11. Federal Register Act

• Pages: 619-632

619

FEDERAL REGISTER ACT

11

Federal

Register

Act

619

Citations:

44 U.S. Code §§1501-1511 (2000), enacted July 25, 1935 by Pub. L.

No. 74-220, 49 Stat. 500; significantly amended June 19, 1937 by Pub. L.

No. 75-158, 56 Stat. 304; September 23, 1950 by Pub. L. No. 81-821, 61

Stat. 636; October 22, 1968 by Pub. L. No. 90-620, 82 Stat. 1273, October

10, 1978 by Pub. L. No. 95-440, 92 Stat. 1063; October 19, 1984 by title I,

Pub. L. No. 98-497, 98 Stat. 2280, 2286.

Lead Agency:

Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Adminis-

tration, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20002 (mailing ad-

dress: 700 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20408-0001), (202)

523-4534.

Overview:

Background. Recognizing the need for a uniform system for publica-

tion of federal regulations and other important documents, Congress approved

the Federal Register Act in 1935. Prior to establishment of the Federal Reg-

ister, there were no facilities for filing and publication of rules, executive

orders, and similar documents having general applicability and legal effect.

This made it extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, for interested

persons to learn about rules and orders that had the force of law. Indeed,

passage of this legislation ended what many sponsors of the bill described as

“the twilight zone of government regulations.”

The Federal Register Act requires the filing of certain documents with

the Office of the Federal Register, availability of these documents for public

inspection, publication of documents in the Federal Register, and the perma-