Chapters, etc. I have good news....

A question came up recently whether NYS unchapterd laws -- that is, laws in their original form, not consolidated -- were available online. The answer is yes, at the same website where you can look up bills and other legislative materials.

http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi

From that site, click CHAPTERS and use the search tool. Just limit to "chapter number" and fill it in, along with the year. AND don't forget to click the box marked "text" to see the complete text of the act.



Don't know one or the other? There's a keyword search tool. Or Google the name of the act to discover its chapter number and year, then return and try again.

Interns: Great questions

One of our interns here at the library participated in a law refresher that I gave the other day. She told us about here experiences doing some grad work at the New York state Library, where she was frequently asked about "chaptering" laws. What, pray, tell, is chaptering?

Simple enough: Nolo offers this definition
Chaptered: A bill becomes chaptered if it is approved by the legislature and signed by the governor.

Long story short, session laws -- the laws that are grouped together by subject but are not yet incorporated into the Consolidated Laws -- are given chapter numbers. Chaptering is the process of taking a new law and locating it in the session laws.

Interns. Always another brilliant question!