About Public and Private Laws
Online Sources ~ Print & Microform
Public Laws
"Most laws passed by Congress are public laws. Public laws affect society as a whole. Public law citations include the abbreviation, Pub.L., (or P.L.) the Congress number (e.g. 107), and the number of the law. For example: Pub.L. 107-006 (or P.L. 107-6).
Private Laws
Affect an individual, family, or small group. Private laws are enacted to assist citizens that have been injured by government programs or who are appealing an executive agency ruling such as deportation. Private laws citations include the abbreviation, Pvt.L., the Congress number (e.g. 107), and the number of the law. For example: Pvt.L. 107-006." (GPO: Public and Private Laws)
Note:
Public laws are initially published as "Slip Laws" and later published in United States Statutes at Large, the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
Public Laws : Online Sources
- ProQuest Congressional PublicationsIncludes bills, resolutions, reports, hearings and the Congressional Record ("verbatim" account of the proceedings and debates on floor of the House and Senate).
1789 -- current
Public Law number (P.L. ___ )
In Proquest Congressional, select Bills by Number --> Search by Number from the menu.
If you don't already have the number, select the Advanced Search.
Unselect all, and select only Bills and Laws (1789 - ).
Search by topic word, or bill sponsor, or vote report (by sponsor), and more.
Limit by date or Session of Congress.
- Congress.gov1973/1974 (93rd Congress) -- current.
Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information, presented by the Library of Congress using data from the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, the Government Publishing Office, Congressional Budget Office, and the LOC's Congressional Research Service. - govinfo1994/95 (104th Congress) -- current. (Slip Laws)
Authenticated government documents from the Government Printing Office.
1951 -- (latest published volume): in Statutes at Large
Public Laws: Print and Microform Locations
1933/1934-1941/1942 (73rd-77th Congress)
Location/Call number: Microfiche 240
1973/1974-2007/2008 (93rd-110th Congress)
Location/Call number: Microfiche 240
1937 - 2011
Included in United States, Statutes at Large
Location: Olin Oversize, K .U545+