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TOPN: Table of Popular Names


What's in a popular name?

Laws acquire popular names as they make their way through Congress. Sometimes these names say something about the substance of the law (as with the '2002 Winter Olympic Commemorative Coin Act'). Sometimes they are a way of recognizing or honoring the sponsor or creator of a particular law (as with the 'Taft-Hartley Act'). And sometimes they are meant to garner political support for a law by giving it a catchy name (as with the 'USA Patriot Act' or the 'Take Pride in America Act') or by invoking public outrage or sympathy (as with any number of laws named for victims of crimes). History books, newspapers, and other sources use the popular name to refer to these laws. Why can't these popular names easily be found in the US Code?

How the US Code is built.

The United States Code is meant to be an organized, logical compilation of the laws passed by Congress. At its top level, it divides the world of legislation into fifty topically-organized Titles, and each Title is further subdivided into any number of logical subtopics. In theory, any law -- or individual provisions within any law -- passed by Congress should be classifiable into one or more slots in the framework of the Code. On the other hand, legislation often contains bundles of topically unrelated provisions that collectively respond to a particular public need or problem. A farm bill, for instance, might contain provisions that affect the tax status of farmers, their management of land or treatment of the environment, a system of price limits or supports, and so on. Each of these individual provisions would, logically, belong in a different place in the Code. (Of course, this isn't always the case; some legislation deals with a fairly narrow range of related concerns.) The process of incorporating a newly-passed piece of legislation into the Code is known as "classification" -- essentially a process of deciding where in the logical organization of the Code the various parts of the particular law belong. Sometimes classification is easy; the law could be written with the Code in mind, and might specifically amend, extend, or repeal particular chunks of the existing Code, making it no great challenge to figure out how to classify its various parts. And as we said before, a particular law might be narrow in focus, making it both simple and sensible to move it wholesale into a particular slot in the Code. But this is not normally the case, and often different provisions of the law will logically belong in different, scattered locations in the Code. As a result, often the law will not be found in one place neatly identified by its popular name. Nor will a full-text search of the Code necessarily reveal where all the pieces have been scattered. Instead, those who classify laws into the Code typically leave a note explaining how a particular law has been classified into the Code. It is usually found in the Note section attached to a relevant section of the Code, usually under a paragraph identified as the "Short Title".

How the LII Table of Popular Names works.

Our Table of Popular Names is organized alphabetically by popular name. You'll find three types of link associated with each popular name (though each law may not have all three types). One, a reference to a Public Law number, is a link to the bill as it was originally passed by Congress, and will take you to the LRC THOMAS legislative system, or GPO FDSYS site. So-called "Short Title" links, and links to particular sections of the Code, will lead you to a textual roadmap (the section notes) describing how the particular law was incorporated into the Code. Finally, acts may be referred to by a different name, or may have been renamed, the links will take you to the appropriate listing in the table.

O and P Nonimmigrant Amendments of 1991

O&aposMahoney-Hatch Act

O&aposMahoney-Ramspeck Act (Civil Service Extension To Postmasters)

Obstruction of Interstate Commerce Act

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Compliance Assistance Authorization Act of 1998

Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act

Ocean Dumping Act

Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988

Ocean Mail Act of 1891

Ocean Pollution Reduction Act

Ocean Shipping Act of 1978

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act of 1980

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Research, Development, and Demonstration Act

Oceans Act of 1992

Oceans Act of 2000

Oceans and Human Health Act

OCS Paperwork and Reporting Act

Odometer Disclosure Act

Office of Compliance Administrative and Technical Corrections Act of 2015

Office of Correctional Education Act of 1990

Office of Education and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1972

Office of Education Appropriation Act, 1971

Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act

Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act Amendments of 1979

Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act Amendments of 1983

Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act Amendments of 1988

Office of Government Ethics Amendment of 1992

Office of Government Ethics Authorization Act of 1996

Office of Government Ethics Authorization Act of 2001

Office of Government Reports Act

Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998

Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006

Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act

Officer Grade Limitation Act of 1954

Officer Personnel Act of 1947

Officers&apos Competency Certificates Act

Offshore Shrimp Fisheries Act Amendments of 1975

Offshore Shrimp Fisheries Act of 1973

Oh! Grab Me Act (Embargo 1807)

Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway Act of 1996

Oil and Gas Prospecting Act

Oil Pipe Line Act

Oil Pollution Act, 1924

Oil Pollution Act, 1961, as amended

Oil Pollution Act Amendments of 1973

Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Oil Region National Heritage Area Act

Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Other Strategic Unconventional Fuels Act of 2005

Oil Terminal and Oil Tanker Environmental Oversight and Monitoring Act of 1990

Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable Fuel Research and Jobs Training Act of 2014

Ojito Wilderness Act

Oklahoma City National Memorial Act Amendments of 2003

Oklahoma City National Memorial Act of 1997

Oklahoma Enabling Act of June 16, 1906

Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act

Oklahoma Welfare Act

Old Age Assistance Claims Settlement Act

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Amendments of 1965

Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act

Old Post Office Building Redevelopment Act of 2008

Old Series Currency Adjustment Act

Old Spanish Trail Recognition Act of 2002

Older American Community Service Employment Act

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1967

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1969

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1981

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1984

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1986

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1987

Older Americans Act Amendments of 1992

Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000

Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006

Older Americans Act of 1965

Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016

Older Americans Act Technical Amendments of 1993

Older Americans Amendments of 1975

Older Americans Comprehensive Services Amendments of 1973

Older Americans Personal Health Education and Training Act

Older Americans Reauthorization Technical Corrections Act

Older Workers Benefit Protection Act

Oleomargarine Act of 1886

Olympic and Amateur Sports Act Amendments of 1998

Olympic Commemorative Coin Act

Olympic Winter Games Authorization Act of 1976

Omnibus Adjustment Act of May 25, 1926

Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1982

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1983

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993

Omnibus Claims Act

Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999

Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997

Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996

Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1970

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968

Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986

Omnibus Drug Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1987

Omnibus Education Reconciliation Act of 1981

Omnibus Flood Control Act

Omnibus Indian Advancement Act

Omnibus Insular Areas Act of 1992

Omnibus Judgeship Act

Omnibus Low-Level Radioactive Waste Interstate Compact Consent Act

Omnibus Maritime and Coast Guard Improvements Act of 2002

Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1988

Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996

Omnibus Parks Technical Corrections Act of 2000

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009

Omnibus Public Lands and National Forests Adjustments Act of 1988

Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980

Omnibus Small Business Capital Formation Act of 1980

Omnibus Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Omnibus Territories Act of 1977

Omnibus Trade Act of 2010

Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988

Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991

ONDCP Technical Corrections Act of 2019

One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act

One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021

Onion Futures Act

Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act

Opal Creek Wilderness and Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area Act of 1996

OPEN FOIA Act of 2009

OPEN Government Act of 2007

OPEN Government Data Act

Open-market Reorganization for the Betterment of International Telecommunications Act

Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act

Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007

Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1991

Opioid Addiction Action Plan Act

Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act of 2018

Opioid Quota Reform Act

Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942

OPM IG Act

Optional Inter Partes Reexamination Procedure Act of 1999

Options Pilot Program Act of 1990

Orange Book Transparency Act of 2020

ORBIT Act

ORBIT Technical Corrections Act of 2003

Ordnance Tool Act

Oregon Land Exchange Act of 2000

Oregon Public Lands Transfer and Protection Act of 1998

Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996

Oregon Surplus Federal Land Act of 2008

Oregon Tribal Economic Development Act

Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984

Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act

Organ Donor Leave Act

Organ Procurement Organization Certification Act of 2000

Organ Transplant Amendments Act of 1988

Organic Act of Alaska

Organic Act of Guam

Organic Act of Puerto Rico

Organic Act of the Virgin Islands of the United States

Organic Administration Act

Organic Foods Production Act of 1990

Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act of 2020

Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013

Organized Crime Control Act of 1970

Organotin Antifouling Paint Control Act of 1988

Original Packages Act (Intoxicating Liquors)

Oroville-Tonasket Claim Settlement and Conveyance Act

Orphan Drug Act

Orphan Drug Amendments of 1985

Orphan Drug Amendments of 1988

Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act

Osage Act (Indians)

Osage Tribe of Indians Technical Corrections Act of 1984

Otay Mountain Wilderness Act of 1999

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act

Otto Warmbier Countering North Korean Censorship and Surveillance Act of 2022

Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions and Enforcement Act of 2019

Ouachita National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2006

Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016

Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Act

Outer Banks Protection Act

Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1985

Outer Continental Shelf Operations Indemnification Clarification Act of 1988

Over-the-Counter Market Act

Over-the-Road Bus Transportation Accessibility Act of 2007

Overman Act

Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act of 1975

Overseas Differentials and Allowances Act

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Amendments Act of 1974

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Amendments Act of 1978

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Amendments Act of 1981

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Amendments Act of 1985

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Amendments Act of 1988

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Amendments Act of 2003

Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act of 2016

Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act of 2023

Ozark National Scenic Riverways Act