Legislative Process: Chart from ProQuest's Legislative Insights
What happens after a bill is signed into Law?
Summarized from the National Archives, Office of the Federal Register, https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws, and "The Legislative Process" visual guide from ProQuest's Legislative Insight.
Find the Public Laws, Statutes, and United States Code, and the Implementing Regulations.
- Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new windowWestlaw Campus Research is a research service that combines a breadth of news with in depth law-related information.
- Public LawsThe Office of the Federal Register at the National Archives assigns public law (PL) numbers. PL numbers link to slip law texts after they have been published by the Government Printing Office (GPO).
- United States Statutes at LargeThe Statutes at Large (a.k.a. the 'session laws'), is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. They are published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) . Browse by session of Congress [year].
- United States Code (U.S.C.)The United States Code consolidates (and codifies by subject) the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives. Browse by Title [subject].
- Code of Federal Regulations (Annual Edition)The CFR "(CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation."
- Federal RegisterThe Federal Register "is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents."
For more about federal regulations and the CFR see:
The Courts may rule against a law, or against one or more of the rules to implement it.
SCOTUS challenges rules issued by the EPA, the federal authority implementing the Clean Air Act
- W. Virginia v. Env't Prot. Agency, 597 U.S. 697, 142 S. Ct. 2587 (2022)One of the issues in this case is the EPA's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which replaced the prior rule, the Clean Power Plan. [The EPA was established in July 1970 by President Nixon, to "set and enforce standards for air and water quality and for individual pollutants."]
- The contested regulation in W.Virginia v. EPA: "Repeal of the Clean Power Plan..."Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guidelines Implementing Regulations. A Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency on 07/08/2019. Published in the Federal Register, the daily journal of the U.S. Government. Document citation: 84 FR 32520.
- The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR): Title 40 Protection of the Environment"The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the official legal print publication containing the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a continuously updated online version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR."
- Federal Register vs. the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)Very helpful guide from the University of Michigan Law Library, explaining the difference between the Federal Register and the CFR: "The Federal Register is the chronological publication of proposed regulations, final regulations, and related materials. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is a subject arrangement of regulations."
Clean Air Amendments of 1970: Signing > Public Law > Statutes at Large > [Popular Name Table] > U.S. Code (Annotated)
ProQuest Congressional: Browse Topics > Air Pollution.
Westlaw Campus Research: Clean Air Amendments of 1970, United States Code Annotated Popular Name Table for Acts of Congress.
Westlaw Campus Research: 42 U.S.C.A. § 7411
- Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new windowWestlaw Campus Research is a research service that combines a breadth of news with in depth law-related information.