BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER
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LEGISLATION & REGULATION
Information about legislation and regulation is collated in a variety of ways to aid searching for current events and trends and to facilitate transactions with government agencies. Awareness of government activities is an essential part of the environmental scanning done by business.
GENERAL
Federal rulemaking explained This section of About.Com explains the basis and the process for the creation of federal regulations in the United. States.
Code of Federal Regulations The Government Printing Office (GPO) provides searchable access to this codification of federal regulations. Consider using the helps provided - these documents can be complex.
How Our Laws Are Made The Library of Congress provides this detailed walk through the process of creating legislation. This would be particularly useful in charting the progress of issues being discussed for future enactment. Top of Page
SEARCH ENGINES
Piper Resources: State & Local Government on the Net Directory to government wesites at all levels.
SearchGov.com Searches web sites of federal, state and local governments
Thomas Searchable Legislative Information Search for legislation in progress and public laws.
Business.gov Official comprehensive business link to the U.S. Goverment.
FindLaw.com This is a free website provided by the Thomson company that has a large amount of legal information suitable for businesses and consumers.
Regulations.gov At this website you can find federal regulations and other documents that are open for public review and comment.
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DATABASES
Budget of the United States This is the executive branch budget proposal which is a complex document and includes the Economic Report of the President.
CCH Business & Finance Group Publications Includes securities law, banking and financial services, trade regulation, government contracts, energy, and general business. The 2001 Master GAAP Guide is included under the SEC accountants module.(Just available to Cox School IP addresses) Please log out after using this database!
Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWire Contains timely analysis on key economic, political and business developments around the world. Each day, the ViewsWire supplies over 100 analytical articles on nearly 200 countries. (SMU Community only)
Federal Register Find through the Federal Register the status of new laws and regulations. Links also found here to other important Federal documents.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States.
LexisNexis Academic Covers hearings on federal legislation including testimony and covers international regulations. Coverage is for the previous two years.
Regional Business News Business wires from around the world.
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STATE & LOCAL RESOURCES
National Conference of State Legislatures The web site brings together some useful issue resources, although much of the site is restricted to members. This site is optimized for Internet Explorer.
Full-text state statutes and legislation on the Internet Links are available to state resources for all the states in the United States as well as the District of Columbia and the territories.
Uniform and Model Acts The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws has archived final drafts of its work at this site.
Suggested State Legislation The Council of State Governments shares promising legislation between the states to promote effective legislation and harmony.
State Laws by Topic Cornell Law School provides a handy linkage to state laws by broad topic.
State Legislative Histories Indiana University Law School has links to legislative history research guides on the web.
National League of Cities THe NLC site contains useful information about programs, trends, and issues important to cities.
City Mayors Organisations This international site contains much useful news about regulation and legislation. National Municipal League
American Planning Association The APA addresses urban and rural planning and land use issues.
The Ash Institute At Harvard, the Ash Institute provides this site for encouraging government innovation.
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NATIONAL RESOURCES
A-Z List of Federal Agencies FirstGov.gov is hosted by the Government Accounting Office and serves as a portal to U.S. government information.
Better Business Bureau The BBB acts as an intermediary of sorts in assisting citizen interactions with business and provides assistance to consumers who wish to avoid unscrupulous activities.
Energy Information Administration, U. S. Department of Energy Data about all types of energy resources is compiled in an accessible format from official government sources.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Information about banking institutions and processes is available for both the industry and consumers.
FedForms - multi-agency A search engine provides access to federal forms for industry and for individuals.
Federal Reserve Board of Governors The Fed provides important information about policies and economics for business and helpful advice for consumers.
FedStats Gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies Multiple pathways are provided for delving into federal agency statistics.
National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) Reports are available that describe research in state regulation of telecommunications, energy, and other industries.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration Safety and health are the focus of education and regulations provided through OSHA. The Administration is also a participant in emergency preparedness.
RegInfo.gov This site provides one stop access to Federal regulatory information.
Securities and Exchange Commission -- including EDGAR Official reports of companies whose stock is traded and are therefore regulated to protect investors.
Uncle Sam -- Federal Forms many of them are used to report compliance or request service The Government Publications Department at the University of Memphis provides this helpful guide to a wide variety of federal forms.
United States Copyright Office The USCO site provides guidance, forms, and step-by-step instructions for navigating through areas of intellectual property rights.
US Government Manual This site provides a narrative description of agencies in all branches of government
US Government Printing Office GPO is an important access point for printed regulations and other documents. The links to regulatory processes in each branch of government can be particularly helpful.
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INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES
World Trade Organization (WTO) Much of the spirit and some of the substance of international trade is defined in WTO documents that are available on the web site.
Economic Research Service Department of Agriculture - WTO Briefing, specifics on trade agreements
European Union Access point to European Union law and treaties
United Nations Law Site Access to international treaties, trade law, legal entities, and other law
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Last edited: January 2008
