Locating Federal Statutes

Harris & Ewing. How a bill become a law. At the same time that the bill is sent to the committee , it is also filed in the document room, so that interested parties may obtain a copies for inspection. John H. Smith of the House Document room is shown here filing a bill. 1937 or 1938. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

At the Library of Congress, you can access slip laws and the Statutes at Large through the subscription databases.

ProQuest Congressional and HeinOnline are both available in any Library of Congress reading room:

HeinOnline provides access to the United States Code from 1925-2012
ProQuest Congressional provides exclusive full-text collection dating from the first Congress in 1789.

You can also access the USCS on LexisNexis Library Express, available in any Library of Congress reading room, and the USCA on Westlaw, available only in the Law Library Reading Room.

Subscription Databases

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

HeinOnline External
Contains over 6,500 full-text ejournals, ebooks, and reports covering domestic and international law. Sources include government legal notices, treaties and agreements, and Supreme Court rulings. Resources available include: the United States Code and the Statutes at Large.
ProQuest Congressional External
Explore government in action with the most comprehensive web-based resource available for congressional hearings, public issues, legislation, history, and legal research. ProQuest Digital U.S. Bills and Resolutions 1789 2014. Exclusive full-text collection dating from the first Congress in 1789.
Westlaw Patron Access
Westlaw Patron Access provides access to up-to-date legal information from Westlaw, including case headnotes and synopses, Table of Contents service, Key Cite, West Key Number System, and KeySearch.
Access to this site is only available from the Law Library Reading Room.
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.

Free Resources

In addition, the websites below offer free access to slip and session laws. Dates of coverage vary; you can find coverage information on the websites themselves.

Bills and Statutes Category Browse (govinfo)
Slip laws are under the "Public and Private Laws" (1995-present) heading, and session laws are available under the "Statutes at Large" heading.
Congress.gov
Full-text slip laws available for public laws from 1995-present. It also provides limited information for private laws from 1973-present. Search in the following format if using public law: use the citation format "PL___-___" (for example, "PL115-45") and select “All Legislation” if the public law was enacted prior to the current Congress

Federal Statutes: A Beginner’s Guide

Locating Federal Statutes

Subscription Databases

Free Resources