As an expert in the field of law, I am often asked about the various federal laws that exist in the United States. These laws play a crucial role in shaping our society and protecting our rights as citizens. In this article, I will provide some examples of federal laws and explain their significance.
Search for Bills and Laws
The first step in understanding federal laws is to search for and learn about current bills and laws that have already been passed. This can be done by name, topic, keywords, Congress, session of Congress, or type of legislation.The laws of Congress are published in the magazine United States at Large. Volumes 1 through 18, containing all the statutes approved from 1789 to 1875, are available online at the Library of Congress website. These statutes are ordered by X Stat. Y, where X is the volume of the Statutes in general and Y is the page number, as well as the chapter or Public Law number.
The Bill of Rights
Many of the amendments to the Constitution have become as famous as the articles themselves, especially the first ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights.These amendments safeguard certain individual liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and strong protection for those accused of criminal offenses.
The Reconstruction Amendments
Another famous group of amendments consists of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. These are known as the Reconstruction Amendments, as they were passed shortly after the Civil War. The Reconstruction Amendments abolished slavery, established key doctrines of due process and equal protection, and extended the right to vote to former slaves.Federal Civil Rights Laws
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs manages and enforces three contract-based federal civil rights laws that require most federal contractors and subcontractors, as well as federally assisted construction contractors, to provide equal employment opportunities. These laws prevail over any state and local laws that may conflict with them, as established by the U.S. Supremacy Clause. Article VI of the Constitution establishes the supremacy of federal laws and addresses issues such as national debt. The Center for Civil Rights in the Office of the Undersecretary of Administration and Management administers and enforces several civil rights laws based on federal assistance that require recipients of federal financial assistance from the Department of Labor to provide equal opportunity.
The Structure of the Federal Government
Article IV of the Constitution describes the relationship between the federal government and the states, as well as the relationships between the states. The first three articles describe the tripartite structure of the federal government, which includes the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.These branches work together to create and enforce federal laws. Fusion center staff will find these federal authorities useful in understanding the limitations faced by federal colleagues and federal information systems. The San Diego Law Library is a valuable resource for accessing legal information, resources, and references to help you navigate these laws.
Federal Laws and State Participation
Usually, when federal funding is offered to a state to participate, some element of federal law intervenes. This list of federal laws is generally organized in descending order according to their relative importance for employment at the ISE.The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mining Act) covers all people who work in mining facilities. This law sets standards for safety and health in the mining industry and is enforced by the Mine Safety and Health Administration.The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provides information to the public about the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN).Although neither ETA nor the Department of Labor has administrative responsibility for the law, it is enforced through private actions in federal courts. This law requires employers to provide notice to employees in advance of plant closings or mass layoffs.
