Related Links
This page lists further resources you may find useful when learning about EPA's regulations. Many of these sites and resources cover laws and regulations more broadly than this Web site, looking at multiple agencies or across the federal government.
The resources are divided into the following categories:
EPA does not necessarily endorse, or necessarily have influence over, any of the non-EPA sites in this list.
Laws
- Cornell University's Legal Information Institute -
Free searchable database of the United States Code, Supreme Court opinions, state laws, and world laws.
- THOMAS - Legislative information from the Library of Congress, including access to current and past bills in the U.S. Congress, proceedings and debates in the U.S. Congress, roll call votes, and treaties.
- U.S. Code (USC) - The codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 50 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. This Web site allows access to the present version of the USC and has a cumulative index of past versions.
- U.S. House of Representatives Committees - Browse legislation being prepared by these committees.
- U.S. Senate Committees - Browse legislation being prepared by these committees.
- USA.gov: Laws and Regulations - Portal for federal Web sites dedicated to laws and regulations.
Regulations
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - Separated into 50 titles by topic area, each updated annually, the CFR compiles the rules published by all the agencies of the federal government. This Web site allows access to the present version of the CFR and has a cumulative index of past versions.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) - An unofficial version of the CFR, the e-CFR incorporates the daily changes to the CFR published in the Federal Register. Updated frequently by the Government Printing Office (GPO), the e-CFR offers a number of ways to search the most up-to-date versions of regulations.
- See sections of Title 40 of the CFR, the section that deals with EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment. The links will direct you to the e-CFR.
- EPA's Public Involvement site - Public involvement encompasses the full range of activities that EPA uses to engage the American people in the Agency's decision-making processes.
- Federal Advisory Committees at EPA
- "Collaboration and FACA at EPA" (4 pp, 164K, About PDF).
- Federal Register Documents on Public Inspection - Provides an electronic public inspection list populated by documents available for review before they are printed in the Federal Register. In most instances, this list allows you to see what will be published in the Federal Register the next federal business day. This site is maintained by the National Archives.
- Federal Register Environmental Documents Web site - Full text of all Federal Register documents issued by EPA, and of selected documents issued by other Departments and Agencies. Notices, meetings, proposed rules, and regulations are divided into twelve topical categories for easy access (eg. air, water, pesticides, toxics, waste).
- Federal Register Web site - The Government Printing Office (GPO) maintains the official electronic database that covers Federal Register documents beginning in January, 1994. Unlike the EPA Environmental Documents service, it provides access to all Federal Register documents from all Departments and Agencies.
- List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA) - Tracks proposed, new, and amended regulations that are published in the FR. On both a daily and monthly basis, the site displays how the CFR has changed because of recently published regulations.
- OMB Watch Regulatory Resource Center - Provides information on how to:
- RegInfo.gov - Federal government Web site produced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration. It gives you access to:
- Regulations.gov - Your source for all regulations (or rulemakings) issued by U.S. government agencies. The site includes regulations that are open for public comment (i.e., proposed) and closed for comment (i.e., final). It also includes other non-rulemaking documents, such as notices, supporting materials, public comments, and guidance and adjudications.
- USA.gov: Laws and Regulations - Portal for federal Web sites dedicated to laws and regulations.
- Where You Live Regulatory Information - Plans, programs, and designations developed for your state as required by Federal regulations, as well as links to the laws, regulations, and administrative agencies of your state, district, commonwealth, or territory. Links to regulatory information in EPA's Regions, too.
Regulatory Agenda/ Plan
- EPA's Regulatory Agendas & Regulatory Plans - Semiannual reports on the regulatory activities and core priorities that we will be developing or reviewing over the next year.
- EPA's latest Regulatory Plan & Agenda at Regulations.gov
- EPA latest Unified Agenda Preamble - Explains the rulemaking process, EPA's regulatory priorities and the contents of the Unified Agenda.
- Searchable Unified Agendas at RegInfo.gov - Go to RegInfo.gov's "Current Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions" page to search E-Regulatory Agendas, starting with the Spring 2007 Regulatory Agenda.
Guidance
- EPA's Significant Guidance Documents - Provides access to EPA's significant guidance documents and a means to comment on them.
- Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Practices (23 pp, 158K, About PDF) - The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established good guidance practices to ensure that guidance documents of federal agencies are high quality, developed with public participation, accessible, transparent, and not improperly treated as legally binding requirements.
Dockets
- Dockets, Electronic Dockets, and Information Centers page - When a rulemaking or non-rulemaking action is announced, a docket is established to accumulate materials throughout the process. Dockets may contain FR documents, a variety of supporting documentation, and public comments.
- Regulations.gov - A multi-agency electronic public docket and online comment system. It serves as EPA's electronic docket, along with a number of other federal agencies.