Federal and State Statutes
This page provides resources for finding and researching Federal and Pennsylvania statutes and legislation.
Federal Statutes - Where to Find Them
Statutes are laws passed by a legislature. Federal statutes are laws enacted by Congress with the approval of the President.
The United States Code is the official source of codified statutes.
- United States Code (GovInfo)GovInfo provides an online version of the U. S. Code.
- US Code Popular Name TableUse this tool to search or browse the United States Code Table of Acts Cited by Popular Name.
- Westlaw This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Westlaw is a legal database that includes secondary and primary legal sources. It contains statutes, codes, and case law. Westlaw also includes the legal encyclopedias, journals, treatises, and law reviews, as well as public and private business information and coverage of news sources.
Federal Statutes - About
- Commonly Requested U.S. Laws and RegulationsProvided by USA.gov, this site includes a list of topics with links to relevant laws.
- Federal Statutes: A Beginner's GuideProvided by the Library of Congress, this guide explains the statutory publication process for federal laws.
- How Laws Are Made and How to Research ThemProvided by USA.gov, this site describes how a bill becomes a law, how laws are made, and how to find federal laws.
- Researching Federal StatutesProvided by the Law Library of Congress, this site includes a quick reference guide for finding federal statutes.
Pennsylvania Statutes - Where to Find Them
Researching Pennsylvania statutes can be confusing. Statutes are contained in two groups: Consolidated Statutes and Unconsolidated Statutes. Using Bailey Library's resources, the simplest way to find Pennsylvania statutes is to search Nexis Uni.
- Unofficial Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes from WestlawProvides access to the consolidated and unconsolidated Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes, compiled by Thomson Reuters and made available through the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau.
- Westlaw This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Westlaw is a legal database that includes secondary and primary legal sources. It contains statutes, codes, and case law. Westlaw also includes the legal encyclopedias, journals, treatises, and law reviews, as well as public and private business information and coverage of news sources.
Pennsylvania Statutes - About
- Making Law in PennsylvaniaFrom the website for the Pennsylvania State Capitol, this guide describes the legislative process in Pennsylvania.
- Pennsylvania General AssemblyProvides links to the Consolidated and Unconsolidated Statutes, as well as the Constitution of Pennsylvania.