for 1983 to 1987 at the end of the series. The arrangement of the speeches is chronological, but not strictly. For example, the speeches for 1994 are in reverse chronological order. There is a "speech index" that was prepared by Sisisky's staff at the beginning of each year, but not all of the speeches are included on the list. The researcher should consult the Library's finding aid for a complete listing. Most of the folders contain only copies of his remarks. There is very little supporting documentation, correspondence, research, drafts, notes, or invitations to the particular event.