Statutes are laws that are passed by the federal government and become the basis for statutory law. The legislature passes statutes, which are later put into the federal code of laws. If you want to find the law as it read when it was passed you need to find the statute. If you want to find all of what the laws that have been passed say regarding a particular topic you need to find the code. There are several resources in the Library as well as online that can provide either or both for you.
United States Statutes at Large Washington: GPO, 1851+
(US Documents AE 2.111: non-circulating) Library Has Current Subscription (depository)
Cited as Stat
Chronological arrangement of laws published in bound volumes. Permanent retrospective records of full texts of all public and private laws passed during a given year.
Slip Laws. Washington: GPO
(US Documents AE 2.110:) Library Has Current Subscription (depository)
First printing of new laws arranged by public law numbers running in sequence beginning with each Congress. Replaced by U.S. Statutes at Large
United States Code. Washington: GPO
(LawDocY 1.2/5: ; latest edition) Library Has Current Subscription (depository)
Cited as U.S.C.
Arranged by 50 broad subjects known by "titles." Contains all general and permanent laws of the U.S. currently in force.
United States Code Annotated. Published by West
(Law KF62.5 .W45)
Cited as U.S.C.A.
The United States Code is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives.