Us Regulatory Resources Law Library Of Congress Databases Research

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 4:56 PM

us regulatory resources law library of congress databases research

The below resources connect researchers with sources of regulatory law, which involves regulations created by federal government agencies. Some of these resources include information about the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and other documents related to agency regulations. The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library. The resources below are available on any device connected to the Library of Congress network, including personal laptops connected to the WiFi. You may access these resources from any Reading Room, however, our reference librarians are equipped to provide expert assistance with navigation and use of legal research databases.

In addition to the resources below, see the comprehensive legal databases described under General Resources. The resources below are freely available online. Law Library reference librarians are available in person, by telephone, and via Ask a Librarian to assist you in navigating these collections. Our databases research guide describes frequently used legal research subscription databases and free online resources. While subscription databases are only accessible when onsite at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, freely available online resources can be accessed from anywhere. A full list of Library of Congress eResources is available through the Library's eResources catalog or the A-Z Databases list.

These lists include subscription databases (available onsite only) and recommended free online resources (available anywhere). The Library of Congress provides access to a broad range of databases and electronic resources (eResources). We have prepared this guide for users conducting legal and legislative research, to help direct them to eResources related to their research topic. These subscription legal research tools provide access to numerous primary and secondary law sources, as well as legal news, directories, and forms. These resources focus on US federal and state legislative and statutory research. Researchers will find links to the US Code, the US Statutes at Large, and legislative histories, among other materials.

When the interpretation of a statute requires an understanding of legislative intent, lawyers need access to the documents that were involved in passing the law. These sources meticulously index and link to the various documents generated during the United States Congress’s legislative process, which can help you create a narrative a bill’s history. Provides the tools for searching the Congressional Record, finding members of Congress, tracking proposed legislation by keyword and sponsor, and searching Congressional hearings, the Federal Register, the U.S. Serial Set Digital Collection, Congressional committee schedules, Committee Prints and Miscellaneous Publications, and Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports. Dates covered: 2004 – present. The U.S.

Government Printing Office disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Search the entire catalog of government publications. Formerly called FDsys.Access note: Freely available to the public. Government resources may be unexpectedly unavailable or altered in alignment with current federal administration priorities. Legislative histories, including fully searchable PDFs of full-text publications. Each history includes the full text of the public law itself, all versions of related bills, law-specific Congressional Record excerpts, committee hearings, reports, and prints.

Also included are presidential signing statements, CRS reports, and miscellaneous congressional publications that provide background material to aid in the understanding of issues related to the making of the law. The following three websites provide free access to the United States Code (U.S.C.). All three of these versions of the code are unannotated (i.e., they do not include references to cases and other related primary and secondary sources). On all three of these sites, one can locate code sections by citation or key word as well as browse the lists of titles, chapters, sections, etc. to drill down to the relevant section(s). When looking for a U.S.

law, oftentimes you only know the popular name (e.g. Family and Medical Leave Act). Finding the citation is made easier by use of a popular name table. Below you will find web sites that list the popular names of laws in alphabetical order and provide the citations to those laws (both the Public Law and United States Code (U.S.C.) citations). Federal statutes are first published as slip laws (individual pamphlets designated by public law number and containing the text of newly passed legislation). At the end of each Congress, the slip laws are compiled and published in chronological sequence as session laws in the official session law publication for federal statutes, United States Statutes at Large.

West Publishing publishes an unofficial session law set, United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN.) Below are several websites that provide free access to U.S. Congressional bills. For more information about bills, consult the UCLA Law LibGuide on Federal Legislative History. Below are several websites that provide free access to U.S. Congressional committee reports.

For more information about committee reports, consult the UCLA Law LibGuide on Federal Legislative History. The United States Code is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives. For currency information, click here. The following resources focus on US legislative and statutory research. In the tabbed pages below, you will find links to the US Code, the Statutes at Large, and legislative histories, among other materials.

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library. The resources below are available on any device connected to the Library of Congress network, including personal laptops connected to the WiFi. You may access these resources from any Reading Room, however, our reference librarians are equipped to provide expert assistance with navigation and use of legal research databases. In addition to the resources below, see the comprehensive legal databases described under General Resources. The resources below are freely available online.

Law Library reference librarians are available in person, by telephone, and via Ask a Librarian to assist you in navigating these collections.

Us Regulatory Resources Law Library Of Congress Databases Research

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