United States Statutes at Large
Encyclopedia
The United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large and abbreviated Stat., are the official source for the laws and concurrent resolution
s passed by the United States Congress
. They are also commonly called session laws since they are compiled from slip law
s (public law
s and private law
s, abbreviated Pub.L. and Pvt.L.) at the end of a Congressional session. They are part of a three-part model for publication
of federal statutes consisting of slip laws, session laws, and codification.
. Once enacted into law, an Act will be published in the Statutes at Large and will add to, modify, or delete some part of the United States Code. Provisions of the public laws that contain only enacting clauses, effective dates, and similar matters are not generally codified. Private laws also are not generally codified.
Some portions of the United States Code have been enacted as positive law
and other portions have not been so enacted. In case of a conflict between the text of the Statutes at Large and the text of a provision of the United States Code that has not been enacted as positive law, the text of the Statutes at Large takes precedence.
under authority granted by a joint resolution of Congress. In 1874, Congress transferred the authority to publish the Statutes at Large to the Government Printing Office under the direction of the Secretary of State.
During Little, Brown and Company's time as publisher, Richard Peters (Volumes 1-8), George Minot (Volumes 9-11), and George P. Sanger
(Volumes 11-17) served as editors.
, 61 Stat. 633, was enacted July 30, 1947 and directed the Secretary of State to compile, edit, index, and publish the Statutes at Large. , 64 Stat. 980, was enacted September 23, 1950 and directed the Administrator of General Services to compile, edit, index, and publish the Statutes at Large. Since 1985 the Statutes at Large have been prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register
(OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA).
Until 1948, all treaties
and international agreements approved by the United States Senate
were also published in the set, but these now appear in a publication titled United States Treaties and Other International Agreements, abbreviated U.S.T. In addition, the Statutes at Large includes the text of the Declaration of Independence
, Articles of Confederation
, the Constitution
, amendments to the Constitution, treaties with Indians
and foreign nations, and presidential proclamation
s.
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Concurrent resolution
A concurrent resolution is a resolution adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that lacks the force of law and does not require the approval of the chief executive.-United States Congress:...
s passed by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. They are also commonly called session laws since they are compiled from slip law
Slip law
In the United States, a slip law is an individual Act of Congress, which are either public laws or private laws . They are part of a three-part model for publication of Federal statutes consisting of slip laws, session laws, and codification...
s (public law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
s and private law
Private law
Private law is that part of a civil law legal system which is part of the jus commune that involves relationships between individuals, such as the law of contracts or torts, as it is called in the common law, and the law of obligations as it is called in civilian legal systems...
s, abbreviated Pub.L. and Pvt.L.) at the end of a Congressional session. They are part of a three-part model for publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
of federal statutes consisting of slip laws, session laws, and codification.
Codification
Today, large portions of slip laws denominated as public laws are drafted as amendments to the United States CodeUnited States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
. Once enacted into law, an Act will be published in the Statutes at Large and will add to, modify, or delete some part of the United States Code. Provisions of the public laws that contain only enacting clauses, effective dates, and similar matters are not generally codified. Private laws also are not generally codified.
Some portions of the United States Code have been enacted as positive law
Positive law
Positive law is the term generally used to describe man-made laws which bestow specific privileges upon, or remove them from, an individual or group...
and other portions have not been so enacted. In case of a conflict between the text of the Statutes at Large and the text of a provision of the United States Code that has not been enacted as positive law, the text of the Statutes at Large takes precedence.
History
Publication began in 1845 by the private firm of Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
under authority granted by a joint resolution of Congress. In 1874, Congress transferred the authority to publish the Statutes at Large to the Government Printing Office under the direction of the Secretary of State.
During Little, Brown and Company's time as publisher, Richard Peters (Volumes 1-8), George Minot (Volumes 9-11), and George P. Sanger
George P. Sanger
George Partridge Sanger was an American lawyer, editor, judge, and businessman who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1873 to 1886 and was the first president of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company.-Early life:Sanger was born on November 27, 1819...
(Volumes 11-17) served as editors.
, 61 Stat. 633, was enacted July 30, 1947 and directed the Secretary of State to compile, edit, index, and publish the Statutes at Large. , 64 Stat. 980, was enacted September 23, 1950 and directed the Administrator of General Services to compile, edit, index, and publish the Statutes at Large. Since 1985 the Statutes at Large have been prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register
Office of the Federal Register
The Office of the Federal Register is an agency of the United States government within the National Archives and Records Administration.The Office publishes the Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, and United States Statutes at Large, among others. It also administers the Electoral College....
(OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
(NARA).
Until 1948, all treaties
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
and international agreements approved by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
were also published in the set, but these now appear in a publication titled United States Treaties and Other International Agreements, abbreviated U.S.T. In addition, the Statutes at Large includes the text of the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
, Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
, the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, amendments to the Constitution, treaties with Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and foreign nations, and presidential proclamation
Presidential Proclamation
A Presidential Proclamation is a statement issued by a President on a matter of public policy. They are generally defined as, "The act of causing some state matters to be published or made generally known...
s.
See also
- Revised Statutes of the United States
- Enrolled Bill
External links
| Statutes at Large: WikiSource Scanned Volumes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18:1 | 18:2a | 18:2b |
| 18:2c | 18:3 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32:1 | 32:2 | 33:1 | 33:2 | 34:1 |
| 34:2 | 34:3 | 35:1 | 35:2 | 36:1 | 36:2 | 37:1 | 37:2 | 38:1 | 38:2 |
| 39:1 | 39:2 | 40:1 | 40:2 | 41:1 | 41:2 | 42:1 | 42:2 | 43:1 | 43:2 |
| 44:1 | 44:2 | 44:3 | 45:1 | 45:2 | |||||
| 65 | |||||||||
| 66 | 67 | 68:1 | 68:2 | 68A | 69 | 70 | 70A | 71 | 72:1 |
| 72:2 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 76A | 77 | 77A | 78 | 79 |
| 80:1 | 80:2 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84:1 | 84:2 | 85 | 86 | 87 |
| 88:1 | 88:2 | 89 | 90:1 | 90:2 | 91 | 92:1 | 92:2 | 92:3 | 93 |
| 94:1 | 94:2 | 94:3 | 95 | 96:1 | 96:2 | 97 | 98:1 | 98:2 | 98:3 |
| 99:1 | 99:2 | 100:1 | 100:2 | 100:3 | 100:4 | 100:5 | 101:1 | 101:2 | 101:3 |
| 102:1 | 102:2 | 102:3 | 102:4 | 102:5 | 103:1 | 103:2 | 103:3 | 104:1 | 104:2 |
| 104:3 | 104:4 | 104:5 | 104:6 | 105:1 | 105:2 | 105:3 | 106:1 | 106:2 | 106:3 |
| 106:4 | 106:5 | 106:6 | 107:1 | 107:2 | 107:3 | 108:1 | 108:2 | 108:3 | 108:4 |
| 108:5 | 108:6 | 109:1 | 109:2 | 110:1 | 110:2 | 110:3 | 110:4 | 110:5 | 110:6 |
| 111:1 | 111:2 | 111:3 | 112:1 | 112:2 | 112:3 | 112:4 | 112:5 | 113:1 | 113:2 |
| 113:3 | 114:1 | 114:2 | 114:3 | 114:4 | 114:5 | 114:6 | 115:1 | 115:2 | 115:3 |
| 116:1 | 116:2 | 116:3 | 116:4 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 |
- Volumes 1 to 18 (1789-1875) of the Statutes at Large made available by the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- Volumes 117 to 120 (2003-2006) of the Statutes at Large made available by the GPO via FDsysFederal Digital SystemThe Federal Digital System replaces GPOAccess, an information storage system to house electronic government documents, from 1994 with a modern information management system. FDsys authenticates, preserves, versions, and provides permanent public access to federal government information...
- Sortable by Bills Enacted into Laws, Concurrent Resolutions, Popular Names, Presidential Proclamations, or Public Laws.
- Digitized Volumes 65-115 (1951-2002) from joint project of GPO and the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- Volumes 1-123 of the Statutes at Large made available by the Constitution SocietyConstitution SocietyThe Constitution Society is a nonprofit educational organization headquartered in Austin, Texas, U.S., founded in 1994 by Jon Roland, a self-employed computer and management consultant...
- Public and private laws from 104th Congress (1995) to present from the Government Printing Office, in slip law format with Statutes at Large page references
- Early United States Statutes includes Volumes 1 to 44 (1789–1927) of the Statutes at Large in DjVuDjVuDjVu is a computer file format designed primarily to store scanned documents, especially those containing a combination of text, line drawings, and photographs. It uses technologies such as image layer separation of text and background/images, progressive loading, arithmetic coding, and lossy...
and PDF format, along with rudimentary OCROptical character recognitionOptical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping...
of the text. - How Our Laws Are Made, by the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives (PDF).
- United States Statutes and the United States Code: Historical Outlines, Notes, Lists, Tables, and Sources
- Second Edition of the Revised Statutes of the United States (1878)