Legal Resources
| New York State | Online Subscription |
Print and/or other media | Free Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Retrospective | |||
| Bills | State Capital Universe (1991 to current) LRS (1995 to current) Westlaw* (Current) |
Yes | Yes | NYS Assembly Bills (1995-current) NYS Legislature (1995-current) |
| State of NY Legislative Digest – bill tracking, introductory records, subject index to bills, etc. | Yes | Begins 1905 | ||
| Session Laws (Chapter Laws) | Loislaw (2000 to current) LRS (1995 to current) Westlaw* (Current) |
Yes | Yes | NYS Legislature (1995-current) |
| NYS Consolidated Laws | State Capital Universe Loislaw Westlaw* (McKinney's) |
Yes | Yes | NYS Legislature |
| NYS Register – provides notice of NYS agency rule making activity | State Capital Universe (1998 to current) | Yes | Yes | NYS Dept of State (2003 to current) NYSL Digital Documents Collection (1994 to current) |
| New York Codes Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) | State Capital Universe Loislaw Westlaw* |
Yes | Consolidated- 1945 to current Unconsolidated- promulgated prior to 1945 |
Selected rules on various NYS agency web sites Unofficial version on the Department of State Website |
| Governor's Bill Jackets | Westlaw* (1996-2006) | Yes Most recent year in Governor's Counsel's Office 518-474-7182 |
1905, 1921- recent years NYS Archives may have additional years | |
| Governor's Veto Jackets | Yes Most recent year in Governor's Counsel's Office 518-474-7182 |
1905, 1926 - recent years NYS Archives may have additional years |
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| Governor's Public Papers | Not published since 1991 | |||
| NYS Legislative Annual – sponsor's and governor's approval memos | Begins 1946 | |||
| Senate and Assembly Publications – committee reports, hearings, etc. | Yes | Yes | NYSL Digital Documents Collection (varies) NYS Assembly (selected recent documents) NYS Senate (selected recent documents) |
|
| Agency Reports | Varies | Yes | NYSL Digital Documents Collection (varies) Selected reports on various NYS agency web sites |
|
| Agency Opinions (NYSL has a guide to locating these, call 518-474-5355) |
Loislaw (Attorney General Opinions only, 1976 to recent) Westlaw* (Varies) |
Yes | Yes | Selected on various NYS agency web sites |
| New York Law Journal | Westlaw* (1989 to current) | Yes | Yes | |
Notes:
*Westlaw database is searched by librarians. Please call the Reference Desk at 518-474-5355 if you would like a search done.
Legislative History – A NYS legislative history can be compiled by Reference Librarians. A history may include:
- bill jacket,
- sponsor's memo,
- committee reports,
- Governor's approval memos,
- annual reports of administrative departments, and
- reports from commissions, task forces, or public hearings.
In addition, indexes, session laws and other sources may be reviewed. Consequently, legislative histories are time consuming. To request a legislative history call the Reference Desk at 474-5355. For instruction on how to conduct a legislative history, see the NYSL Legislative History Tutorial.
| Other States (not including NY) |
Online Subscription |
Print and/or other media | Free Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Retrospective | |||
| Bills | State Capital Universe (1991 to current) Westlaw* |
Legal Information Institute ** | ||
| Session Laws (Chapter Laws) | Loislaw (Varies) Westlaw* |
Varies | Yes | Legal Information Institute ** |
| Consolidated Laws | State Capital Universe Loislaw Westlaw* |
Yes | Varies | Legal Information Institute ** |
| Register – provides notice of agency rule making activity | State Capital Universe (Varies) |
Legal Information Institute ** | ||
| Administrative Codes | State Capital Universe Loislaw Westlaw* |
Legal Information Institute ** | ||
| Legislative Publications – committee reports, hearings, etc. | Varies | Legal Information Institute ** (varies widely) |
||
| Agency Reports | Varies widely | Legal Information Institute ** (varies widely) |
||
| Agency Opinions | Loislaw (Attorney General Opinions from selected states) Westlaw* |
Varies widely | Legal Information Institute ** (varies widely) |
|
Notes:
*Westlaw database is searched by librarians. Please call the Reference Desk at 518-474-5355 if you would like a search done.
**Legal Information Institute is Cornell Law School's gateway to legal information for the 50 states, one of the most convenient one-stop sources for this information.
| Federal | Online Subscription |
Print and/or other media | Free Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Retrospective | |||
| US Statutes at Large | Congressional Universe (1789 to recent) Westlaw* (1789 to 1972) |
Yes | Begins 1789 | GPOAccess (2003-2006 only) American Memory (1789-1875) |
| Public Laws | Congressional Universe (1988 to current) Loislaw (1997 to current) Westlaw* (1973 to current) |
Yes | Yes | GPOAccess (1995 to recent) Thomas (1989 to current) |
| US Code | Congressional Universe Loislaw Westlaw* (US Code Annotated) |
Yes | Yes | GPOAccess (1994 to recent) US House of Representatives (1988 to recent) |
| US Code Congressional Administrative News—includes public laws plus selected congressional committee reports | Westlaw* | Yes | Begins 1951, previously published as U.S. Code Congressional Service 1941-1950 | |
| Federal Register | Congressional Universe (1980 to current) Loislaw (1999 to current) Westlaw* |
Yes | Begins 1936 | GPOAccess (1994 to current) |
| Code of Federal Regulations | Congressional Universe Loislaw Westlaw* |
Yes | Begins 1939 | GPOAccess (current) National Archives (historical, some titles from 1996, all from 1997) |
| Congressional Record | Congressional Universe (1985 to current) Westlaw* (1985 to current) |
Yes | Begins 1789 Includes historical predecessors |
GPOAccess (1994 to current) Thomas (1989 to current) American Memory (historical predecessors) |
| Congressional Quarterly—weekly review of Congressional activity | Yes | Yes | ||
| Federal Legislative History | Congressional Universe Westlaw* |
Yes | Yes | |
Notes:
*Westlaw database is searched by librarians. Please call the Reference Desk at 518-474-5355 if you would like a search done.
The NYS Library is a Regional Federal Government Depository Library.
| Newspapers | Online Subscription |
Print and/or other media | Free Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Retrospective | |||
| Newspapers | Various NYSL databases | Yes | Yes* | Varies |
*The New York State Library has extensive holdings of newspapers, from 1603 to the present date. The strength of the collection is New York State English-language newspapers. The collection has limited holdings of non-US and foreign language newspapers.
Newspapers – Alerts may be set up for many of our online newspapers.