FrontPage

Legal research

PUBLICATION OF LAWS

Federal

• Statutes at Large (JFK REF USGovDoc AE 2.111:) 
  • Compilation of slip laws at the end of each congressional session.  A popular name and subject index to the laws is provided.  In addition, a public law table with reference to statutes is included.
  • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plaws/
• U.S. Code (JFK REF USGovDoc Y 1.2/5: 2006)
  • The official compilation of general and permanent laws in force.  It is kept up to date between editions by annual cumulative supplements issued at the close of each session of Congress.  
  • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/

State

• Annotated Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (JFK REF KFW30 1993)-index tables
  • Includes references to court cases that interpret a given law, opinions of the attorney general (OAGs), and American Law Reports.
  • http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/

READING CITATIONS

•     Bill -- H.R. + number or S + number
  • H.R. and S indicate chamber the bill was introduced in)
  • Federal bills are available on microfiche on Ground floor of JFK Library.
  • Y 1.4/1: (senate) & Y 1.4/6 House
• Public Law -- PL 104-7
  • 104 reflects the number of the Congress, 7 represents law number.  Numbers are assigned consecutively.
• Statute -- 109 Stat.691
  • 109 represents Statutes at Large volume, 691 represents page number
  • There is a two year delay in publishing Statutes at Large volumes
• U. S. Code --  43 USC 772
  • 43 is the Title (Titles are subject areas), 772 is the Section.
• R.C.W.  --  RCW 46.61.502
  • 46 is the Title,  The rest is the Section number.

LOCATING FEDERAL LEGISLATION

• Congressional Quarterly Almanac 1960-2005 (JFK REF JK 1.C66)
  • Contains summaries of public laws, detailed discussion of some of the "hot bills, and a key vote section (summary of the vote on a bill and how each congressional member voted).
• Major Legislation of Congress, 1982-1992 (JFK USGovDoc LC 14.18)
  • Brief summaries of legislative issues before Congress during these years, organized into broad subject areas.
  • Each summary contains a brief issue analysis and a description of the major legislation related to the issue.
• CIS Index 1970-  (JFK REF KF 49.C62)
  • Indexes all significant laws for each congressional session. 
  • Each CIS Index published since 1984 includes three types of volumes:  Index, Abstracts and Legislative Histories. 
  • Prior to 1984, a condensed version of the Legislative Histories volume was published in the back of the annual Abstracts volume.
• Encyclopedia of Social Work, 3 volumes (RVPT REF HV 35.S6 1995)
  • Search index under "social welfare legislation" or specific legislation.

ON THE WEB

• THOMAS (http://thomas.loc.gov)
  • Official site of the United States Congress.  Has full-text legislative materials, including bill texts, 1989-  ,the Congressional Record, 1989-  , and committee reports, 1995-  .  Also has bill status and summaries, 1973-  .
• GPO Access  (http://www.gpoaccess.gov)
  • Contains bill texts from 1995-  , the Congressional Record, 1994-  ,selected hearings, 1997-  , House and Senate documents, 1995-  ,and History of Bills and Resolutions Index.
• CRS Reports  (http://fpc.state.gov/c4763.htm)
  • Congressional Research Service "works exclusively as a nonpartisan analytical research and reference arm for Congress.
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