1 U.S.C. § 204 — Codes and Supplements as evidence of the laws of United States and District of Columbia; citation of Codes and Supplements

submitted 79 years ago by ch. 388 to r/title-1-GENERAL-PROVISIONS · 370 words · no verdicts yet

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This law says the U.S. Code and D.C. Code count as official proof of the law. It sets short forms for citing each code, its supplements, and new editions.

(a) United States Code.— The U.S. Code, together with its latest supplement, is proof of federal laws that are general and permanent. This applies to laws in force the day before the next session of Congress starts, covering everything through the last included session. But if Congress has officially enacted a title of the Code as "positive law," then the text of that title is treated as the actual law itself — not just proof of it — in every federal, state, and territorial court. (b) District of Columbia Code.— The same rule applies to D.C. law: the D.C. Code and its latest supplement are proof of general, permanent D.C. law in force as of that same cutoff date. This does not cover laws that apply to D.C. only because they are federal laws. (c) District of Columbia Code; citation.— The D.C. Code can be cited as "D.C. Code." (d) Supplements to Codes; citation.— Supplements can be cited as "U.S.C., Sup. [Roman numeral]" or "D.C. Code, Sup. [Roman numeral]," with the Roman numeral showing which supplement it is. (e) New edition of Codes; citation.— New editions can be cited as "U.S.C., [year] ed." or "D.C. Code, [year] ed.," with the year showing the last year of legislation included.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

In all courts, tribunals, and public offices of the United States, at home or abroad, of the District of Columbia, and of each State, Territory, or insular possession of the United States—

(a) United States Code.—

The matter set forth in the edition of the Code of Laws of the United States current at any time shall, together with the then current supplement, if any, establish prima facie the laws of the United States, general and permanent in their nature, in force on the day preceding the commencement of the session following the last session the legislation of which is included: Provided, however, That whenever titles of such Code shall have been enacted into positive law the text thereof shall be legal evidence of the laws therein contained, in all the courts of the United States, the several States, and the Territories and insular possessions of the United States.

(b) District of Columbia Code.—

The matter set forth in the edition of the Code of the District of Columbia current at any time shall, together with the then current supplement, if any, establish prima facie the laws, general and permanent in their nature, relating to or in force in the District of Columbia on the day preceding the commencement of the session following the last session the legislation of which is included, except such laws as are of application in the District of Columbia by reason of being laws of the United States general and permanent in their nature.

The Code of the District of Columbia may be cited as “D.C. Code”.

(d) Supplements to Codes; citation.—

Supplements to the Code of Laws of the United States and to the Code of the District of Columbia may be cited, respectively, as “U.S.C., Sup. ”, and “D.C. Code, Sup. ”, the blank in each case being filled with Roman figures denoting the number of the supplement.

(e) New edition of Codes; citation.—

New editions of each of such codes may be cited, respectively, as “U.S.C., ed.”, and “D.C. Code, ed.”, the blank in each case being filled with figures denoting the last year the legislation of which is included in whole or in part.

Source credit: (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 638.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1947Enacted · Act of July 30, 1947, ch. 388 · 61 Stat. 638

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 388 on 1947-07-30.

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