The United States/Federal Law Making Process

Government Publications & Maps Division, San Diego State University

Most documents listed below are in paper in Government Publications & Maps Reference (non-circulating) unless otherwise noted. See A Brief Guide to Researching U.S. Public Policy or the more thorough Researching United States Public Policy for information on locating paper and, when possible, electronic copies of these documents.

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

A two-year Congressional session begins. Representatives and Senators sponsor public policy proposals that are introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate as numbered bills (or acts). Campanion bills may be introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate during the same Congessional session. Similar but renumbered bills may also be reintroduced in subsequent Congressional sessions.

The text of bills is on microfiche (non-circulating); some bills are also available in electronic format. Examples of bill numbering are:

• H.R. 1, the 1st bill introduced in the House of Representatives during a Congressional session and
• S. 100, the 100th bill introduced in the Senate during a Congressional session.

Some bills are referred to House of Representatives and Senate Committees or Joint Committees. Committee action can produce the following types of documents, some of which are available in electronic format:

• Committee Print(s) [in paper (circulating) or on microfiche (non-circulating],
• Committee Hearing(s) [in paper; circulating], and
• Committee Report(s) [in various formats; non-circulating].

Some bills are debated by the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This debate is recored in the Congressional Record, in paper and, for recent years, also in electronic format.

Some bills are passed by BOTH the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The following WWW sites provide additional information on Congressional action as part of the United States/Federal law making process:

• HOW OUR LAWS ARE MADE
  
  
• ENACTMENT OF A LAW
  
  
• Congressional Universe: for information on the Legislative Process and a Legislative Glossary, see Congressional Universe "Help"

EXECUTIVE ACTION

PRESIDENTIAL ACTION

Some bills are signed into Public Laws (or acts) by the President. For example, Public Law (PL) 100-1 was the first Public Law of the 100th Congress. Presidential action can produce the following types of documents, the last of which is in General Reference, and some of which are also available in electronic format:

• statements printed in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents,
• individual laws, first issued as Slip Laws, later reprinted in
• the United States Statutes at Large and finally codified as part of the current law in
• the United States Code and in
• the United States Code Congressional and Administrative News

EXECUTIVE AGENCY ACTION

Executive agencies can issue program regulations based on Public Laws. Executive agency action will produce the following types of documents in paper, both of which are also available in electronic format:

• notices of individual proposed AND final regulations in the Federal Register, later codified as part of the current regulations in
• the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, available in paper and in electronic format, provides descriptions of executive agency programs.

JUDICIAL ACTION

The courts interpret Public Laws. United States Supreme Court opinions will produce the following types of documents, the last two of which are in General Reference, and some of which are also available in electronic format:

• individual opinions, first issued as Slip Opinions, later reprinted in
• the United States Reports and
• the Supreme Court Reporter

The U.S. Supreme Court Digest, in paper in General Reference, is an index of United States Supreme Court opinions.