Identification

• The federal rules and regulations in the CFR are published in the Federal Register. The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, which is an agency of the National Archives and Records Administration.
  
  

History

• Administrative laws, such as those found in the Code of Federal Regulations, exist because Congress gives executive branch agencies broad authority to interpret the laws that Congress passes.
  
  

Effects

• Rules in the Code of Federal Regulations have the force of law, provided they represent a reasonable interpretation of the underlying statutes as passed by Congress.
  
  

Features

• The Code of Federal Regulations contains 50 titles, each covering an area subject to federal regulation. Titles include Labor, Education, Homeland Security, Foreign Relations and Highways.
  
  

Time Frame

• The federal government publishes printed versions of the Code of Federal Regulations on the following schedule: January 1 for Titles 1 to 16, April 1 for Titles 17 to 27, July 1 for Titles 28 to 41, and October 1 for Titles 42 to 50.