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Sources
The sources below will help you locate the text of federal laws. Many of the sources can be found in full online. For some sources, however, it may still be necessary to refer back to the print. Whenever possible, links are provided to both the online and print versions of a given source.
United States. Laws, etc. (Slip Laws)
Individual printing of laws as they are passed. Filed by Public Law number. Retained until the appropriate volume of the Statutes at Large are received.
- via govinfo.govPublic and private laws are prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). govinfo.gov contains the text of public and private laws enacted from the 104th Congress to the present. The database for the current session of Congress is updated when the publication of a slip law is authorized by OFR. Documents are available as ASCII text and PDF files.
- United States Public LawsGovt Pub AE2.110
Also known as slip laws. This is the print version of the current session only. See also the Cumulative Volumes of United States Statutes At Large (AE 2.111:)
United States Statutes at Large
Official publication of the federal laws. The text of the laws as Congress wrote them. Arrangement is by P.L. number. Also included are Congressional resolutions and Presidential proclamations. Private laws, i.e. those laws that affect only an individual, are given in a separate section. Indexed by subject and popular name.
- Congress.govYou will need to know the number of the Congress for the law you seek. Otherwise, you can do a keyword search for the law's name or the language included therein.
- U.S. Statutes at LargeGovt Pub Mezzanine AE2.111
1789- (Annual). [v.1(1789)-v.97(1983) shelved under URI Govt. Pub. GS4.111:].
United States Code
"The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 50 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since 1926, the United States Code has been published every six years. In between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information."
- United States CodeGovt Pub Reference KF61 U558
(Earlier volumes in Serials Stacks, lower level of the library, call number KF61 .U558)
This is the official compilation of the federal laws currently in force. Arrangement is by title and part. Index is by subject. A “Tables” section gives cross-references to the popular name of a law and where it may be found in the Statutes at Large. - via Govinfo.govOnline version of the U.S. Code back to 1994. Can be browsed or searched by keyword or citation.
U.S. Code Service
- U.S. Code ServiceURI Reference KF62 1972 L38
Current volumes only (Updated with annual pocket supplements and monthly issues).
Privately published version of the U.S. Code. Arrangement is by title and part. Includes for each law, cross-references to relevant regulations, court cases, and citations to legal research sources. Indexed by subject and name. Also includes a “Tables” volume that lists cross-references to the popular name of a law and where it may be found in the Statutes at Large. - via Nexis UniAt the "Advanced Search" screen, under "Select a Specific Content Type", select "Statutes and Legislation"
General sources
- Congress.govThis database contains the full text of Public Laws from the 101st Congress (1989-90) to the present. Laws may be searched by Public Law number, popular name or keyword. A detailed summary of each law, as well as an in-depth legislative history, including amendments, is given.
- Govinfo
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The official system of record for online government providing electronic access to a wide variety of information produced by the federal government. All sources are authenticated as official and original copies. Full text sources include: Congressional Bills, Congressional Directory, Congressional Record, Congressional Hearings & Reports, U.S. Code, Public Laws, the CFR, the Federal Register, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, the Constitution, Supreme Court Decisions, and more.
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis) This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? News, law, and business information service. Includes news from national and international newspapers; wire services and articles from hundreds of periodicals; and a number of other reference sources. All sources are full-text. Updated daily.
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? Citations and abstracting of congressional publications and the full text of congressional hearings, reports, documents, prints, bills, and the Congressional Record. Also includes the text of United States laws and regulations, biographical and voting information of members of congress, and more. Updated daily.
Other useful sources
Legal Research in a Nutshell by
Call Number: URI Ref KF240 C54 2007ISBN: 9780314180070Textbook aimed at the beginning law student on how to find laws, including federal laws and related material. Indexed by subject and title.
Bieber’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations by Call Number: KF246 B46 2001ISBN: 1575884089A comprehensive list of abbreviations found in legal sources and what they mean. Useful for deciphering the system of Uniform Legal Citation, the shorthand method of citing legal sources.
- National Survey of State Laws (HeinOnline) This link opens in a new window
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- What’s included? National Survey of State Laws (NSSL) provides an overall view of some of the most-asked-about and controversial legal topics in the United States. The database is derived from Richard Leiter’s National Survey of State Laws print editions. The current 8th edition (2018), along with the 7th (2015), 6th (2008), and 5th (2005) editions are available. Presented in an interactive chart format, NSSL allows users to make basic state-by-state comparisons of current state laws. The database is updated regularly as new laws are passed or updated.