The law is the basis for the way people, businesses and government function. It is a combination of constitutional, statutory and regulatory laws and regulations. In New York state, the law consists of the Constitution, laws passed by the legislature and periodically codified in the Consolidated Laws and decisions by courts that interpret the laws. There is also local legislation in the form of city charters, ordinances and regulations.
In addition to the information on this website, there are many online resources that can help you find laws and regulations. A good place to start is the New York State Legislature’s website. It provides a searchable database of state statutes as well as legislative history and news. It also includes links to legislative committees and reports.
Another useful resource is the Congressional Record, which contains transcripts of every speech and debate in the United States House of Representatives and Senate since its inception. It can be searched by topic or keyword and covers all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
A bill is a proposed new law or amendment to an existing law. A person or group may recommend a bill to a member of Congress by calling, writing or emailing. The member of Congress will then review the bill and may make changes to it. The resulting bill will then be considered by the full House or Senate and if approved, will become law.
A number of City agencies have online law and rule sites. The Law Department contracts with American Legal Publishing Corporation for a site where you can view and search the NYC Charter, NYC Administrative Code and Rules of the City of New York. A separate contract with CUNY Law School provides access to a collection of casebooks, treatises and other materials covering state, federal and local law. The collection can be searched using a number of different criteria and content is being added to cover all 50 states, including the City of New York.