Administrative Law
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Federal Statutes
Federal administrative law is governed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. §§500-559. In order to locate the specific enabling act for an agency, use the General Index of the United States Code to search for the name of the agency.
- United States Code (U.S.C.)Official Code of federal laws, organized by subject matter. Revised every six years and updated between revisions with annual cumulative supplements.
- United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.)West's unofficial version of the United States Code. More current than the official version and includes many research features.
- United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.)Lexis's unofficial version of the United States Code. More current than the official version and includes many research features.
You also may use the U.S. Government Manual to identify an agency’s enabling act, powers, and responsibilities.
- U.S. Government Manual"As the official handbook of the Federal Government, The United States Government Manual provides information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees. The Manual begins with reprints of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution."
History of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
- Bremer-Kovacs Collection: Historic Documents Related to the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946(HeinOnline database)
Works within this database include: congressional hearings held on proposed legislation; treatises written on the issue of administrative reform; reports on administrative agencies; and textbooks written after the APA’s passage.
Federal Regulations
Consult the Library's Federal Regulations research guide for more in-depth information.
- Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)Codification of final rules published in the Federal Register. The C.F.R. is divided into 50 titles (which do not correspond to the 50 titles of the U.S. Code). Each title is further subdivided into chapters, parts, and sections. Individual parts contain an "Authority" note providing the statutory or executive authority under which the regulations were issued and a "Source" note providing a Federal Register citation where the part was originally published.
- eCFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations)Currently updated unofficial version of the C.F.R.
- Federal Register (Fed. Reg.)The Federal Register is the official publication for notifying the public of federal agency rulemaking. Both proposed and final rules are published in the Federal Register. In addition to agency rules, the Federal Register also contains executive orders, official notices, proclamations and other presidential documents, and other documents required to be published by law. The Federal Register is printed daily except for federal holidays.
Agency Decisions
Dozens of federal agencies publish decisions in print sources called reporters or on the agencies' websites. Consult The Bluebook for a list of United States official administrative publications. Search library catalogs for those publications by title.
- A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies
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(USA.gov website)
Find contact information for U.S. federal government departments and agencies including websites, emails, phone numbers, and addresses. - U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions, and Guidance
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Varies by agency and type of document.
Case Law
The Library's Case Law guide provides links and information on how to search for cases.
State Statutes
State administrative law issues are also governed by administrative procedures acts and corresponding enabling acts. To locate these statutes, use the index to the state’s code, searching for the name of the agency and for administrative law and procedure or administrative rulemaking.
Consult the Library's State Materials guide:
- Current & Historical State Statutes
State Regulations
To locate state regulations on a topic, consult the index or table of contents of a state’s administrative code. 50-State Regulatory Surveys may also be helpful.
Consult the Library's State Materials guide:
- Current & Historical Regulations