Federal Regulations
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Reference Department
About Federal Regulations
"A fede
ral regulation is a general statement issued by an agency, board, or commission that has the force and effect of law. Congress often grants 
agencies the authority to issue regulations. Sometimes Congress requires agencies to issue a regulation; sometimes Congress grants agencies the discretion to do so. Many laws passed by Congress give Federal agencies some flexibility in deciding how best to implement those laws. Federal regulations specify the details and requirements necessary to implement and to enforce legislation enacted by Congress."
"Federal regulations are created through a process known as "rulemaking," which is governed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. Chapter 5). Once an agency decides that a regulatory action is necessary or appropriate, it develops and typically publishes a proposed rule in the Federal Register, soliciting comments from the public on the regulatory proposal. After the agency considers this public feedback and makes changes where appropriate, it then publishes a final rule in the Federal Register with a specific date upon which the rule becomes effective and enforceable. In issuing a final rule, the agency must describe and respond to the public comments it received."
Source: Reginfo.gov: Regulations and the Rulemaking Process 
Getting Started
- Federal Register: What it Is and How to Use It
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(U.S. National Archives and Records Administration) - Federal Register Reader Aids: Insights into the FR Ecosystem
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(Office of the Federal Register) - Learn About the Regulatory Process
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(Regulations.gov) - Regulations and the Rulemaking Process: FAQs
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(Reginfo.gov)
A Guide to Federal Agency Rulemaking by 
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Provides a stage-by-stage discussion of the rulemaking process, including discussion of the newest procedures, substantive changes, and stringent requirements from the second term of the Obama administration and the first 500 days of the Trump administration.
Legislation and Regulation in a Nutshell by 
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Discusses the sources and hierarchy of lawmaking authority, the nature of democratic representation and electoral structures, how a bill becomes a law, the authority and operation of government agencies, understanding statutes and regulations, theories of statutory interpretation, legislative history, agency interpretation of legal text, and judicial review of agency interpretations.
Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy by - This link opens in a new window
Analyzes the dynamics of American politics by showing how rulemaking remains an elemental part of our government system.
JACOB and JACOB+
JACOB is the Law Library's catalog, which includes books and journals. Search JACOB to find books and journals -- not articles -- in the collection of the Jacob Burns Law Library.
JACOB+ includes the GW Law Library's catalog as well as other materials and selected articles to which the Library has access. Please note that JACOB+ does not include all content from every database to which the Library subscribes, nor does it include articles that law students have access through GW's Gelman or Himmelfarb libraries. We recommend that you also search directly in the relevant research databases (for example, HeinOnline, Bloomberg Law, Lexis, Westlaw) and consult our research guides.
Review our Tips for Searching to efficiently locate materials, including how to use the "Advanced Search" feature.
If you cannot find what you're looking for in JACOB, you may borrow items from the WRLC (Washington Research Library Consortium), place an Interlibrary Loan request, or suggest a purchase for the Law Library.
And be sure to Ask Us or visit us at the reference desk. We're here to help you succeed!
Search by Keyword(s) or Subject
Useful search terms when searching within research databases and library catalogs for information concerning federal regulatory resources include:
- Regulations / rulemaking / rules / regulatory / administrative regulations
- Proposed rule / final rule
- Informal rulemaking
- Code of Federal Regulations
- Federal Register
- Notice-and-comment rulemaking
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
- Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM)
- Administrative law
Search JACOB, the Library Catalog, by Subject:
Related Guides
View Locating Federal Regulations (PDF) for more research strategies and information about federal regulations.
- Administrative Law
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(GW Law Library) - Legislation and Regulation
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(GW Law Library) - Presidential Documents
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(GW Law Library)