Legal Resources
Selected New York State 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) Lexis* (Current) |
Yes | Yes | NYS Assembly Bills NYS Legislature |
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) Lexis* (Current) |
Yes | Yes | NYS Legislature |
NYS Consolidated Laws |
Westlaw* (McKinney’s) Lexis* |
Yes | Yes | |
NYS Register – provides notice of NYS agency rule making activity |
State Capital Universe (1998 to current) Lexis* (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) |
Westlaw* Lexis* |
Yes | Consolidated- 1945 to current Unconsolidated- promulgated prior to 1945 |
Selected rules on various NYS agency web sites |
| Governor’s Bill Jackets | Westlaw* (1996-2003) | Yes Most recent year(s) in Governor’s Counsel’s Office |
1905, 1921- recent years
NYS Archives may have additional years |
|
Governor’s Veto Jackets |
Yes Most recent year(s) in Governor’s Counsel’s Office |
1905, 1926 -recent years
NYS Archives may have additional years |
||
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 NYS Senate |
|
Agency Reports |
Varies | Yes | NYSL Digital Documents Collection (varies) Selected reports on various NYS agency web sites |
|
Agency Opinions
|
Loislaw (Attorney General Opinions only, 1976 to recent) Westlaw* (Varies) Lexis* (Varies) |
Yes | Yes | Selected on various NYS agency web sites |
NY Law Journal |
Westlaw* (1989 to current) |
Yes | Yes | |
Notes:
*LEXIS/NEXIS and Westlaw databases are 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.
Selected legal resources for states other than New York
| Other States (not including NY) |
Online Subscription |
Print and/or other media | Free Internet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Retrospective | |||
| Bills | State Capital Universe (1991 to current)
Westlaw* Lexis* |
Legal Information Institute ** | ||
| Session Laws (Chapter Laws) | Loislaw (Varies)
Westlaw* Lexis* |
Varies | Yes | Legal Information Institute ** |
| Consolidated Laws | State Capital Universe
Westlaw* Lexis* |
Yes | Varies | Legal Information Institute ** |
| Register – provides notice of agency rule making activity | State Capital Universe (Varies by date) Lexis* |
Legal Information Institute ** | ||
| Administrative Codes | State Capital Universe
Westlaw* Lexis* |
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* Lexis* |
Varies widely | Legal Information Institute ** (varies widely) |
|
Notes:
*LEXIS/NEXIS and Westlaw databases are 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.
Selected Federal legal resources
| 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) Lexis* (1789 to recent) |
Yes | Begins 1789 | GPOAccess (2003-04 only)
American Memory (1789-1875) |
| Public Laws | Congressional Universe (1988 to current)
Loislaw (1997 to current) Westlaw* (1973 to current) Lexis* (1988 to current) |
Yes | Yes | GPOAccess (1995 to recent)
Thomas (1989 to current) |
| US Code
|
Congressional Universe
Westlaw* (US Code Annotated) Lexis* (US Code Service) |
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) Lexis* Westlaw* |
Yes | Begins 1936 | GPOAccess (1994 to current) |
| Code of Federal Regulations | Congressional Universe
Lexis* Westlaw* |
Yes | Begins 1939 | GPOAccess (current)
National Archives (historical, some titles from 1996, all from 1997) |
| Congressional Record | Congressional Universe (1985 to current)
Lexis* (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
Lexis* Westlaw* |
Yes | Yes | |
Notes:
*LEXIS/NEXIS and Westlaw databases are 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
| 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.