| DOCUMENT TYPE |
DOCUMENT AGENCY DESCRIPTION |
DOCUMENT COLLECTION AREA |
AVAILABLE ONLINE |
| Legislative (Statutory) Law |
| Congressional Bills |
- Introduced to the Senate or House
- Creates new laws, repeals old ones, or amends existing laws.
- Laws apply to a broad category of people.
- Concurrent bills of the same legislation can be introduced to both Chambers.
|
- Reported in the Congressional Record [X 1.1/A:]
- Citation examples:
- H.R. 4577
- 146 S. 1218
- 146 Cong.Rec. S3564
|
|
| Congressional Document |
- Document = A publication of the Full Chamber containing special reports from executive agencies, presidential messages, etc.
|
- Senate Documents [Y 1.1/3:]
- House Documents [Y 1.1/7:]
- Citation examples:
- S.Doc. 2
- 108 H.Doc. 3
- Y 1.1/3:108-3
|
|
| Committee Action |
- Reports = a publication detailing a committee’s discussion and recommendations on a particular bill
- Hearings = a publication containing the transcript of committee testimony such as witnesses’ oral and written statements, question and answer sessions, and related reports and exhibits
- Prints = a general publication that may contain draft legislation, historical information about a topic, statistics, or situation reports
|
- Senate Reports [Y 1.1/5:]
- House Reports [Y 1.1/8:]
- House and Senate Hearings and Prints [Y 4.] (The rest of the call number is based on the Committee name. For example, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is Y 4.In 8/13: . The House Committee on Agriculture is Y 4.Ag 8/1: .)
- Citation examples:
- S.Hrg. 106-453
- 106 H.Rpt. 703
- Y 1.1/8:106-703
|
|
| Floor Action |
- Transcripts of remarks from the floor of either Chamber
- Any member of Congress may “re-do” their remarks for final versions.
|
- Congressional Record [X 1.1/A:]
- Citation examples:
|
|
| Presidential Action |
- Veto or passage messages
- Proclamations
|
- Federal Register [Doc Ref AE 2.106:]
- Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents [AE 2.109:]
- Public Papers of the President [AE 1.114:]
- Citation examples:
|
|
| Law |
- The final version of any legislation
- The Statutes at Large (print) is considered the “final” final version on any law.
- All current (active) laws are codified in the United States Code.
|
- Slip Laws
- Statutes at Large [Doc Ref KF 50.U54]
- U.S. Code [Doc Ref KF 62 2000.A2]
- Legislative Histories
- Citation examples:
- Public Law 108-43
- 89 Stat. 773
- 20 U.S.C. 1401
*See Congressional Laws Handout for more information.
|
|
| Administrative Law |
| Initial Rule |
- Takes the law passed by Congress and disseminates it to the rest of the government.
- Rules can be made on any topic but only when the agency has been directed by Congress through Statutory Law.
|
- Federal Register [Doc Ref AE 2.106:]
- Citation examples:
|
|
| Comment Period |
- Regulation additions or changes have a public comment period.
|
- Federal Register [Doc Ref AE 2.106:]
- Citation examples:
|
|
| Rule enacted |
- Once a rule is approved by the governing agency, it is incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations.
|
- Federal Register [Doc Ref AE 2.106:]
- Code of Federal Regulations [Doc Ref AE 2.106/3:]
- Citation examples:
|
|
| Judicial Law |
| Court Decisions |
- The watchdog of the government—protecting citizen’s rights and checking the powers of the government
- Common law system—high authority is given to previous court decisions (precedent).
- Most court decisions apply to a few people in a particular instance. As the case moves up the system, it can take on broader implications.
|
- United States Reports [Doc Ref KF 101.A2]
- Citation examples:
*See United States Reports Handout for more information.
|
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