Jonah Patel
The United States Code is a compilation of general and permanent federal statutes that has been officially codified into law by the United States Congress. The Code is divided into 54 titles, each encompassing a broad subject area such as Public Health and Welfare or Education, and is routinely cited by the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Code is typically updated every six years, with the latest official version published in 2018.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Titles | 54 |
| Title Enactment | Positive law titles are federal statutes enacted and codified into law by the United States Congress |
| Codification Basis | Content of the laws, not the vehicle by which they are adopted |
| Codification Scope | Only "general and permanent" laws |
| Codification Exceptions | Private laws, limited-time provisions (e.g., most appropriation acts or budget laws), unless significant |
| First Edition | Contained in a single bound volume |
| Latest Edition | 2018 |
| Edition Frequency | Every six years, with annual cumulative supplements |
| Electronic Versions | Available from the LRC at uscode.house.gov in HTML and XML bulk formats |
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What You'll Learn
The United States Code is divided into 54 titles
The United States Code is a compilation of the general and permanent laws of the United States, divided into 54 titles based on broad subject areas. The titles encompass various aspects of American life, such as Public Health and Welfare, and Education. The Code is published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives, and its authority stems from the legislative process rather than its presentation in the Code.
The U.S. Code is a comprehensive collection of laws, with only "general and permanent" laws codified within it. It typically excludes provisions that apply to a limited number of individuals or for a limited time, such as most appropriation acts or budget laws. However, significant limited provisions may be included as "notes" under related sections. The Code's first edition was published in 1926, and subsequent main editions have been released approximately every six years, with annual cumulative supplements providing updates.
The United States Code is an essential reference for legal professionals and scholars, offering a structured framework for understanding and interpreting the country's laws. It is organised into titles, with each title further divided into chapters and sections for easier navigation. The Code's structure allows for efficient cross-referencing, and its content is supported by the availability of electronic versions from the LRC and GPO.
The 54 titles of the United States Code cover a diverse range of topics, and not all titles have been enacted into positive law. A positive law title is a federal statute enacted and codified into law by the United States Congress. Of the 54 titles, 28 have been enacted into positive law, including Title 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 23, 28, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 46, 49, 51, and 54.
The United States Code, with its 54 titles, serves as a vital resource for legal practitioners, scholars, and citizens seeking to understand the broad spectrum of laws governing the United States. Its division into titles and the availability of indexes and search tools facilitate efficient navigation and access to the wealth of legal information it contains.
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The Code is nearly always accurate
The United States Code is nearly always accurate. While it is true that the Code is not a source of positive law, its authority comes from its enactment through the legislative process. The Code is divided into 54 titles by broad subject area, such as Public Health and Welfare or Education, and is published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (LRC) as a series of paper volumes. The LRC also offers electronic versions of the Code to the public, which are usually up-to-date with current legislation.
The Code is typically issued every six years, with annual cumulative supplements that identify changes made by Congress since the last "main edition". The official code was last printed in 2018. The Code is routinely cited by the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
Usually, the individual sections of a statute are incorporated into the Code exactly as enacted. However, sometimes editorial changes are made by the LRC, such as replacing "the date of enactment of this Act" with the actual date. These changes are authorized by statute but do not constitute positive law.
The Code only includes general and permanent" laws and does not typically include provisions that apply only to a limited number of people or for a limited time. If these limited provisions are significant, they may be printed as "notes" underneath related sections of the Code.
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Only general and permanent laws are codified in the US Code
The United States Code is a compilation of all the ""general and permanent" laws of the United States. It is maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (LRC) of the U.S. House of Representatives. The LRC determines which statutes in the United States Statutes at Large should be codified, which existing statutes are affected by amendments or repeals, and which have expired by their own terms. The LRC then updates the Code accordingly.
The Code is divided into 54 titles by broad subject area, such as Public Health and Welfare or Education. Each subject is assigned its own title, which is further subdivided into smaller units such as subtitles, chapters, subchapters, parts, subparts, and sections. The Code does not include provisions that apply only to a limited number of people (private law) or for a limited time (such as most appropriation acts or budget laws). If these limited provisions are significant, they may be printed as "notes" underneath related sections of the Code.
The authority for the material in the United States Code comes from its enactment through the legislative process and not from its presentation in the Code. The Code is routinely cited by the Supreme Court and other federal courts without mentioning this theoretical caveat. The official version of the Code is published by the LRC as a series of paper volumes, with electronic versions also available to the public.
The United States Code is the result of an effort to simplify the process of finding relevant and effective statutes by reorganizing them by subject matter and eliminating expired and amended sections. The first edition of the Code was published in 1925-1926 as a single bound volume, whereas today it spans several large volumes. A new edition of the Code is typically issued every six years, with annual cumulative supplements identifying the changes made by Congress since the last "main edition".
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The Code is published by the LRC
The United States Code is published by the LRC (Office of the Law Revision Counsel) as a series of paper volumes. The Code is divided into 54 titles by broad subject area, such as Public Health and Welfare or Education. It is much easier to use the Code's multi-volume general indexes, which are detailed and useful. The Code is routinely cited by the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The Code is usually accurate, and only "general and permanent" laws are codified in it. The Code does not usually include provisions that apply only to a limited number of people or for a limited time, such as most appropriation acts or budget laws. If these limited provisions are significant, they may be printed as "notes" underneath related sections of the Code.
The LRC sometimes makes editorial changes to the Code. For example, the phrase "the date of enactment of this Act" is replaced by the actual date. These changes are authorized by statute but do not constitute positive law. The authority for the material in the Code comes from its enactment through the legislative process and not from its presentation in the Code.
The official Code is published by the LRC as a series of paper volumes, with electronic versions also available to the public. A new edition of the Code is normally issued every six years, with annual cumulative supplements identifying the changes made by Congress since the last "main edition" was published.
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The Code is available in HTML and XML formats
The United States Code is a codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States. The Code is divided into 54 titles, each covering a specific subject area, such as Public Health and Welfare or Education. The Code is routinely cited by the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The first edition of the United States Code was published as a single bound volume. Today, it spans several large volumes, with a new edition typically issued every six years. The official version of the Code is published by the LRC (Office of the Law Revision Counsel) as a series of paper volumes. Both the LRC and the GPO also offer electronic versions of the Code to the public.
The United States Code is available from the LRC in both HTML and XML bulk formats. The XML format, or Extensible Markup Language, is a versatile tool for storing and transferring data on the web. It is widely used for the representation of arbitrary data structures and is both machine- and human-readable. XML is also software- and hardware-independent, making it easy to expand or upgrade to new operating systems, applications, or browsers without losing data.
HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is useful for understanding XML. HTML is used to divide a webpage into multiple sections, improving readability, accessibility, and overall user experience.
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Frequently asked questions
The United States Code is a collection of the general and permanent laws of the United States, organised by subject area. It is routinely cited by the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
A new edition of the Code is usually issued every six years, with annual cumulative supplements that outline the changes made by Congress since the last "main edition". The last time the official code was printed was in 2018.
The U.S. Code is divided into 54 titles by broad subject area. It can be accessed through the multi-volume general indexes or by looking up the popular name of the law (e.g. Civil Rights Act of 1964). Public laws also contain cross-references to where particular sections of the law are codified.
