Enacted Law

Enacted law is law that has been formally adopted by a governing body. Enacted law can include constitutions, statutes, regulations, or local ordinances.

Statutes

Statutes are laws passed by legislatures, which are then organized into codes. Federal laws passed by Congress are codified in the United States Code. State laws passed by the Oregon Legislative Assembly are codified in the Oregon Revised Statutes.

For more details on statutory research, see Georgetown Law Library's Statutes Research Guide.

Regulations

Administrative agencies create regulations (also called rules) to assist in the administration of their duties and provide necessary details not included in statutes. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency may promulgate regulations related to a specific toxic substance under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Federal regulations are codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Oregon regulations are codified in the Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR).

Constitutions

The United States Constitution, or a state constitution such as the Oregon Constitution, may be important primary sources to review if you are researching a topic related to certain constitutional rights or the structure of the government.

Municipal Law Note: You may encounter local (city or county) legal issues in your research. Municipal law may be especially relevant for research on issues such as land use.

Statutes passed by city or county governments are usually called ordinances, which are compiled in a code like state or federal statutes. To see an example, you can review the Eugene Code online.

Instead of a constitution, local governments operate under charters (see, for example, the Eugene Charter). Charters describe the local government's organization.

For more context, please visit this LibGuide from UCLA School of Law.