Legal Definitions - S.L.

S.L. stands for either Session Law or Statute Law.

These terms refer to laws formally enacted by a legislative body, such as a national parliament, state legislature, or city council. While closely related, they describe different stages or forms of written law:

• A Session Law is a law as it is originally passed during a specific legislative session, often published in chronological order as part of a collection of all laws from that session.
• Statute Law is the broader body of all such laws, typically organized by subject matter into codes or compilations, making them easier to find and understand. Essentially, session laws are the raw material that, once organized and codified, become part of the larger body of statute law.

Here are some examples to illustrate these concepts:

• Example 1 (Federal Level - New Legislation): Imagine the U.S. Congress passes a new bill to regulate the use of drones in national airspace. Once signed into law by the President, this new act would first appear as a Session Law, published chronologically with other laws from that congressional session. Later, its provisions would be integrated into the existing Statute Law, specifically the U.S. Code, under relevant titles like "Transportation" or "Aviation."

  Explanation: This illustrates how a newly enacted law (session law) eventually becomes a part of the organized body of federal statute law, making it accessible and integrated with existing regulations.

• Example 2 (State Level - Existing Regulations): A small business owner in Oregon wants to understand the state's requirements for employee breaks. They would consult the Oregon Revised Statutes, which is a collection of Statute Law. This code contains all the current laws related to employment, including specific sections outlining break periods, which were originally passed as various Session Laws over many years.

  Explanation: This shows how individuals interact with established statute law to find specific legal requirements, which originated from past session laws and have since been codified for easy reference.

• Example 3 (Local Level - Municipal Ordinances): A city council in Florida passes a new ordinance restricting the height of fences in residential neighborhoods. This ordinance, when first enacted, is a form of Session Law for that city council. It will then be added to the city's municipal code, becoming part of its local Statute Law, which residents and businesses can consult to understand local property regulations.

  Explanation: This demonstrates that the concept of statute law and session law also applies at the local government level, where ordinances are the equivalent legislative enactments that form the body of local law.