Finding the Public Law (PL) Number and Statutes at Large Citation
When You Only Know the Subject/Topic
Generally
You'll want to identify what federal agency or department the statute or act is managed by.
Sometimes an internet search of the subject or topic and the statute or act name AND "department" will lead to some promising results. If you can locate an About Page, or a Resources Page, those will generally provide historical and factual information about the program or act.
The Public Law (P.L.) number (e.g., P.L. 101-368) and the Statutes at Large citation (e.g., 92 Stat. 1074) appear at the end of the text of the statute in U.S.C., U.S.C.A., and U.S.C.S.
The United States Code is available through multiple sources but Govinfo collects (1994-present).
When You Only Know the Popular Name of the Act
The U.S.C., U.S.C.A., and U.S.C.S., have tables which alphabetically list popular names of acts and provide complete citations, including Public Law (P.L.) numbers and Statutes at Large references. Popular name tables are located near the end of each set, after the general index.
Congress.gov and the House of Representatives' website both have tools to search for Public Laws and U.S. Code sections by popular name.
