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Finding Government Documents in the RWWL: Federal Documents

This guide will assist you in locating and using U.S. government information.

Depository Info

Executive Branch Information

The White House
Press briefings, text of proclamations and executive orders, policies, appointments, and more. 

Presidential Papers
Current and historical guide to official presidential papers

Federal Agencies Directory--Louisiana State University Libraries
Search or view a list of federal agency internet sites.

FDsys
Access to documents and resources from the President and executive agencies.

Legislative Branch Information

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Laws of the United States

U.S. Code Search    Office of the Law Revision Council, House of Representatives    Includes USCprelim, "an advance posting of the next online version of the United States Code," Classification Tables which point to the location in the Code where recently enacted laws will be added. a Popular Name Tool, and plenty of descriptive and explanatory material about the U.S. Code.

Legislation and Votes
Bill summary, status, and text, public laws, and roll call votes.

Bills This Week  House of Representatives Clerk's Office posts all House bills, amendments, resolutions, and conference reports in XML. Content is archived.

Congressional Record

Active Legislation

FDsys
The official, published version of Congressional publications provided by the Government Printing Office. Search and access full-text.

A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873--Library of Congress
A digitized collection of records of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and the United States Congress from the earliest days of the construction of the nation.

How a Bill Becomes a Law
Sources on the legislative process.

U.S. Congressional Bibliographies--North Carolina State University
Lists of hearings, prints, and publications printed by the Senate, 1983 to present.

 

Judicial Branch Information

U.S. Courts; the Federal Judiciary
Maintained by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as "a clearinghouse for information from and about the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government." Includes the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and the Bankruptcy Courts.

Understanding the Federal Courts--United States Courts

Supreme Court of the United States

The Oyez Project
A multimedia database providing "a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court" which began in 1955. Abstracts and other case materials are also available.

Supreme Court Decisions, 1937-1975
 

Supreme Court Decisions, 1990- Legal Information Institute, Cornell University
Current and historic Supreme Court decisions.

U.S. Court of International Trade Information about the origins, jurisdiction, and composition of the court, history of international trade litigation, case files, chamber procedures, public notices, and other information. Slip Opinions 1999-current