Statutes are federal or state written laws (or "acts") enacted by the Congress or state legislatures.
| Abbrev. | Title | Coverage | Location/Access |
| USC | United States Code | Federal laws currently in force. | |
| Stat. | United States Statutes at Large | Laws and resolutions as originally passed by Congress, bound by session of Congress. Issued as Public Laws (PL) "slip laws" before bound. Note: laws may have subsequently been changed by newer laws or constitutional challenges. | Print: KF50 .U5 1789 - 1875 1951-recent Slip Laws |
| Vt. Stat. An | Vermont Statutes | Consolidation of all Vermont laws in force, arranged under 33 broad subjects or "titles". | VT Legislature |
| [none] | Acts and Resolves Passed by the Assembly of the State of Vermont | Historical source of Vermont law | Print: Vt. Coll. KFV25 .A3 |
A bill is a legislative proposal for enactment of a law. A bill becomes a law (statute) after it is passed and signed.
| Abbrev. | Title | Coverage | Location/Access |
| S. H.R. |
Senate Bill House Bill |
Federal Legislation before the U.S. Congress. | Congress.gov (Library of Congress) |
| CR | Congressional Record | Official proceedings and debates of the U.S. Congress. Includes the text of some bills. |
Congress.gov (1995+) |
| SB | Senate Bill | Vermont Legislation. 1985 - present. | Vermont Legislature |
| HB | House Bill | Vermont Legislation. 1985 - present. | Vermont Legislature |
Vermont Topic Tracker (from VTDigger.org)
Includes links to news articles and bill tracking information from the VT legislature.
What is the difference? These publications are described and can be searched on the collection pages provided by the U.S. Government via FDsys:
These can also be found using the Serial Set (except prints) and Congress.gov.
Consult these resources to learn how to research legislative history.
Regulations are rules and administrative codes issued by governmental agencies at all levels, municipal, county, state and federal. Regulations have the force of law because they are adopted under authority granted by statutes and often include penalties for violations. Most often, regulations are not included in volumes containing state statutes or federal laws; instead, they must be obtained from government agencies or located in publications not widely distributed.
| Abbrev. | Title | Coverage | Location |
| FR | Federal Register | Daily listing of federal agencies' proposed and final rules and regulations. Use as a supplement to update CFR. | Govt. Docs AE2.106: GPO FDsys |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations | Subject arrangement of rules and regulations of U.S. government agencies. | Govt. Docs AE2.106/3: Nexis Uni GPO FDsys |
U.S. Constitution (CRS Annotated)
From Cornell. Text with links to Supreme Court opinions, the United States Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations; and footnotes.
Image & Text: Archives.gov (National Archive)