Database of Federal Statute Names

A political cartoon lampooning the Embargo Act of 1807

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 PLsort descending Statute At Large Date(s) Enacted Interesting Part Statutized? Leads to other named Legislation Link/Source Notes
Mrs. Murphy (Civil Rights Act) Exemption Undefined Mrs. Murphy (Civil Rights Act) Exemption NO short title Mrs. Murphy was not a real person, but a hypothetical small boarding house owner, who would be exempted from the requirements of the Civil Rights Act. The hypothetical character was created by Republican Senator George Aiken of Vermont and the name caught on. 42 USC 3603(b)(2) 90-284, title VIII, section 803(b)(2) 82 Stat 82 N

James D. Walsh, Reaching Mrs. Murphy: A Call for Repeal of the Mrs. Murphy Exemption to the Fair Housing Act, 34 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 605 (1999) at n. 3.

 name not statutized
Williams Act Sponsor Williams Act NO short title Sen Harrison Williams (D-NJ) 90-439 82 Stat 454 X

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000502

 nothing in statute; amending SEC Act
New Communities Act of 1968 Description New Communities Act of 1968 "New Communities Act of 1968" 42 USC 3901 90-448, title IV 82 Stat 513 N short title at beginning of title IV - guarantees for financing new community land development
Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968 Award Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968 "Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968" President Woodrow Wilson 20 USC 80e (note) 90-637 82 Stat 1356 Y

Legislation text

 long title and short title;
Nelson Bill Sponsor Nelson Bill NO short title Most likely Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) 91-405, title II, sectionns 204(a)-(e ), 206(b) 84 Stat 852, 853, 855 X

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000033

 nothing in statute; providing for a delegate from DC
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) Description Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) NO short title 18 USC 1961 ntoes 91-452, title IX, 901(a) 84 Stat 941 N title of Title IX but no short title
Case-Zablocki Act Sponsor Case-Zablocki Act NO short title Sen. Clifford Case (R-NJ) and Rep. Clement Zablock (D-WI) 1 USC 112b 92-403 Section 1 86 Stat 619 Y

Festus Ugboaja Ohaegbulum, A culture of deference, http://books.google.com/books?id=R0EtC4ox0ZMC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&a...... http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000220; http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=Z000001

 statutized in title of Section 7121, 118 Stat 3638
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Bicentennial Civic Center Act Honor Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Bicentennial Civic Center Act "Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Bicentennial Civic Center Act" President Dwight D. Eisenhower 92-520 86 Stat 1019 Y title in enacting clause; also strange b/c the bill starts at Sec 2
Brooks Act (Architects and Engineers) (see Brooks Architect-Engineers Act) Sponsor Brooks Act (Architects and Engineers) (see Brooks Architect-Engineers Act) NO short title Rep. Overton Brooks (D-LA), served on the Committee on Science and Aeronautics. 92-582 86 Stat 1278 Y

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000884

 Kind of odd. Info in Table is "June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title IX, as added Oct 27, 1972, Pub. L. 92-582, 86 Stat. 1278" No name in statute; amended to add short title "Brooks Architect-Engineers Act" by 108 Stat 3409 in 1994
Little Cigar Act of 1973 Description Little Cigar Act of 1973 "Little Cigar Act of 1973" statute is defining "little cigar" and including it in another statute about cigarettes 15 USC 1331 93-109 87 Stat 352 Y short title at beginning of statute;

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