Statutes are laws passed by state legislatures (state laws) and by the United States Congress (federal laws). Statutes are one of the primary sources of law in the United States (sometimes referred to as statutory law) and cover a wide variety of legal topics. Courts often rely on statutes to resolve legal disputes (lawsuits) by applying the relevant statutes to the particular set of factual circumstances underlying the dispute.

Courts generally seek the clear and plain meaning of a statute, and if the court finds a statute ambiguous or “ambiguous on its face” (looking only at the words as written) the court may attempt to determine what the legislature intended in enacting the statute—known as legislative intent.

Related statutes are sometimes compiled in groups and referred to as codes—such as the penal code, the family code, or the code of civil procedure. Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.

In New York, as in other states, statutes are laws enacted by the state legislature, known as the New York State Legislature, which includes the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. Federal statutes are laws passed by the United States Congress. These statutes address a broad range of legal topics and serve as a fundamental source of law, often guiding courts in resolving legal disputes by applying the relevant statutes to the facts of a case. When interpreting statutes, New York courts aim to ascertain the clear and plain meaning of the legislative text. If a statute is deemed ambiguous, courts may look into legislative history and other interpretive tools to discern legislative intent. New York statutes are organized into consolidated laws, which are akin to codes in other jurisdictions, and cover areas such as the Penal Law, the Family Court Act, and the Civil Practice Law and Rules. Statutes can be modified or repealed by the legislature and may also be struck down by the judiciary if found to be unconstitutional.