Understanding the difference between U.S. Laws and Regulations
| Laws | Regulations |
|---|---|
Congress passes Laws |
Agencies publish Regulations to carry out mandates to create rules to implement laws |
| Each step along the way to a law's passage generates publications: | Regulations first appear as agency documents published in the Federal Register
Federal Register online via the Government Printing Office |
When a Bill finally passes, it becomes a Public Law which is published in three forms in this sequential order:
|
Final regulations are codified annually in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)
Code of Federal Regulations online via the Government Printing Office |
| A law will be amended by the creation of another Public Law.
To check for amendments, use United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) |
If a regulation is updated or changed, notice appears in the Federal Register. To see if a regulation has changed, check the List of C.F.R.Sections Affected
List of CFR Sections Affected online via the Government Printing Office |
Library users and Researchers with a Penn State Access Account may also use LexisNexis Academic, Westlaw Campus, and/or HeinOnline to research United States Laws and Regulations |
Table based on Cornell University Library subject guide to Laws and Regulations.
See also the Law Library of Congress Web pages: United States Law and United States Executive : U.S. Executive Agencies and Regulations, for more online information about laws and regulations.
(e-reference)