COMMISSIONERS ON UNIFORM LAWS
The United States has a central federal govern-
ment, the authority of which is restricted to
those powers given to it by the Constitution.
Each state has its own system of legislative and
judicial functions that operate in areas not
within the exclusive control of the federal gov-
ernment.
Attempts have been made to provide an
organized system of uniform legislation
throughout the states. The Commissioners on
Uniform Laws, properly known as the National
Conference of Commissioners on Uniform
States Laws and also referred to as the Uniform
Law Commissioners, was established in 1890 to
draft uniform and model laws on subjects where
uniformity is desirable. The organization con-
sists of more than 300 lawyers, judges, and law
professors, each selected by the state govern-
ments. The acts approved by the organization do
not become “law” in the states until they are
adopted by legislatures of those states, and the
Commissioners on Uniform Laws work with the
legislatures to promote such enactments.
The organization has been most instrumen-
tal in persuading the states to adopt commercial
laws approved by the commissioners, most
notably the UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE
(UCC). It has also drafted a number of laws
relating in such areas as CHILD CUSTODY, busi-
ness organizations, and consumer law. The com-
missioners often work in conjunction with such
organizations as the AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIA-
TION and the American Law Institute when
drafting the uniform and model laws.
The web site of the Commissioners on Uniform
Laws is located at http://www.nccusl.org.
