Federal Administrative Research Sources: Home

Federal administrative agencies are delegated the power to make rules/regulations by statute or Presidential Executive Order. 

In order for this delegated responsibility to produce rules/regulations which have the force of law, agencies must abide by procedures which call for public notice and a period of public comment prior to finalization of the rule/regulation.

That procedure is accomplished by publication in the Federal Register of both proposed and final rules/regulations. 

Final rules/regulations are then compiled into a Code of Federal Regulations which organizes rules/regs. into 50 code topics.

The Federal Regulatory Directory provides profile information including the history, structure, purpose, actions, and key contacts for every regulatory agency in the U.S. government.  A good source when you are unfamiliar with a federal agency.  Latest edition is kept in the Ready Reference area behind the MLIC Reference Desk.

U.S. Government Manual is the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees.
A typical agency description includes a list of officials heading major operating units, a summary statement of the agency's purpose and role in the Federal Government, a brief history of the agency, including its legislative or executive authority, and a description of its programs and activities, and information, addresses, and phone numbers to help users locate detailed information on consumer activities, contracts and grants, employment, publications, and other matters of public interest.

Sourcebook of United States Executive Agencies  This publication examines the agencies and other organizational entities of the federal executive establishment, including independent agencies.

These are the laws that affect Federal Register publications. They set out requirements for rulemaking documents published in the Federal Register System. For the official text of the laws, see the United States Code.

• Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 15)
   
• Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. Subchapter II)
   
• Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2)
   
• Negotiated Rulemaking Act (5 U.S.C. 561 et seq.)
   
• Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.)
   
• Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
   
• Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)
   
• Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. Chapter 8)

Executive Orders

• Executive Order 12866 of Sept. 30, 1993
• Executive Oder 13563 of January 18, 2011
• Executive Order 13579 of July 11, 2011
   

TITLE 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

SUBCHAPTER A - GENERAL

Parts

2 General information

3 Services to the public

SUBCHAPTER B—THE FEDERAL REGISTER

5 General

6 Indexes and ancillaries

SUBCHAPTER C—SPECIAL EDITIONS OF THE FEDERAL REGISTER

8 Code of Federal Regulations

9 The United States Government Manual

10 Presidential Papers

SUBCHAPTER D—AVAILABILITY OF OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL REGISTER

PUBLICATIONS

11 Subscriptions

12 Official distribution within Federal Government

SUBCHAPTER E—PREPARATION, TRANSMITTAL, AND PROCESSING OF

DOCUMENTS

15 Services to Federal agencies

16 Agency representatives

17 Filing for public inspection and publication schedules

18 Preparation and transmittal of documents generally

19 Executive orders and Presidential proclamations

20 Handling of  The United States Government Manual statements

21 Preparation of documents subject to codification

22 Preparation of notices and proposed rules

Email an MLIC librarian at MLIC@utulsa.edu for help.