Database of Federal Statute Names

A political cartoon lampooning the Embargo Act of 1807
October 26, 2012

The collection can be sorted by the popular name of the law, by the date of its enactment, or by descriptive category of naming convention. The categories are our attempt to bring some degree of order to the chaos.

Database of Federal Statute Popular Names

Title Type Popular Name Short Title Named For? Classification PL Statute At Large Date(s) Enactedsort descending Interesting Part Statutized? Leads to other named Legislation Link/Source Notes
Baby Doe Amendment Case Baby Doe Amendment NO short title Series of "Baby Doe" child endangerment cases in the early 1980s. 98-457, title I part B 98 Stat 1752 N

Kathryn Moss, "The 'Baby Doe' Legislation Its Rise and Fall" Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 4 (June 1987)

 services and treatment for disabled infants -- possible that "Baby Doe" was an individual infant and this was passed in response??
Steagall Stock Liability Act (see Federal Reserve Act) Sponsor Steagall Stock Liability Act (see Federal Reserve Act) "Federal Reserve Act" Rep. Henry B. Steagall (D-AL) 12 USC 226 ch 6, 38 Stat 251 N

What Was the Glass-Steagall Act?, Investopedia, July 16, 2003, http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/071603.asp#axzz1guTysuXe; http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000820

 It seems as though the PNT's linking of the 1913 Federal Reserve Act and the Steagall Stock Liability Act is a bit misleading. Steagall was not a Member of the House in 1913 when the original act was passed. This act was, however, amended by the Glass-Steagall Act in 1933, so perhaps that's where the name comes from.
Bryson Act Sponsor Bryson Act NO short title Rep. Joseph Raleigh Bryson, (D-SC) 35 USC 1 ch. 950, 66 Stat 792 N

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000999

 name not statutized
Black-McKellar Act Sponsor Black-McKellar Act NO short title Sen. Hugo Black (D-AL); Sen. Kenneth McKellar (D-TN) ch. 466, 48 Stat 933 X

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000499; http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000499

 nothing in statute
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 Sponsor McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 "McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001" Rep. Stewart McKinney, (R-CT); Rep. Bruce Vento, (D-Farmer-Labour-MN) 42 USC 11301 (note) 107-110, title X, part C (section 1031) 115 Stat 1989 Y

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000527; http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=V000087

 short title
No entry Description No entry "Second Deficiency Act, fiscal year 1930" Ch. 846, 46 Stat 860
Megan's Law Victim Megan's Law "Megan's Law" Megan Kanka, who was brutally raped and murdered on July 29, 1994, by a neighbor who was twice convicted of being a sexual predator. 42 USC 13701 (note) 104-145 110 Stat 1345 Y

CR H4452, May 7, 1996, Statement of Rep. Dick Zimmer (author).

 short title
Stone Act Description Stone Act NO short title Stone almost certainly refers to the physical object. The act is referred to as the Building Stone Act at 43 CFR 3809.5. 30 USC 161 ch 375, 27 Stat 348 N name not statutized; about mining (stone as an object, probably not a name)
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008 Abbreviation Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008 "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008" or the "FISA Amendments Act of 2008" 50 USC 1801 110-261 122 Stat 2436 N short title at the beginning of statute; what's interesting here is that "FISA" is not part of the short title of the original bill, but it has clearly come to be known by the acronym
No entry Description No entry "First Deficiency Act, fiscal year 1923" Ch. 429, 42 Stat 1048

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