local
state
federal
About Local Legislation
In New York City, when a proposed law is passed by the City Council and signed by the Mayor (or receives enough votes to override a veto by the Mayor), it is known as a Local Law.
Once enacted, Local Laws are added to the NYC Charter 
and Administrative Code which houses all laws, codes, and ordinances affecting the city, organized by subject area. To change an existing law, a new Local Law must be passed, which in turn, amends that part of the Charter and/or Administrative Code.
Rules and regulations guiding the implementation of laws are developed by the relevant city departments and agencies along with public input. These rules are published in the City Record and after adoption, are added to the Rules of the City of New York .
In general, laws state what is required and rules specify what to do to comply with the law. The Mayor also has limited power to issue Directives or Executive Orders to set policy direction without Council approval. Additional guiding documents, such as management plans, are sometimes required by the laws and rules, and are developed and housed by the relevant agencies.
The NYC Law Department provides online access to the official compendia of NYC Charter and Administrative Code and the Rules of the City of New York. The NYC Council provides online access to all Local Laws passed between 1998 and the present.
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About State Legislation
In New York State, when a proposed bill passes both the assembly and senate and is signed into law by the Governor (or receives enough votes in each house to override a veto by the Governor), it becomes a Law of New York State and is assigned a "session chapter" number for the legislative session in which it was passed (such as Chapter 285 of the Laws of 2000).
Once enacted, laws are generally added by subject area to the consolidated Laws of New York State, which is organized by subject area. (Some laws remain unconsolidated.) To change an existing law, a new Bill must be passed, which in turn, amends that part of the codified Law.
Rules and regulations are developed by the relevant state agencies (those tasked with enforcing a specific law) and adopted into the New York Code of Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) , a compilation of all codes, rules, and regulations organized by subject area.
The governor has the authority to pass Directives or Executive Orders to set policy directions, and state assembly and senate can issue Resolutions to express their consensus on matters of public policy, though these typically do not carry the weight of law. State agencies can also develop additional administrative guidance documents though these are not as enforceable as rules and regulations.
The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for developing, maintaining, and enforcing the state rules and regulations relevant to Environmental Conservation Law, which includes anything related to soil, waste, and recycling.
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About Federal Legislation
In the US Congress, when a proposed bill passes both the house and senate and is signed into law by the President (or receives enough votes in each house to override a veto by the President), it becomes a Public Law and part of US Statute. After a Public Law is enacted, it is consolidated and codified by subject matter in the United States Code . To change an existing statute, a new bill must be passed, which in turn, amends that part of the US Code.
Regulations guiding the implementation of the laws are developed and enforced by Federal agencies with public input. Proposed regulations and, after public input, adopted regulations are published in the Federal Register and housed in the Code of Federal Regulations . The President has the authority to issue Directives or Executive Orders that set policy direction and Congress has the authority to issue Resolutions to express their consensus on matters of public policy, though these typically do not carry the weight of law. Federal agencies can also develop additional administrative guidance documents though these are not as enforceable as rules and regulations.
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