Publications about Public Laws, Slip Laws, and U.S. Statutes at Large

Slip Laws & United States Statutes at Large

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) prepares each law for publication as a slip law (an individual pamphlet print) and then compiles, indexes, and publishes them in the United States Statutes at Large (a permanent bound volume of the laws for each session of Congress)

The slip law is an official publication of the law and is admissible as "legal evidence" (1 U.S.C. 113). The OFR assigns the permanent law number and legal statutory citation of each law and prepares marginal notes, citations, and the legislative history (a brief description of the Congressional action taken on each public bill), which also contains dates of related Presidential remarks or statements). The OFR publishes the slip laws through the Congressional Printing Management Division, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). Slip laws can be obtained:

• As electronic documents, free of charge, on the GPO Access Service, maintained by the U.S. Government Printing Office
  
  
• In paper format, by subscription or individual copy purchase from the Superintendent of Documents, or at any Federal Depository Library

The United States Statutes at Large is legal and permanent evidence of all the laws enacted during a session of Congress (1 U.S.C. 112). It also contains concurrent resolutions, reorganization plans, proposed and ratified amendments to the Constitution, and proclamations by the President.

It is published under the direction of the Office of the Federal Register through the Congressional Printing Management Division, U.S. Government Printing Office and is not available in electronic format.

• It is available in sets only from the Superintendent of Documents, or at any Federal Depository Library