Indexes and Guides to Government Regulations
Introduction:
Government regulations drawn up by federal agencies and the President must be codified and shared with the public. Because it is difficult for Congress to draft legislation to deal with minute details, it allows government agencies to establish specific rules under which the general laws are carried out and enforced. Two primary sources for regulations are the Federal Registerand the Code of Federal Regulations. These two publications work together to provide up to date versions of all federal regulations.
Online Regulatory Documents
Federal Register
The Federal Registerhas been published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), every workday since 1936. Online access through the GPO Access site began in 1994 and is located at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
The Federal Registeris the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.
It is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
An alternative source for online access includes LexisNexis (available through the library Web page), with coverage from 1980 to the present.
Code of Federal Regulations
“The Code of Federal Regulations(CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Registerby the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.”
The GPOAccess site has 1996 to current issues available at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
LexisNexis (available through the library Web page) covers 1981 to the current edition.
Regulations.gov
“Regulations.gov is the U.S. Government Web site that makes it easier for you to participate in federal rulemaking - an essential part of the American democratic process.”
On this site, you can find, review, and submit comments on federal documents that are open for comment and published in the Federal Register, the government’s legal newspaper. As a member of the public, you can submit comments about these regulations, and have the government take your views into account.
Print Regulatory Documents
Federal Register
Govt. Collection US Stacks (1st Floor)
Current year AE 2.106:VOL./NO.
Govt. Collection Microfiche (1st Floor)
1985 to curr. year AE 2.106:VOL./NO.
1976-1984 GS 4.107:V0P./NO.
Published daily, the Federal Registerkeeps the CFRup to date. The Federal Registerincludes four kinds of materials: Presidential Documents, Rules and Regulations, Proposed Rules, and Notices.
1. The Rules and Regulations Section contains regulatory documents having general applicability and legal effect. When published, they are keyed to and codified in the CFR. Temporary rules having a time expiration date or those of limited applicability are also published, but do not carry over into the CFR.
2. Proposed Rules consist of new rules, changes or amendments to already existing regulations. Their publication permits interested parties to comment on the proposals through hearings or by submitting written statements to the agency.
3. The Notices Section contains information other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. It includes small changes in agency organization; announcements of hearings, investigations, and committee meetings; delegations of authority; opinions which are advisory and non binding; and miscellaneous announcements.
4. Presidential Documents are of three types: orders, proclamations, and reorganization plans. (Orders are usually directed to agencies; proclamations usually deal with ceremonial matters.)
The Federal Registeris arranged alphabetically by government agency. The Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices sections appear under the heading for each agency.
With one exception, the information in the CFRis identical to that in the Federal Register. The CFRreprints only the text of the rules, whereas the Federal Registerincludes preambles to regulations.
Code of Federal Regulations
Govt. Collection US Stacks (1st Floor)
Current edition
AE 2.106/3:TITLE/PT./YR.
The CFRis a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Registerby the executive departments and agencies of the federal government. The CFRis divided into 50 titles which represent broad areas subject to federal regulation. Each title is divided into chapters which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts covering specific regulatory areas. The CFRis revised annually.
The first step to finding a regulation is to look for the subject in the CFR Index and Finding Aidsvolume. (AE 2.106/3 2:YR.) This volume consists of five parts:
1. FR Index(incorporates agency names, plus subject headings)
2. List of Agency prepared Indexes Appearing in Individual CFRVolumes
3. Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules
4. List of CFRTitles, Chapters, Subchapters and Parts
5. Alphabetical List of Agencies Appearing in the CFR
To determine if there have been any amendments since the revision date of the CFR volume (see front cover), the following two lists must be consulted: The List of CFR Sections Affected, (AE 2.106/2:YR./MO.), issued monthly and the CFR List of Parts Affected, which appears daily in the Federal Register.
