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Federal Statutory Research: Using the Code

Using the United States Code

Provisions of the United States Code can be found in three ways: by subject matter, by popular name assigned to the law, or by citation.

  1. Subject matter

To search by subject, use the General Index volume corresponding to the first letter of the subject matter. An example is “L” for “Learning Disabilities”.

  1. By Popular Names

“Popular Names” are assigned to some legislation to reflect the history behind the legislation. The Popular Name Table, which is part of the General Index, can be used to locate statutory provisions. For example, to search for “Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act”, select the “Popular Names Table” and browse in alphabetical order.

  1. By Section

The most direct way to find a statute is to use the citation. United States Code citation is a combination of the title, the version of the Code, and the section (and subsection, if applicable).