session laws
Session laws are the collection of statutes passed during a single congressional session. Statutes at Large are the published session laws in chronological order based on the enactment date of each statute at the end of each congressional session. Since Congress is in session for two years at a time, session laws are typically published biennially. Session laws include all of the private and public laws, as well as “concurrent resolutions, reorganization plans, proposed and ratified amendments to the Constitution, and proclamations by the President.” For more information, see: The National Archives, Office of Federal Register, and Federal Register Publications System - Public Laws, Session Laws - Federal Statutes: A Beginner's Guide by the Library of Congress.
[Last reviewed in April of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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