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U.S. Federal Government

This guide contains information on how to locate current and historical publications from all three branches of the federal government.

Slip Laws

Enacted legislation is first published in "slip" form. Public and private laws are assigned consecutive numbers within each Congress. P.L. 112-1, for example, is the first bill to become law during the 112th Congress. Each slip law concludes with a legislative history with references to important documents generated during the legislative process.

Statutes at Large

At the end of each legislative session slip laws are republished in the Statutes at Large. Public laws are arranged chronologically. Citations reference volume and page number. 125 Stat. 3, for example, means that the law appears on page 3 of volume 125.

United States Code

Compilation of all federal laws of general and permanent value currently in force. Organized into 50 titles that represent broad subject areas. Published every six years with cumulative annual supplements issued during intervening years.