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Gov Info Quick Links: How to Read a Bill or Law

This guide provides an overview of Government Information and common resources at USU Libraries.

How to Read a Bill or Law

This screenshot of a public law provides an orientation to a law's components. You can learn about a law's drafting and implementation from various information on the published law. These different parts of the page that act as citations for where to find more information. See the How to Read Government Citations for additional information. 

"A" is found underneath the title of the document, "B" is found on the top right of the page, "C" is found on the right of the page, and "D" is found at the bottom of the page.

 

A: Laws format citation. Public Law designation. Introduced to the 115th Congress as the 15th bill. 

B: Laws format citation. Statutes at Large Citation. To be published in Volume # 131 as # 79. 

C: U.S. Code Citation. 

D: Legislative History. Cites the Senate Bill number and the debate days where discussion is recorded in the Congressional Record. 

Your Librarian

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Jen Kirk
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