FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESOURCES
Laws and Regulations

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Last updated on March 30, 2009

Constitution
Passed by Congress and state legislatures or state referenda
Laws			Regulations
Passed by Congress; signed by President			Promulgated by Executive Branch agencies or President
Public Laws	PL 107-56	New laws as passed; unbound form; may amend previous laws	Federal Register	68 FR 9834	New regulations as proposed and passed
Statutes-at-Large	115 Stat 272	New laws as passed in bound form
United States Code	8 USC 1101	Subject arrangement of existing laws in force	Code of Federal Regulations	8 CFR 103.3	Subject arrangement of existing regulations in force
			Executive Orders	E.O. 12356	Rules established by President
Supreme Court Decisions
Rules on constitutionality of laws and lower court decisions

Not sure if you need a law or regulation? Try the U.S. Code first, followed by the Code of Regulations, followed by their respective updates.

American Government Textbooks

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids (GPO)
- Describes federal government for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and teachers/parents
- Describes the nation, historic documents, branches of government, national v. state authority, how laws are made, elections, and citizenship
- Pleasing graphics, a glossary, games and activities
- Includes list of federal government web sites for children
Info USA (State Dept.)
- Description of U.S. Government structure, economics, and culture for foreign visitors and potential immigrants
- Textbook on U.S. history
- Visa and passport information; English phrases; time and measurement
Organization Chart - U.S. Government
- Organization chart of the executive, legislative, judicial, and independent branches of government
- Scanned from the Government Manual
This Nation
- Online textbook on American government
- Chapters on foundations (American Revolution, constitution, self-rule, federalism), the branches of government, legislative and budget processes, public opinion, voting
- Glossary of political terms, teaching aids, and a library of full text documents (major Supreme Court decisions, declarations of war, etc.)

Constitution

Texts

Articles of Confederation (FindLaw)
- Full text of the first Constitution, effective 1781
Constitution via Cornell Law School
- Original text of Constitution with hyperlinks to amendments
Constitution of the United States Annotated
- Constitution and Amendments annotated with references to Supreme Court cases as of 1992
- Senate and Government Printing Office project

Historic Records

Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution (Elliot)
- Debates and background materials on the adoption of the Federal Constitution in the State Conventions
- Searchable and browsable by state
Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights: Slavery (Univ. of South Carolina)
- Text of the slavery debate during the ratification of the Constitution
- Primarily newspaper excerpts from the period
Federalist Papers
- Letters and news articles written by Jay, Hamilton and Madison on the provisions of the Constitution
- Used widely for interpretation of the constitution
- A searchable version is available through Yale's Avalon Project
- The Anti-Federalist Papers called for major revisions
FindLaw Constitution Law Center
- Detailed annotations on legal cases interpreting each article and amendment to the Constitution
- Articles of Confederation and biographies of Founding Fathers
Records of the Federal Convention (Farrand)
- Plans and letters as well as notes taken by James Madison at the Constitutional Convention of 1787
- TIFF images are searchable and browsable

Subject Compilations of Laws and Regulations

Federal Laws and Regulations (Center for Regulatory Effectiveness)
- Federal laws, regulations, and executive orders arranged by easy subject approach
Law About... (Cornell Law School)
- Comprehensive guide to federal and state laws and regulations arranged by subject category
- Browsable by broad or narrow subject category and searchable by keyword; subjects include bankruptcy, adoption, divorce, criminal procedure, etc.
- Sample information for each topic includes federal laws, regulations, and major court decisions; New York law; tables comparing laws of the 50 states; additional legal material on the web
Zimmerman's Online Encyclopedia for Legal Researchers
- Extensive list of topics directly or indirectly related to legal research from actors and bill jackets to military records and trade secrets
- Provides a brief description of sources for research, including the best free web sites (e.g. weight and measure converters, text of the Vienna Conventions) as well as LEXIS or Westlaw databases

Laws

Public Laws
As Passed; Unbound

Public Laws, 104th Congress, 1995+ via GPO Access
- Limit search to Public Law file; search by subject or Public Law number in parentheses (e.g. "Public Law 104-3")
- Used to update 1993 version of U.S. Code
Public Laws, 93rd Congress, 1973+
- Search Thomas by law number
- Law numbers can be identified by searching Bill Summary and Status using keyword or sponsor and then delimiting as "Public Law"
Public Laws, 1st Congress, 1789+ (via Congressional Universe - UMich Only)
- Search for full text of laws by keyword, bill number, Public Law Number, and Statutes-at-Large number
- Provides full text and bill tracking report

Statutes-at-Large
As Passed; Bound

Statutes at Large (UMich Only)
- Full text of public laws since 1789 to within last two years
- Searchable by title and date or Statutes citation
- Also includes Indian treaties, 1778-1874, and treaties with foreign countries, 1776-1949
United States Statutes at Large, 1789-1823
- Full text of public and private laws passed by Congress, 1789-1873
- Browsable by volume as searchable as part of larger web site
- List of public laws begins in Volume 1, p. xvii; use page number given for a law in the page-turner box at the bottom of the screen
- List of private laws in Volume 4
- Full text, 1789 to present, located in the Documents Center in paper copy (Doc. Cen. K .U565)
Table of Congressional Volumes and Presidential Issuances: 1789-1999 (LLSDC - pdf)
- Lists Congress, year, and volume number of the paper Statutes at Large

United States Code
Subject Approach to Existing Laws as Amended

United States Code (via Congressional Universe - UMich Only) [Web]
- Search existing laws in force by keyword or U.S. Code citation
- Updated within days of the passage of a new law
- Provides U.S. Code text as well as references to bill and public law text
- Locate under Bills, Laws, and Regulations
United States Code (via Cornell Law School)
- Text of all laws in force as of 1997/98
- Searchable by popular title of law, title and section of the U.S. Code, or keyword
- Currently the best interface
United States Code via GPO Access
- Subject arrangement of all laws in force
- Includes annual updates
- Searchable by keyword and browsable by title

Regulations

Federal Register
Regulations as Passed

Federal Register, 1980+ via Congressional Universe (UMich only)
- Full text of Federal Register since 1980
- Searchable by keyword, agency, date, and type of publication
Federal Register, 1936-80 via Hein Online (UMich only)
- Full text is searchable by keyword and date or browsable by issue
Federal Register via GPO Access
- New regulations, proposed regulations, and notices of grants and agency hearings since 1995
- Search by keyword and date or section (final rules, proposed rules, notices, sunshine act meetings, etc.)
- Best public source of Federal Register
Regulations.Gov
- Online webform for submitting comments on proposed regulations
- Indexes proposed regulations by agency or subject and provides the full text
Table of Congressional Volumes and Presidential Issuances: 1789-1999 (LLSDC - pdf)
- Lists Congress, year, and Federal Register number
- Microfilm of the Federal Register, 1936-1983, and microfiche, 1984+, is available in the Documents Center

Code of Federal Regulations
Subject Approach to Existing Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations via Congressional Universe (UMich Only)
- Search full text by keyword and agency
- Updated every two weeks
Code of Federal Regulations (Cornell)
- Text is browsable by title and searchable by subject or title/section number
Code of Federal Regulations (GPO Access)
- Search CFR by keyword or a combination of title, part, and page
- Corresponding paper copy in Documents Center as JK 416.A5-Ref
See also Administrative Law and Office of Management and Budget Circulars

Special Subjects

Abortion
- Abortion Law Home Page
  - Federal and state court decisions and oral arguments on various aspects of abortion law, feticide, and partial-birth abortions
  - Federal, state, and canon law
Americans with Disabilities Act
- ADA Home Page (Justice Department)
  - Advice to federal and state agencies and businesses on how to comply with the law
- National Council on Disability
  - Monitors effectiveness of the law
  - Includes publications and press statements on court decisions
Copyright
- Copyright Information Page (UMich)
  - Text of copyright law
  - Instructions on applying for copyright and using copyrighted material
- Copyright and Fair Use (Stanford University)
  - Copyright laws, regulations and court decisions
  - A guide to fair use of copyrighted material
  - How to search for copyrighted works
- Copyright Office
  - Describes copyright law and application process
  - Copyright application forms available in Adobe Acrobat format
  - How to conduct a copyright search
- Copyright Resources for Educators (Quality Logo Products)
  - Links to the copyright law, fair use, and copyright guidelines for web materials
- LOCIS
  - Search copyrights granted by the Library of Congress since 1978
  - Catalog of Copyright Entries available in the Graduate Library stacks as Z 642 .U6, 1898-1977
- Public Domain (University of North Carolina)
  - Chart listing dates for materials in the public domain
- Stanford's Copyright Renewal Database
  - Search for copyright renewal records between 1950 and 1993 for books published in the US between 1923 and 1963
  - Search by author, title, registration date or renewal date
  - Works before 1923 are in the public domain; those published since 1964 have been automatically renewed
Crime
- International Victomology Web Site
  - National laws on victims of crime, including a large number of U.S. sources
  - Data base of international research projects in progress and completed
Cyberspace
- UCLA Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy
  - Cyberspace law includes freedom of speech, intellectual property, privacy, and safety
  - Web site links to laws, court decisions, articles, and books
Freedom of Information Act
- Freedom of Information Act (Justice Department)
  - Includes current list of agency contacts for FOIA requests
- Freedom of Information Act (National Security Archive)
  - Detailed instructions on filing a Freedom of Information Act request
  - Sample letters
  - Government guideliines and statistics
- Freedom of Information Act
  - Web site from the Society of Professional Journalists
  - How to file a FOIA request plus sample letters and an appeals letter
  - Federal law and agency FOIA contacts
  - FOIA laws and contacts in each state as well as regulations on televised court proceedings
  - Articles and news
- See Federal Bibliographies for a selective list of material declassified under the Freedom of Information Act
Immigration
- American Laws Regulating Immigration and Asylum
  - Summary of laws passed since 1795
  - Includes quotas, standards, literacy
- Immigration (Information Technology Associates)
  - Current U.S. immigration law, advice on changing residency status and green card
  - While information is free of charge, this is a commercial site which also sells its software
- Immigration and Naturalization Service
  - Full text of current immigration law and regulations
  - INS operations manual and interpretations
  - Exchange visitors skills listing
  - Interim decisions on individual immigrant petitioners
Impeachment Process
- Congressional Research Service Reports
  - Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedures, and Practice
    - Constitutional provisions with historical footnotes
    - Summary of previous impeachments
    - Dated Feb. 27, 1998
  - Intersection between the Former Presidents Act and the Impeachment Process
    - Benefits given to former president if impeached
    - Dated June 5, 1998
  - Impeachment of President Clinton
    - Documents Center coverage includes links to historical precedents, laws, and procedures
Labor
- Coffee/Lunch Breaks
  - Federal Law
  - Michigan Law
- Employment (NLRB)
  - Briefly summarizes employment law in several categories and advises users where to seek assistance
  - Subjects include age discrimination, overtime, wrongful discharge
- Employment Law: An Overview (Cornell)
  - Links to federal labor law (primarily Titles 29 and 42 of U.S. Code) as well federal regulations
  - State labor statutes arranged by topic and state
  - Comparative description of federal and state laws for several topics
  - Links to related web sites
- Osh.Net
  - Extensive and organized guide to occupational health and safety
  - Annotated links to web sites on occupational safety, industrial hygiene, environmental management
  - Includes laws and regulations on product safety, workers compensation, whistleblowing, personal injuries
Military
- Uniform Code of Military Justice
  - Text appears in Title 10, Section 801 ff. of the United States Code
  - This Cornell version is searchable and browsable
- Army Regulations
  - Full text of current regulations arranged by number
Native Americans
- Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project
  - Text of current laws, codes, constitutions and charters
  - Legal materials meant for Oklahoma Indians
  - Land titles
Passports
- Passports
  - Information on obtaining passports and a directory of U.S. passport application centers
  - Passport application form in Adobe Acrobat format
Patents and Trademarks
- U.S. PATENT OFFICE FULL TEXT DATA BASE
  - Since 1976
    - Search the full text or citations to patents issued since 1976
    - Boolean searching or browse searching by keyword, patent number, patent holder, application date, and place
    - Citations include the images
    - You must use AlternaTIFF to view the image; there are installation instructions from the University of Minnesota at: Part 1 and Part 2
  - 1790-1975
    - This database has the patent images if you already know the patent number
    - If you don't know the patent number, use the Patent Office Gazette (AAEL T 223 .A) or Google Patents
- Google Patents
  - Search database of patents by keyword, assignee or patent number
  - Can view patent on screen but cannot download
- Great Lakes Patent and Trademark Center
  - Describes special patent and trademark services offered by the Detroit Public Library
  - Links to various patent data bases
- Patent and Trademark Office
  - Describes patent and trademark law as well as the application process
  - Patents beginning 1971 may be searched by subject or through browsing
  - Includes an international AIDS patent data base
- Patent Cafe
  - Ostensibly commercial site but has free advice on patenting an idea and starting a business
  - Annotated links to U.S. and international patent search sources
- Patents, Copyright, and Trademark (Utah State)
  - Nicely annotated guide to patent, trademark, and copyright data bases and organizations
  - Federal, international, foreign, and state
- U.S. Patent Citation Data Base
  - 1.7 million patents since 1975 searchable by keyword or classification
  - Abstracts of patents provided
  - Web site maintained by the Community of Science
- CASSIS
  - CD-ROM located at the Art, Architecture, and Engineering (U-M Library) provides searching for both patents and trademarks
Presidential Pardons (Jurist)
- History of Presidential pardons with statistics on the number of pardons granted, 1789 to present
- Primary documents on the Clinton pardons
- Full text of scholarly articles from the 1990s
- Extensive bibliography of scholarly books on the pardon process
Privacy Act
- Privacy Act Issuances
  - Annual compilation of government agency notices appearing in the Federal Register on their privacy act policies
  - Editions searchable beginning 1995
Procurement Laws (Federal Government)
- United States Code (Cornell)
  - Title 41 of the United States Code is a compilation of public contract law
  - Includes procurement and service contracts, standards, and disputes
  - Text browsable or searchable by keyword
- Code of Federal Regulations (GPO)
  - Federal Acquisitions Regulations for ALL agencies appear in Title 48
  - First choose the latest revision of Title 48; at the next screen search by keyword
- Federal Acquisitions Regulations (GSA)
  - Current purchasing rules for the federal government
  - Web site also includes updating circulars and forms
- Additional information appears under Federal Grants, Contracts, and Auctions
Sexual Harassment
- Federal Definition (EEOC)
  - Federal definition provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  - Appears in Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Paragraph 1604.11
  - Search the Code of Federal Regulations via GPO Access for additional information
  - Regulations issued pursuant to Section 703 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 USC 2000e-2)
- Sexual Harassment Resources (Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro)
  - Detailed annotated links to federal harassment definitions, leading court cases, and professional organizations
- Burlington Industries v. Ellerth
  - Supreme Court decision broadening ability to sue for harassment even when no tangible effects felt
  - Decision made June 1998
Small Business
- Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy
  - Text of key laws affecting small business
  - Links to new and proposed regulations affecting small business from such agencies as the EPA, OMB, Securities and Exchange Commission and Agriculture Department
  - Congressional testimony and research reports on small business (e.g. paperwork burden)
  - Statistics on small business, including minority businesses
USA Patriot Act
- USA Patriot Act (PL 107-56)
  - Passed October 26, 2001
  - Full text of act
- USA Patriot Act (Evergreen State College)
  - Comprehensive guide to the ten provisions of the act
  - Reports, analyses and news stories on various provisions tending toward opposition
- USA Patriot Act (EPIC)
  - Analysis of the act's provisions
  - News stories on challenge to the act
  - Numerous government and private association provisions on the act, including its search-and-seizure and wiretap provisions
- Department of Justice Oversight: Preserving Our Freedoms While Defending Against Terrorism
  - Hearing before the Senate Judificary Committee in December 2001 on the implementation of the USA Patriot Act
Women in Combat
- Secretary of Defense Memorandum
  - Memo dated January 13, 1994 allowed women in combat in the army and marines under certain circumstances
  - Text appears in Assignment of Army and Marine Corps Women Under the New Definition of Ground Combat
    - House Armed Services Committee Hearing, Oct. 6, 1994, Y 4.Ar5/2a:93-94/50, CIS microfiche 1995-H201-8
- Section 541-543 of Public Law 103-160, Nov. 30, 1993, removed combat restrictions for women in the Navy and Marines, allowing the Secretary of Defense to determine the policy

Treaties

International Treaties
- Links to the full text of numerous international treaties
- Includes Native American treaties
United States Treaties (Hein Online) [UMich Only]
- Index and full text to the follow collections:
  - Treaties and Other International Agreements, 1776-1949 (Bevans)
  - United States Treaties and Other International Agreements, 1950-1984
  - Treaties and International Acts Series, TIAS 11060 to TIAS 12734
  - Kavass Agreements, 1-6311
- Also includes Treaties, Conventions, International Acts, Protocols and Agreements (Malloy), 1776-1937, (Malloy), and Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America, 1776-1863 (Miller)
- Searchable by keyword, treaty number, signature date, parties, etc.

Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center
The University of Michigan Library
Graphics by Sherry Piontek and Barbara Perles

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/fedlaws.html

Since February 25, 1996 this page has been accessed

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESOURCES Laws and Regulations