Federal Statutory Law
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Slip Laws / Public and Private Laws
"Public and private laws are also known as slip laws. A slip law is an official publication of the law and is competent evidence admissible in all state and Federal courts and tribunals of the United States. Public laws affect society as a whole, while private laws affect an individual, family, or small group. After the President signs a bill into law, it is delivered to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) where it is assigned a law number, legal statutory citation (public laws only), and prepared for publication as a slip law. Private laws receive their legal statutory citations when they are published in the United States Statutes at Large."
- Public and Private Laws (1995 - present)
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Slip laws available from GovInfo.gov. - Public Laws (1951/1952 - present)
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Slip laws from Congress.gov - Private Laws (1951/1952 - present)
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From Congress.gov. Full-text not always available. - U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (U.S.C.C.A.N.)
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Selected Congressional and administrative materials in a single resource - will contain public laws and related materials. - United States Code Service: Public Laws (1988 - present)
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- Public Laws (2023 - 2024)
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- Public Laws - Historical (1973 - 2022)
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Citing a Slip Law
Slip laws are simply the first publication of an individual law. However, a slip law is assigned its Statutes at Large (Stat.) citation, so follow The Bluebook Rule 12.4(a) when citing to a new law that is yet to be codified.
Example: Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, Pub. L. No. 87-195, 75 Stat. 424.