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Guides
- Freedom of Information Act Guide
Detailed compendium of information about procedures, time limits, fees, and exemptions relating to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. From the Justice Department.
- Guide to Law Online
An annotated online guide to the best, free sources of information about law and government at the national and international level. Separate sections for United States, nations, international/multinational, and subjects. Coverage of individual nations includes links to Constitution, major legislative, executive, and judicial documents, various legal guides, and general sources on the political, legal and economic background. From the Law Library of Congress and the Global Legal Information Network.
- How our Laws are Made
Describes the legislative procedures involved in the passing of laws.
- Legislative Source Book
Offers a variety of guides and resource lists on legislative and regulatory history and process. From the Law Librarians Society of Washington.
- Questions and Answers in Legislative and Regulatory Research
Offers sample questions and detailed answers for research problems related to 6 categories of legal research: bills and resolutions, U.S. laws and the U.S. Code, legislative histories, the Congressional Record, committee hearings, rosters, and treaty considerations, and executive orders and regulations. From the Law Librarians Society of Washington DC.
- Researching U.S. Treaties and Agreements
Not a government source, but filled with information about U.S. treaties. Offers guidance to treaty indexes, finding tools, guides, full-text documents, ratification information, and interpretation materials. By Marci Hoffman for the Law Library Resource Exchange
Federal Laws
- Public and Private Laws
Full text of public laws passed by Congress and signed by President from 1995 to date. Search laws database or browse numerical lists of laws by Congress. From National Archives and GPO Access.
- Public Laws
Full text of public laws from 1973/1974 to date. From Library of Congress' Thomas site.
- Statutes At Large
Search or browse laws passed by 1st-43rd Congresses, 1789-1875. From the Library of Congress.
- United States Code
The subject arrangement of the federal laws currently in effect. Browse or search approaches. From GPO Access.
- United States Code
Search current or past edition of code back to 1988. From the U.S. House of Representatives Office of Law Revision Counsel
- United States Code Classification Tables
Shows for the current edition of the U.S. Code where recently enacted laws will appear in the Code and which sections of the Code are affected by recently passed laws. From the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives.
- Constitution of the United States of America
Full text of the U.S. Constitution with analytic commentary and Supreme Court decisions covering major provisions. From GPO Access.
- Laws and Links Related to General Federal Agency Operations
Offers a list of major laws related to federal agency procedures and policies with citations and links to U.S. Code, Statutes At Large, Code of Federal Regulations, and, when available, Thomas. From the Law Librarians Society of Washington Legislative Source Book.
- Military Law and Legal Links
A list of links to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Manual for Courts-Martial, Rules of Evidence, and related topics. From the Air War College.
- Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties
Offers access to laws, treaties and executive orders related to the U.S. Government and Indian tribes as compiled by Charles J. Kappler. When completed the project will cover all seven volumes of Kappler's Treaties. Organized chronologically with an index and keyword search engine. From Oklahoma State University.
Federal Regulations
- Code of Federal Regulations
Offers search and browse approaches to the current rules and regulations issued by federal agencies plus Presidential proclamations and executive orders. Arranges current regulations by subject code. From the National Archives and GPO Access.
- Federal Register
Full text of the official daily source for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies as well as Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders. Covers 1994 to date. Graphic material available only in PDF version. From National Archives and GPO Access.
- Research Guide to the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations
Covers the history, purpose, contents, and indexing of both publications. From the Law Librarians Society of Washington.
- RegInfo.Gov: Where to Find Federal Regulatory Information
Offers access to online version of the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Unified Agenda of federal agency regulatory plans. From the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration.
- Regulations.Gov
Offers database of pending and proposed federal agency regulations and opportunity for submitting comments to issuing agency. Permits search by keyword of all regulations up for public comment or selection by agency.
- List of CFR Sections Affected, 1986-2000
Offers option to browse or search 4 volume set which presents all changes to the Titles of the Code of Federal Regulations as announced in the pages of the daily Federal Register during a 15 year period. From GPO Access.
- Federal Administrative Decisions
This site at the University of Virginia Law School brings together a variety of pages covering orders, decisions, and other legal actions from various executive branch agencies.
- OMB Circulars
Policy and procedure mandates, related to the budget and federal financial management, from the Office of Management and Budget to executive branch agencies
- Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda
Offers explanation of the procedure where federal agencies post annually information about plans for pending regulatory actions. Also links to annual plans. Covers all regulatory actions except those involving military and foreign affairs. Maintained by the Center for Intelligence Information Retrieval at the University of Massachusetts with sponsorship by the National Science Foundation.
- Statements of Administration Policy
Concise statements of the administration position on major pieces of legislation. Begins with coverage of the 105th Congress, 1997. From the Office of Management and Budget
State Laws and Regulations
- Code of Virginia
A searchable database for Virginia's laws available from the Code Commission's home page.
- Virginia Administrative Code
Searchable database of the regulations adopted by state agencies available from the Code Commission's home page.
- Virginia Register of Regulations
Biweekly issues of new agency regulations and proposed regulations are available since June 1998 from the Code Commission. Follow "How to Get Copies of the Register."
- Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Find text of Virginia regulations, track proposed changes and view meeting information. Registered users can also submit online comments and receive email notifications about proposed regulations. From the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.
- Virginia General Assembly
Covers bills and actions of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates. Search bills by number, topic, or status.
- Virginia General Assembly Session Tracking
Covers actions of the Virginia legislature back to 1994
- Reports to the General Assembly
Online full text of recent legislative reports issued as House of Delegates and Senate numbered documents. Coverage back to 2000. From the Virginia General Assembly.
- Executive Orders--Governor Kaine
Full text of executive orders issued by the current administration
- Executive Orders--Virginia
Offers a list of Virginia Executive Orders in effect and a Frequently Asked Questions feature about Virginia Executive Orders. From the Department of Planning and Budget.
- State Legal Sources on the Web
Offers state by state web links in easy to use grid pattern for bills, session laws, code of laws and state constitution, new regulations and executive orders, code of regulations, attorney general opinions, state courts, and major state newspapers. From the University of Michigan Documents Center.
- State Legislatures, State Laws and State Regulations
Offers website links and telephone numbers for state laws, codes, legislatures, and registers. From the Legislative Source Book of the Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC.
- Legislatures Live
Webcasts of legislative floor proceedings and committee hearings, Offers links to Internet audio and video feeds for most of the states. From the National Conference of State Legislatures
Congressional Materials
- Congressional Bills
Covers full text of all published versions of bills introduced in Congress from 1993 to current date. Offers summary and full text versions. From GPO Access.
- Congressional Bills, History of Bills
Covers actions on bills introduced in Congress from 1983 to date. Covers actions reported in the Congressional Record with page citations. From GPO Access
- Congressional Record (Daily Edition)
A "substantially verbatim" record of the proceedings and debates of Congress from 1994 to date. Includes sections on House and Senate, an Extensions of Remarks section for miscellaneous materials entered by members, and a Daily Digest which summarizes the actions. From GPO Access.
- Congressional Record (Permanent Bound Edition)
Differs in pagination from the Daily Edition. GPO Access coverage of the Bound Congressional Record begins with Volume 145, 106th Congress, First Session, 1999. Future volumes to follow as they become available.
- Congressional Record Index
A searchable database of the Congressional Record Index from 1983 to date. Indexes the daily paper version of the Record. From GPO Access.
- An Overview of the Congressional Record and Its Predecessor Publications
Concise descriptions of the various publications that have captured the proceedings of the U.S. Congress from its origins to the present. Also covers the role of the House and Senate Journals, the features of the Congressional Record, electronic access to the Record and how to cite material from it. From the Law Librarians' Society of Washington D.C.
- Sessions of Congress with Corresponding Debate Record Volume Numbers (1789-Current)
Table shows useful information about which sources indexed which Congressional sessions, when features entered or were dropped from the Conressional Record, and more. From the Law Librarians' Society of Washington DC
- Congressional Hearings
Text of statements from witnesses appearing before Congressional committees and interrogation of witnesses by panel members. Note: Online texts often lack additional documents inserted into hearing record by participants and written responses submitted by witnesses after hearing date. Coverage from 105th Congress, 1997/1998. From GPO Access.
- Congressional Documents
- Congressional Reports
Full text of publications of Congress that cover recommendations about legislation from committees (Reports) and communications from executive to legislative branch (Documents), including Senate functions relating to treaties and presidential nominations. Coverage from 1995 to date in ASCII and PDF formats. Graphic material available only in PDF format. From GPO Access.
- Congressional Oversight Manual
Spells out Congressional responsibilities and procedures for exercising oversight on how the Executive Branch implements laws including ensuring compliance with legislative intent, preventing waste and fraud, evaluating program performance, and protecting individual rights and liberties. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.
- LexisNexis Congressional
Combines a variety of major legislative and regulatory sources including full text of Cogressional bills, Congressional Record, laws, Code of Federal Regulations, and Federal Register. Also includes Congressional member information, committee assignments, campaign contributions, financial disclosure reports, and voting records. Incomplete full text coverage of Congressional publications such as hearings and reports. Available to William and Mary community and other subscribers.
- U.S. Congressional Bibliographies
Lists hearings held by the House and Senate, those covered by printed transcripts and those for which no transcript has been issued. From the North Carolina State University Libraries.
- Hinds' Precedents of the House of Representatives...
A handbook of legal procedures and precedents originally published in 1907.
- Schedule of Volumes to the U.S. Congressional Serial Set 1970 to Current With an Overview of the U.S. Serial Set
Provides method to link individual House and Senate document numbers with serial set volume number. From the Law Librarians' Society of Washington Legislative Source Book
- General Accounting Office (GAO) Reports
Full text of the investigative reports on federal programs and activities issued by the government's watchdog auditing agency. From GPO Access
- Selected Congressional Research Service Reports on Congress and Its Procedures
Offers a lengthy list of short reports about Congressional procedures and publications. Also offers links to other web locations for CRS reports on various topics. From the Law Librarians' Society of Washington Legislative Source Book
- Congressional Research Service Reports Hosted by UNT Libraries
Aims to provide integrated, searchable access to many of the full-text CRS reports that have been available at a variety of different Web sites since 1990. Search by title, subject, author, keyword or report number. From the University of North Texas Libraries.
- Congressional Research Service Reports Special Topics 2003-2004
This collection of CRS reports focuses on national security, intelligence and Iraq issues as of spring 2004 but also contains a random collection of CRS reports on other topics arranged chronologically from 2001 to date.
- Find Congressional Research Service Reports
A search portal utilizing Google developed by Steven Stoft of Zfacts.com which searches for text of CRS reports wherever online they might be.
- Open CRS: Congressional Research Reports for the People
Another site which collects and makes available CRS reports on various subjects. From the Center for Democracy and Technology.
- Congressional Directory
Information about the members and the organization of the Congress and Congressional agencies. Online version is updated periodically during the current session of Congress to accommodate changes in membership and assignments. From GPO Access.
- Congressional Pictorial Directory
Photographs of members and officers of the current Congress. From GPO Access.
- U.S. Congress Votes Database
Search all the votes in Congress in aggregate or by individual member since the 102nd Congress (1991). A service of the Washington Post.
- Congresspedia
Calls itself the citizen's encyclopedia of Congress. A wiki that features information on Senators and Representatives including basic background information, campaign contributions and more. Now also features Legislation and Issues Portal with current legislative developments by topic. From Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Media and Democracy.
- GovTrack.US
Tracks status of bills in Congress. Also offers a variety of additional features including directory of members of Congress with voting history and committee memberships, sponsored bills,email updates, and RSS feeds. Indexes all bills and all roll call votes. Search bills by name, subject and number. Information comes primarily from Thomas site.
Presidential Materials
- Public Papers of the Presidents
Searchable database of the Public Papers of the Presidents beginning with George Herbert Walker Bush.. Also offers links to browse individual sections of the volumes. From GPO Access and the National Archives.
- Public Papers of the Presidents
Browse or search all presidential papers from Hoover to latest available. Also includes Inaugural Addresses, State of the Union speeches, party platforms, and FDR's Fireside Chats. From the University of California at Santa Barbara.
- Public Papers of the Presidents
Browse or search all presidential papers from Hoover to latest available. From the University of Michigan
- Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
Full text of the speeches, press conferences, messages, and other documents of the President released on a weekly basis from 1993 to date. From National Archives and GPO Access.
- Presidential Directives and Where to Find Them
Explains what Presidential Directives (in their various name forms) are and where to find them. From the Library of Congress
- Presidential Directives: Background and Overview
Provides an overview of the different kinds of directives that have been used by presidents since the 20th Century. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Law Librarians Society of Washington.
- Presidential Executive Orders
Official documents, numbered consecutively, by which the president manages the operations of the executive branch.
- Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations
Examines the origin and usage of these presidential instruments, the scope of their authority and possible responses by congress and the judiciary. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Law Librarians Society of Washington.
- Presidential Executive Orders The American Presidency Project
Offers the text of presidential executive orders from 1826 to date. From the University of California at Santa Barbara.
- Presidential Executive Orders Disposition Tables
Listings of Presidential Executive Orders by administration from 1961 to date showing the title, date, Federal Register location, and whether it remains in effect. Sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration. Does not include full text.
- Presidential Inaugural Addresses
Text of presidential inaugural addresses from George Washington to date. From the American Presidency Project of the University of California Santa Barbara.
- Presidential Oral History
- Oral histories featuring prominent members of the administrations of Presidents Carter through Clinton, with plans to continue the program for future administrations. From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
- Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders
Offers the full text of proclamations and executive orders from Truman (April 1945) through Reagan (January 1989).
- Presidential Signing Statements
Written comments by presidents from 1929 to date upon signing legislation passed by Congress. From the University of California Santa Barbara American Presidency Project.
- American President.org
Offers biographical information, event timelines, organization charts and in-depth essays on presidential administrations. From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
- WhiteHouseTapes.org
Offers over 5000 hours of tapes secretly recorded by 6 presidents between 1940 and 1973. Covers conversations of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. From the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
Impeachment
- Backgrounder on Impeachment
Offers a collection of information on the presidential impeachment process, including Independent Counsel Starr's reports, the White House rebuttals, Senate and House rules governing impeachment, the independent counsel statute, and source material on past presidential impeachment cases. Sponsored by the Cornell University Legal Information Institute.
- Federal Impeachment Materials
Offers bibliographic references to Congressional materials on impeachment and censure actions from 1789 to 1999. Organized by name alphabetically, by name chronologically, and by result for each type of action. From Congressional Information Service.
- Impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton
Massive collection of materials on the impeachment event, including House Debate, House Judiciary Committee Report, Senate Trial, Grand Jury Testimony, Paula Jones litigation materials, Presidential rebuttals, and historical materials. From University of Michigan Documents Center.
Historical Materials
- Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774 to the Present.
Offers a searchable database of more than 13,000 individuals who are serving or have served in the House, Senate or Continental Congress. Provides listings of office holders by Congress and biographical sketches of their lives. Sponsored by the Senate Historical Office and the Legislative Resource Center of the House.
- Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Ambitious effort to make full text of primary legislative research materials such as the Congressional debates, House and Senate Journals and other titles relating to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention available on the Internet. Project now has over 500,000 digital items of Congressional material through 1873. From the Library of Congress American Memory site.
- Our Documents: A National Initiative on American History, Civics, and Service
Features access to 100 milestone documents in American history from the Declaration of Independence (1776) to the Voting Rights Act (1965). Sponsored by the National Archives and others.
- United States Constitution Annotated
Offers the content of the Annotated Constitution as prepared by the Congressional Research Service with citations and notes to Supreme Court cases, the U.S. Code, and the Code of Federal Regulatons. From the Legal Information Institute of Cornell University Law School.
- United States Senate: An Institutional Bibliography, 1789-2000
Covers Constitutional structure and powers, rules and practice, leadership, parties, committees, administration, relations with other branches, elections and other topics. Includes section on all impeachment cases heard by the Senate.
Resource Collections
- Fed Law
A collection of federal legal resource materials including federal laws, regulations, Presidential executive orders, federal judicial decisions, some state laws, arbitration/mediation decisions and more gathered from various Internet sources as an aid to federal lawyers and other federal employees. Includes federal laws organized by some 60 subject categories.
- Find Law Constitutional Law Center
Covers the Constitution and the Supreme Court. Includes an annotated Constitution, analysis of selected topics in constitutional law and a history of the Constitution. Also covers the history of the Supreme Court, landmark decisions, and major topics in the most recent Court term.
- Internet Law Library
Covers U. S. federal and state laws, the U.S. Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations. Also covers the laws of other nations and U.S. territories. Formerly operated by the House of Representatives.
- Law Library of Congress
Website of the Law Library of the Library of Congress. Offers information about its collection and other legal resources such as the Guide to Law Online and the Global Legal Information Network. Includes page on states and territories which covers each state's code, regulations, executive agencies, courts, and U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal as available.
International
- Great Britain. House of Commons. Library Research Papers
Research reports on topics of current interest prepared for members of Parliament by the House of Commons Library. Topics range from foreign relations to health care to criminal justice.
- House of Commons Factsheets
Brief, informative descriptions of the legislative procedures, processes, and history of the British Parliament's House of Commons
- Public Bills Before Parliament
Titles and full text of all bills before the British Parliament's House of Commons and House of Lords. Also offers access to approved bills and the House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin for legislative status.
- SOSIG Law Gateway
The law portal for the award winning Social Science Information Gateway covers United Kingdom, European Union, and, under "Other Jurisdictions," legal institutions of all countries of the world. Also has sections on "International Law" and "Law By Subject Area."
- Eur-Lex: The Portal To European Union Law
Offers limited access to the Official Journal, treaties, legislation, case-law, and other documents of public interest. From the European Union.
- History of the Charter of the United Nations
Information about the history and development of the United Nations, the member nations, and the main structural components. From the United Nations.
- United Nations Guide to Electronic Resources
Identifies and describes major sources for research within the United Nations system. From the American Society of International Law Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law.
- International Documents
Offers links to the major agencies of foreign governments, including legislative or parliamentary sites.