List of CFR Sections Affected: How LSA Works
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Why this list matters
One changed CFR sentence can change what a business, school, lab, or local agency has to do.
The List of CFR Sections Affected, usually called the LSA, helps you connect a CFR citation to the Federal Register document behind it. The Code of Federal Regulations is arranged by title, part, and section. The Federal Register is where agencies publish proposed rules, final rules, corrections, notices, and other documents. The LSA is the bridge between a CFR section and the Federal Register page that affected it.
The Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives describe the LSA as a list of proposed, new, and amended federal regulations published since the most recent revision date of a CFR title. Each LSA issue is cumulative. It gives the CFR part or section, a short status note, and the Federal Register page where the action can be found. Start with the official LSA page at archives.gov, then read the cited document at federalregister.gov.
How LSA updates CFR citations
The LSA does not change the law by itself. It points to the Federal Register document you need to read.
When an agency publishes a final rule, the document normally includes amendatory language for the CFR and a dates section. The effective date in that document controls when the rule takes effect, unless a later Federal Register document delays, corrects, or changes it. After publication, the affected CFR citation can appear in the LSA so readers can see which Federal Register page added, amended, revised, removed, or otherwise affected that CFR text.
A proposed rule is different. It explains what an agency plans to do and usually asks for public comments, but it normally does not change CFR text until the agency later issues a final rule. The LSA can list proposed actions, which is useful when you want to see pending work tied to a CFR part. Notices may announce meetings, information collections, extensions, guidance, or other agency actions. A notice usually does not amend CFR text unless the document itself says it does.
The safest habit is simple: use the LSA to find the Federal Register citation, then read the source document. Check the document type, the dates section, the amendatory text, and the docket or addresses section. For comments and supporting materials, use regulations.gov when the agency sends readers there.
How to read an LSA entry
Treat each entry as a pointer. Verify the source document before you rely on it.
- Find the CFR title, part, and section you care about.
- Look for entries after that CFR title's latest revision date.
- Read the status words, such as proposed, added, amended, revised, or removed.
- Open the Federal Register page listed in the entry.
- Confirm whether the document is a proposed rule, final rule, correction, or notice.
- Check the effective date, compliance date, and public comment deadline when the document gives them.
- Use the docket on regulations.gov, or the address named in the document, for comments and supporting materials.
A CFR citation tells you where a rule lives. A Federal Register citation tells you what happened and when. The docket shows the record behind many rulemakings, including public comments and agency materials.
What LSA will not tell you
The LSA is a research tool. It is not legal advice, and it is not the full rulemaking record.
The list does not decide whether a rule applies to you. It does not replace the text, dates, or instructions in a Federal Register document. It also does not mean every proposal became final. Agencies must act within the authority Congress gave them, and a proposal can change, stall, or be withdrawn before any final rule is issued.
If you are tracking a live issue, watch both the Federal Register and the docket. RegWatch can email you when a matching Federal Register document posts, including public comment deadlines when the document provides them. You can start a free watch at RegWatch, then use the LSA as the citation trail when you need to see how a CFR part has moved over time.
FAQ
What does List of CFR Sections Affected mean?
It is a Federal Register finding aid that lists CFR parts and sections affected by proposed, new, and amended federal regulations. It points readers to the Federal Register page where the action was published.
Does an LSA entry mean the CFR has already changed?
No. Check the document type. A final rule can amend the CFR, often as of its effective date. A proposed rule shows a possible future change and usually asks for public comments before the agency decides what to do.
Where should I check comment deadlines?
Read the dates section of the Federal Register document first. Then check the docket on regulations.gov, or the address listed in the document. Deadlines can be extended, reopened, or changed by later Federal Register documents.
How is LSA different from the eCFR?
The eCFR shows current regulatory text in an online format, but it is not the official legal edition of the CFR. The LSA helps you find Federal Register documents that affected CFR citations after a title's latest revision date.