Cecily Zamora
Session laws refer to all the laws passed during a particular session of Congress, published in chronological order in the Statutes at Large. Codes, on the other hand, are laws published by topic or subject rather than chronologically. They are periodically updated to reflect changes, such as adding new laws or removing repealed ones. Codes are also known as statutory compilations and are typically found in print volumes called the United States Code (U.S.C.).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Session laws definition | Laws that have been enacted during a legislative session |
| Session laws publication | Published in chronological order, by the legislative session in which they were enacted |
| Session laws amendment | Subject to amendment or repeal by a later session law |
| Session laws citation | Identified by public law number, which consists of the number of the Congress, a dash, and then the sequential number of the law as it was passed |
| Session laws example | Public Law Number 89-670 (the 670th law passed during the 89th Congress) |
| Codes definition | Sometimes called statutory compilations |
| Codes publication | Publish laws by topic or subject, rather than chronologically |
| Codes amendment | Periodically updated with supplements or new editions to reflect changes |
| Codes citation | Include a multivolume index at the end of the sets, along with a Popular Name Table |
| Codes example | The United States Code (U.S.C.) is the official, unannotated code of the United States |
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What You'll Learn
Session laws are laws passed in a legislative session
Session laws refer to the laws passed during a particular session of Congress. They are published in chronological order in the Statutes at Large, with each law identified by a Public Law Number, consisting of the number of the Congress and a sequential number of the law as it was passed. For example, Public Law 112-1 was the first law passed by the 112th Congress. Session laws are also published by state legislatures, such as the Acts & Resolves of Massachusetts.
Session laws are the initial publication of the laws passed in a legislative session and are considered the positive law form. This means that in the event of a dispute about the actual language of the law passed, the session law is the determinative form of the law. Session laws never changed, but they can be amended or repealed by a later session law.
Session laws are published annually and are usually the first print source for recent federal laws. They are identified by their public law number and are published in the Statutes at Large, which is the official U.S. government compilation of federal session laws. Session laws are also available through online sources, such as Congress.gov, or through commercial vendors like Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, and Westlaw.
In addition to the federal session laws, there are also session laws for each of the 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. These session laws are compiled and published in sources such as the HeinOnline Session Laws Library, which provides access to the official acts and resolves of each jurisdiction.
Overall, session laws are an important source for understanding the laws passed during a particular legislative session and are a key step in the process of publishing and enacting laws. They provide a chronological record of the laws passed and serve as the initial reference point for the law's language and content.
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Session laws are published in chronological order
Session laws refer to all the laws passed during a particular session of Congress. They are published in chronological order in the Statutes at Large. For example, Public Laws 112-1 through 112-75 are published in Part 1 of Volume 125 of Statutes at Large.
The Statutes at Large is the official U.S. government compilation of federal session laws. All statutes passed by the U.S. Congress are published in chronological order in the Statutes at Large. All Massachusetts acts passed by the legislature are published in the Acts & Resolves of Massachusetts. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, for instance, was the 352nd law passed by the 89th Congress and can be found in volume 78 of the Statutes at Large.
The first print source you are likely to find session laws in is advance legislative services. These are usually published by the commercial publisher of the annotated code or statutes for a particular jurisdiction. Print sources for recent federal laws (Public Laws) include the United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) and the advance legislative pamphlets that accompany the two annotated U.S. Code sets, U.S.C.A. and U.S.C.S.
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Codes are laws published by topic or subject
Codes, sometimes called statutory compilations, are laws published by topic or subject. They are periodically updated with supplements or new editions to reflect changes, such as the addition of new laws, amendments to existing laws, or the deletion of repealed laws. Codes are usually not the positive law form, but they are authoritative and are considered prima facie evidence of the text of the law. They are also time-sensitive and subject to change.
The United States Code (U.S.C.) is the official, unannotated code of the United States. It is published in print every six years, with annual cumulative supplements. The U.S.C. consists of 53 titles, with each title representing a topic. For example, Title 17 (Copyrights) contains the copyright statutes, and Chapter 3 of Title 17 is titled "Duration of Copyrights". The sub-topics under a title are organized into chapters, which contain individual sections. Because the U.S.C. is a topical arrangement of statutes, sections grouped in the same chapter cover similar topics.
In addition to the United States Code, there are two other editions of the federal statutory codes: the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) and the United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.). These are unofficial codes published by private companies, and they are updated more frequently than the official U.S.C. While the official U.S.C. contains only the statutory language, the U.S.C.A. and U.S.C.S. contain references to other helpful primary and secondary sources, including interpretive and secondary materials. These include references to court cases that have interpreted a code section, as well as commentary and scholarly references. This makes annotated codes a preferred tool for statutory research.
Online versions of codes tend to be the easiest way to view the current version of the law, as changes are reflected in the text with little lag time. Each of the major online subscription services has its own annotated code, and each allows researchers to perform full-text keyword searches. However, when searching in online annotated codes, it's important to remember that statutes are not individual documents; rather, they are part of a larger scheme. Therefore, it's helpful to take advantage of the Table of Contents feature in any online code to browse for related sections and view a single statutory section in the context of related sections.
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Codes are periodically updated to reflect changes
Session laws refer to the laws passed during a particular session of Congress, published in chronological order. They are subject to repeal or amendment by later session laws. Codes, on the other hand, publish laws by topic or subject and are periodically updated to reflect changes. This could include the addition of new laws, modifications to existing laws, or the removal of repealed laws. Official codes are reissued on a regular cycle to reflect these changes, while unofficial annotated codes are updated more frequently and contain valuable research material.
Official codes, also known as statutory compilations, are not annotated and only provide the text of the law. They are typically reissued on a regular cycle to reflect changes made by session laws. Unofficial annotated codes, published by private companies, are updated more frequently and contain valuable research material. These include references to court cases that have interpreted a code section, as well as commentary and scholarly references. This makes annotated codes a valuable tool for statutory research.
The United States Code (U.S.C.) is the official, unannotated code of the United States. It is published in print every six years, with annual cumulative supplements to ensure it remains current. The U.S.C. consists of 53 titles, each representing a different topic. For example, Title 17 pertains to copyrights and includes sections on the duration of copyrights.
To determine if a statute has been affected by a recently enacted session law, researchers can refer to tables such as "Statutes Amended, New or Repealed". Online versions are particularly useful in this regard, as they reflect changes with little lag time. Additionally, advance legislative services and pamphlets published by commercial vendors like Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, and Westlaw can provide the text of recently enacted laws.
When conducting statutory research, it is important to remember that statutes are not individual documents but part of a larger scheme. Researchers can utilise the Table of Contents feature in online codes to browse related sections and view a single statutory section in context. Keyword searching can be challenging due to the specialised nature of statutory language, so it is recommended to use indexes to find synonyms for key terms and citations to relevant statutes.
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Official codes are not annotated
Unofficial annotated codes, on the other hand, are regularly updated and contain additional valuable research material. They are published without the state's direction, often by a commercial publisher, or by the state in a version not intended to be authoritative. Annotated codes include interpretive and secondary materials, such as references to court cases that have interpreted a code section, as well as commentary and scholarly references. This makes annotated codes the preferred tool for statutory research.
In addition to the United States Code, there are two other editions of the federal statutory codes: the United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.) and the United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.). These are unofficial codes that contain the statutory language as well as references to other helpful primary and secondary sources. They are also available electronically.
When conducting statutory research, it is important to determine whether a statute applies to a particular question or area of law. It is also important to check for changes to the law in the pocket part in the back of the volume or the cumulative supplement.
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Frequently asked questions
Session laws refer to all the laws passed during a particular session of Congress. They are published in chronological order in the Statutes at Large.
Codes, or statutory codes, are compilations of laws in effect, organised by topic or subject. They are periodically updated to reflect changes, such as the addition of new laws or amendments to existing ones.
Session laws refer to the laws passed during a legislative session and are published in chronological order. On the other hand, statutory codes arrange laws by topic or subject, making it easier to find the current law on a specific topic. While session laws are subject to repeal or amendment by later session laws, codes are updated regularly to incorporate these changes.
