Government Information

A Guide to Government Information Sources

State statutes

Each U.S. state has its own constitution and legal code that covers subject matter under their jurisdiction. The text of these statutes can usually be found at the web page of the state's legislature.

Massachusetts General Laws
Massachusetts laws are available at the web site of the General Court (the state legislature).
Massachusetts law by subject
Provides descriptions of and links to statutes and court cases on particular areas of state law.

Subject Compilations of State Laws This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
An index of articles, books, court opinions, and other publications that compare state laws, with many links to full text. Searchable by subject, 1925-current with a two year lag.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
Westlaw Campus Research This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Legal encyclopedias, law reviews, and legal treatises; case, statutory, and regulatory law; newspapers and magazines; business data, 1980s-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

Massachusetts General Laws Annotated
Call Number: KFM2430 1958 W4
Publication Date: ongoing
Includes popular name table.

Find Massachusetts statutes by popular name

State laws are often known by their "popular name" or "short title" rather than by their code title and section. Popular name tables exist to allow researchers to match the popular name with the location in the code.

Massachusetts Laws by Popular Name
The libraries of the Massachusetts Court System provides a table of popular names for statutes of the Commonwealth.

Bills

Massachusetts Legislature (General Court)
The Massachusetts General Court webpage includes bills going back to 2009-2010 legislature.

MassTrac This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Information about the legislative process in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including bill tracking and a legislative calendar, 2005-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

LegiScan
Allows researchers to view and track the status of bills of all 50 states and the U.S. Congress.