GPO Beta Tests Electronic CFR That's Up to Date

NARA, OFR, and GPO are teaming up to offer an electronically updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations that incorporate changes made in the Federal Register. The site is still in Beta test, but is available at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/.

Here are excerpts from the description provided by GPO:

The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a prototype of a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The e-CFR prototype is a demonstration project. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR.

The e-CFR consists of two linked databases: the "current Code" and "amendment files." The OFR updates the current Code database according to the effective dates of amendments published in the Federal Register.

As amendments become effective, the OFR integrates the changes into the current Code database to display the full text of the currently updated CFR.

For future-effective amendments, the OFR inserts hypertext links into the affected sections or parts of the current Code to take users to the pertinent amendment files. The amendment files contain amendatory instructions, the text of amendments (if any) and their effective dates.

If the effective date of a regulation falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the amendments will be integrated into the current Code on the next federal business day.

More information is available at the site.

Mark Giangrande (DePaul Law)