Statutory Law
Statutory laws are laws that are passed by legislature. The statutory law is then the acts passed by the United States Congress. The acts are designated as Public or Private Laws. Public laws are those laws that relate to the general public. Private laws relate to specific institutions or individuals. The laws that Congress passes are public laws. These laws are a little more complex and will usually require research to properly define it. Once the bill is passed by Congress, in order for it to become law the President must approve and sign it. Then the bill becomes Public Law. Legislation receives a Public Law number based on when Congress reviewed it and when it was issued. For example: P.L. 101-5 would mean this was the fifth law enacted in the 101st Congress. When public laws are published, they are started as slip laws and then bound into the Statutes at Large. Once the laws are selected, they are organized by subject, they are indexed, and published in the United States Code. The codes are separated by numbered titles.
The table below shows how an idea for a law becomes a statutory law in the United States Code.
Legislative Action
Resulting Publications
A bill is introduced to Congress and referred to committee
Bills and resolutions
Committee starts hearings
Hearings
Committee recommends approval
Senate and House reports
The Chamber discusses and debates
Record of debate
Voting Begins
Record of Votes
President signs or vetoes bill
Presidential statements
A Law is enacted
Slip Laws, then Statutes at large
Law is placed into the United States Code (codified)
United States Code
So now that we have an approved Statutory Law and it is now codified and incorporated in the United States Code, how do we know what the numbers and symbols mean? Here is an example of a citation to 28 U.S.C. §1332 (2006) (Diversity of Citizenship)
28
U.S.C.
§1332
(2006)
Title Number
Code Publication/Source
Section Number
Date of
