Legal Definitions - compiled statutes

Compiled statutes refers to a systematic collection of laws that have been passed by a legislative body and then organized, updated, and arranged, typically by subject matter, to reflect the current state of the law. Instead of just listing laws in the chronological order they were enacted, a compilation integrates new laws into existing ones, removes repealed sections, and presents a coherent body of current legislation. This makes it significantly easier for individuals, lawyers, and judges to find and understand all the laws related to a specific topic.

• Example 1: A State's Motor Vehicle Code

  Imagine a state's official publication that contains all the laws related to driving, vehicle registration, traffic violations, and driver's licenses. This isn't just a chronological list of every single law passed about cars since the state's inception. Instead, it's an organized collection with sections like "Chapter 1: Driver's Licensing Requirements," "Chapter 2: Vehicle Registration and Titling," and "Chapter 3: Traffic Offenses and Penalties." If the legislature passes a new law changing the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers, the compiled statutes would update the relevant section in "Chapter 3," rather than just adding the new law at the end of the entire collection. This compilation provides a single, up-to-date reference for all motor vehicle laws.

• Example 2: Federal Environmental Protection Laws

  The U.S. Congress has passed numerous laws concerning environmental protection over many decades, such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. A compiled set of these federal statutes would bring together all current federal laws on environmental protection, organized by topic (e.g., air quality, water quality, hazardous waste management, wildlife conservation). This compilation would integrate all amendments made to these acts over the years, show which parts of older laws are still active, and present a comprehensive, current picture of federal environmental regulations. This allows someone researching environmental law to find all relevant provisions in one organized place, rather than sifting through hundreds of individual legislative acts.

• Example 3: A City's Business Licensing Ordinances

  A city council passes various ordinances (local laws) over time regarding how businesses operate, what licenses they need, zoning restrictions, and health codes for commercial establishments. A "compiled statutes" equivalent at the local level would be the city's municipal code. This code gathers all these ordinances into an organized structure, often by subject. For instance, there might be a section titled "Business Licensing and Permits," which details all current requirements for operating different types of businesses, even if those requirements originated from several different ordinances passed years apart. This compilation ensures that a new business owner can easily find all the current local laws applicable to their venture without having to research every single ordinance passed by the city council historically.