Government Resources

A free service offered by the Library of Congress, which provides access to the full text of recent bills, bill status, public laws, committee reports, session calendars, and House and Senate schedules

Congressional bills are legislative proposals from the House of Representatives and Senate within the United States Congress. There are eight different types of bills.

There are numerous different bill versions that track a bill through the legislative process from introduction through passage by both chambers (enrolled version). All final published bill versions are available from GPO.

"Since 1975, CBO has produced independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency’s economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation."

The official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) serves as shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process — from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.

"The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation ("Constitution Annotated" or "CONAN") provides a legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution based on a comprehensive review of Supreme Court case law and, where relevant, historical practices that have defined the text of the Constitution. This regularly updated resource is written in "plain English" and useful for a wide audience: from constitutional scholars to those just beginning to learn about the nation's most important legal document."

"GAO, often called the "congressional watchdog,” is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress. GAO examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, non-partisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently."

A project of the Cornell University Law School, this portal provides easy-tor-read versions of Congressional legislation, regulations from the Executive Branch, and many other sources of law.

"The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress."

The codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States.

The 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.

Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the 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.

A project of the Cornell University Law School, this portal provides easy-tor-read versions of Congressional legislation, regulations from the Executive Branch, and many other sources of law.

"The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) serves the President of the United States in overseeing the implementation of his vision across the Executive Branch. Specifically, OMB’s mission is to assist the President in meeting his policy, budget, management and regulatory objectives and to fulfill the agency’s statutory responsibilities."

This White House portal includes key actions taken by the current U.S. president, such as proclamations, executive orders, etc. Useful for a variety of research purposes, such as presidential perspectives on particular holidays, etc.

Regulations.gov allows users to see proposed rules, final rules, and other resources. Members of the public can use this website to provide public commment on a rule, where they can voice their support or opposition to it.

From the University of Washington, this research guide page lists many executive branch agencies and their subunits, along with helpful resources to learn more about them.

"A research guide to help you locate free case law on the internet using Google Scholar, CourtListener, Caselaw Access Project, FindLaw, and Justia" (Law Library of Congress).

A project of the Cornell University Law School, this portal provides easy-tor-read versions of Congressional legislation, regulations from the Executive Branch, and many other sources of law.

"Oyez (pronounced OH-yay)—a free law project from Cornell’s Legal Information Institute (LII), Justia, and Chicago-Kent College of Law—is a multimedia archive devoted to making the Supreme Court of the United States accessible to everyone. It is the most complete and authoritative source for all of the Court’s audio since the installation of a recording system in October 1955."

Published officially in a set of case books called the United States Reports. See 28 U.S.C. §411.

"The U.S. Courts were created under Article III of the Constitution to administer justice fairly and impartially, within the jurisdiction established by the Constitution and Congress. This site will help you learn more about the Judicial Branch and its work."

"The Court is the highest tribunal in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution."