Guides: Privacy & Information Law Research Guide: Regulations & Agency Materials

Finding Federal Regulations

For a guide to the federal executive-branch regulatory process and the process of conducting federal administrative law research in general, see the Law Library's Administrative Law Research Guide. Federal agencies' regulations appear in the following publications:

Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - Westlaw
Index available in the right-hand menu.
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - Lexis
The Lexis CFR Index is available here.
Code of Federal Regulations - HeinOnline
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Available via the U.S. GPO's GovInfo.gov. Coverage: 1996 to the Present.
List of CFR Sections Affected (L.S.A.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a CFR title. Available via the U.S. GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys). Coverage: 1997 to the Present.
eCFR - Free Web A currently-updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); not an official legal edition of the CFR.
Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) - In Print Call Number: KF70 .A3. Microfiche: 1938 - date (Media Services, Cabinets B13-B14)
Federal Proposed & Adopted Regulations (Federal Register; Fed. Reg.) - Westlaw
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) - Lexis
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) - Free Web (GovInfo) Available via the U.S. GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys). Coverage: 1960 to Present
FederalRegister.gov - Free Web An unofficial web edition of the Federal Register, provided by the Office of the Federal Register. Includes links to related material. Coverage: 1994-present.
Federal Register Library - HeinOnline

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Introduction

There are numerous regulations and agencies that govern aspects of privacy and information law; a complete review of these is beyond the scope of this guide. If you're not sure what regulations or agencies are relevant to your research project, you may want to begin with a treatise, such as one or more listed on the Secondary Sources page of this guide.

For information on administrative research generally, see our Administrative Law Research Guide and the Administrative Law Research Tutorial.
For help finding the Federal Register and C.F.R. in print and online, see the "Finding Federal Regulations" box, left.
For help finding a specific state's regulations, consult that state's research guide. For multi-jurisdictional regulatory research, you might also look for a 50-State Survey.

Select additional resources for researching privacy regulations and agency materials are listed below.

Select Agency Websites

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC is the primary enforcer of many federal privacy laws. Protecting consumer privacy is a key component of its mission. Select materials and information can be found gathered on the FTC's Privacy and Security page, which includes the following topics: Children's Privacy, Health Privacy, Consumer Privacy, Credit Reporting, Data Security, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Red Flags Rule, Data Privacy Framework, Privacy Shield, U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, Tech
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Privacy Office
The DHS Privacy Office is the first statutorily-required privacy office in any federal agency, responsible for evaluating Department programs, systems, and initiatives for potential privacy impacts, and providing mitigation strategies to reduce the privacy impact.
Department of Health & Human Services (HHS): Health Information Privacy
HHS's public portal for information on HIPPA. Select "HIPAA for Professionals" to find information about the HIPAA Rules, guidance on compliance, OCR's enforcement activities, frequently asked questions, and more.

Privacy & Information Law Research Guide

Contents

Finding Federal Regulations

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Introduction

Select Agency Websites