Guest post, from Lee Van Duzer, Washington County Law Librarian:
As we socially distance ourselves and physical spaces are increasingly closed, it is important to revisit online legal research options. The following are free research tools specific to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Federal & National
Guest post, from Lee Van Duzer, Washington County Law Librarian, Hillsboro, Oregon:
As we socially distance ourselves and physical spaces are increasingly closed, it is important to revisit online legal research options. The following are free general legal research tools to help you work from home.
Case Law & Statutes
Oregon’s Senator Merkley has updated his Covid-19 Resources page with information about the 880 page bill (HR 748) that was signed into law on March 27, 2020 (P.L. 116-136).
Visit the Oregon Judicial Department’s website for updates. Oregon Circuit Court websites will have Circuit Court-specific information for jurors, lawyers, and anyone else who has business to transact with the courts.
Did you know that the two trillion (and counting) dollar coronavirus (Covid-19) law started out as a January 24, 2019, revenue bill out of the House of Representatives? (HR 748, 116th Congress, 2019-2020)?
For the record, the 880 page enrolled bill (version passed by both Chambers) was signed by the President on March 27, 2020. [The P.L. number is 116-136.]
So, my question to colleagues was:
You can go directly to the Law Library of Congress “Coronavirus Resource Guide” or if you want additional information on what Congress is doing, visit Congress dot gov. (You can link on Law Library News from there, too.)
“This is intended as a guide to laws, regulations and executive actions in the United States, at both the federal and the state level, and in various countries with respect to the new coronavirus and its spread. We are also including links to Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports ….” [Link to Law Library of Congress blog post for more information and updates.]
If you don’t know where to begin, begin with contacting 211 Info:
“[C]onsumers can still reach us by calling 211, but they can also text or email, or use our mobile app and online database. They “serve all 36 Oregon counties and Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties in Southwest Washington.”
CALL 211 or 1-866-698-6155
Price gouging and war profiteering are as American as, um, apple pie (English origin, actually, or so they say), not that they (price gouging etc.) don’t exist worldwide as well – and neither requires a war. Sigh.
Reporting Price Gouging Violations to the Oregon Department of Justice:
“If you have been charged an excessive price for a product or service under normal circumstances, please file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline by calling 503-378-8442, or using the online Consumer Complaint Form.” [Link to webpage.]
The constitutionally mandated U.S. census form (and a link to the online form) should be awaiting your attention, perhaps it’s on your kitchen table now.
Here’s an interesting story about the census and pandemic, from OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) News:
“COVID-19 Makes 2020 Census More Complicated Than It Already Was,” by Tom Banse, March 23, 2020
Oregon Legal Research Blog