Making laws
Statutes at Large
The official chronological record of every law Congress has enacted, printed exactly as passed. The legal authority when it conflicts with the U.S. Code.
In full
The Statutes at Large publish each public and private law in the order it was enacted, along with treaties and proclamations, in permanent bound volumes. Because they reproduce the text as enacted, they control over any Code title not enacted as positive law. Researchers go here when the question is what Congress actually wrote, not how it was later organized.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.