Wikisource:WikiProject Acts of Congress

This is a proposed style guide for United States Acts of Congress.

IN PROGRESS.

Header

• Use {{Act of Congress}} for acts which use Public Law numbers. Does not apply (yet) for acts which only use session & chapter.

Section headings

• Never use level one. (=)
• Use level three (===) for Sections even if there is no level two used.
• Use level two (==) for "See also" or "Legislative history" or whatever else is not part of the text of the statute.

Table of Contents

• Not always synonymous with the rules for Section headings, above.
• Make each level lower than the level that contains it.
• Often the initial sections, (Short title, TOC, definitions) are at the same level as the subsequent title.

Short title

• Apply bold.
• Redirect articles with short titles to the Acts' titles, subtitles, chapter, etc. to which they "may be cited as…."

Vertical space

• Add an extra line break before subsections ((a), (b), etc.), but not in lower levels.

Indents

: Text after section break
: (a)
:: text after subsection
:: (1)
::: text after paragraph
::: (A)
:::: text after subparagraph
:::: (i)
::::: text after (i)
::::: (I)
:::::: text after (I)
:::::: (aa)
::::::: text after (aa)

::: ``Title IX
::: ``Sec. 123
:::: ``(a)
::::: ``(1)
:::::: ``(A)
::::::: ``(i)
:::::::: ``(I)
::::::::: ``(aa)

In quotes, everything at the Section level and above should be intended identically with three colons.

Footer

• Make the "Approved" line italicized, with an extra line break above it, and without intents.

Legislative history

• Include and apply, where possible, {{USBill}}.

Categorization

• Should include [[Category:United States federal law]].
• Or a subcategory, such as [[Category:United States federal law designating federal property]].

Text

Quotes

• Do not use regular (straight) 'single quotes,' "double quotes," or ''single quotes doubled.''
• Instead, use slanted `single quotes´ or slanted ``single quotes doubled.´´

Dashes

• Don't use double dashes (--).
• Instead, use mdashes (—).