Social Policy and Politics - HMNS207 - Gutshall-Seidman

APA Format for Legislative Sources

Note: You must use a hanging indent if the reference entry goes onto a 2nd line or more. Examples below do not show the hanging indent but this is an APA requirement. To see how to format a hanging indent, please watch this video:

Public Laws, Policies, Statutes, Regulations

Format depends on the type of policy, law or regulation you are citing. Try to determine how the policy is officially named by examining the document's first page or seeing what it is titled by websites that link to it.

For in-text citations, include the popular or official name and the year. For case law in-text citations, italicize the name.

 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

CFR is issued every year. Be sure to include which year you're citing.

Format:

Regulation Name, [title number] C.F.R. [section number] (year). URL

Example:

Rules and Regulations Governing Smithsonian Institution Buildings and Grounds, 36 C.F.R. § 504 (2012). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-V/part-504

 

U.S. Code

Format:

Regulation Name, [title number] U.S.C. [section number] (year). URL

Example:

Dairy Product Price Support Program, Title 7 U.S.C § 8771 et seq. (2006 & Supp. III, 2009). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2010-title7-section8771&num=0&edition=2010

"et seq." means the act covers not only the initial section, but others following it. "Supp." tells you additional material like amendments and their references are included in a later supplementary publication. 

 

Public Laws

Format:

Regulation Name, Pub. L. No. [number], Sec. [number], [volume number] Stat. [page number] (year). URL

Example:

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, Sec. 2, 104 Stat. 328 (1991). https://www.congress.gov/101/statute/STATUTE-104/STATUTE-104-Pg327.pdf

The Public Law Number (Pub. Law No.) refers to the 336th public law enacted by the 101st Congress. Stat. refers to United States Statutes at Large, the official compilation of uncodified laws. This example is published in volume 104 on page 328. (Stat. information may not be available).

 

Federal Bills and Resolutions

Format:

Name, H.R. [for House or Representatives] or S. [for Senate] [bill or resolution number], [number] Congress (year). URL

Example:

Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal. H.R. 109, 116th Congress (2019). https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109

 

Case Law

Format:

Name v. Name, [volume number] U.S. [page number] (year). URL

Example:

Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905). https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep197/usrep197011/usrep197011.pdf

This example is from volume 197, page 11 of United States Reports, the official publication of U.S. Supreme Court reports.