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Title 1: General Provisions

Rules of construction for interpreting all federal statutes, including definitions of statutory terms, effective dates, and the official publication of laws.

3 chapters · 12 sections · 3 key sections available

Key Sections (3)

§ 1

Words Denoting Number, Gender, and So Forth

When reading any federal law, singular words also mean plural and vice versa, and masculine pronouns include feminine. This prevents technical arguments about wording.

businessEffective: Jul 30, 1947
active
§ 3

Publication of Acts and Resolutions

After a bill becomes law, the Archivist of the United States must publish it promptly in slip-law form and send copies for public printing.

Effective: Jul 30, 1947
active
§ 7

Definition of 'Marriage' and 'Spouse'

Federal law defines marriage as a legal union between two people as recognized by the state where it took place, following the Respect for Marriage Act of 2022.

familyEffective: Dec 13, 2022
active