This section of the Medicolegal Reference Library provides an ongoing record of important or interesting federal health-related activity. It normally includes only statutes (but not bills) and final rules and regulations (but not proposed rules or regulations), plus an occasional notice, announcement, or press release emanating from the executive branch. This section covers the time period from completion of research for the previous edition of the Journal to completion of research for the current edition.

For information concerning proposed federal statutes, rules, and regulations of medicolegal import, the reader may wish to consult the Congressional Record (for bills), the Federal Register (for rules and regulations), or one of the many newsletters and other periodicals that keep track of federal medicolegal developments. Many such periodicals are listed in the Directory of Periodical Publications of Medicolegal Interest in Volume 3, Number 1 of the Journal.

As stated above, only federal action is recorded in this section. For an ongoing analysis of state health-related legislative activity the reader may wish to refer to State Health Legislation Report, a quarterly publication of the American Medical Association. Information concerning that publication is available from the General Counsel or the Legislative Department of the AMA at 535 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610.