1. What agencies, levels of government, or organizations create policy on your topic?
Definitions of Policy:
* The settled method by which the government and affairs of a nation are, or may be, administered; a system of public or official administration, as designed to promote the external or internal prosperity of a state.
* The method by which any institution is administered; system of management; course.
from ARTFL Project: Webster Dictionary, 1913 http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=policy [Accessed 10/19/2007].
* a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group"it was a policy of retribution"; "a politician keeps changing his policies".
* a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government "they debated the policy or impolicy of the proposed legislation" from: http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=policy [Accessed 10/19/2007].
2. Is the information you are looking for legislative (laws or bills), executive (regulations), or judicial (court decisions)? In some classes, you are required to pick a topic that has relevant legislative policies (bills or laws).
* Legislation, including laws and bills, come from the legislative branch of government, which is Congress (House of Representatives and Senate for federal, Assembly and Senate for New York State).
* Regulations come from the executive branch of government, which includes government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.
* The judicial branch of government decides cases.
3. Definitions of Administrative Law and Regulations:
* Administrative Law- regulations and rules established by agencies formed by federal or state legislatures. The legislative statutes establishing these agencies give them their authority. from: administrative law. (1998). In Mosby's Emergency Dictionary. Retrieved October 19, 2007, from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/5893923.
* Regulation- An agency is often delegated the power to issue regulations by the legislation that created it. Regulations must be made in accordance with prescribed procedures, such as those set out in the federal or a state Administrative Procedure Act. Federal regulations are first published in the Federal Register and later codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. from: regulation. (1996). In Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law. Retrieved October 19, 2007, from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/5178899.
4. Do you know if a law was passed or if a bill was introduced on your topic?
5. If so, was it at local, state, or federal level?
6. When did the law pass or when was the bill introduced? Was it passed as part of another law or did it amend another law? Is it reauthorized periodically?
7. Have you found an exact title of a bill or law, a public law (PL) number or a bill number? These may be helpful for locating the text of a law or bill.
