Organic statute

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Organic statute or organic act, in the context of administrative law, refers to legislation that creates government agencies and defines the original scope of their authority. It is a type of enabling statute.[1][2][3]

The concept is related but not identical to that of organic law, which refers to the original legal foundation of a government. For example, the United States Constitution is part of the organic law of the United States federal government.[1][4][5]

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Background

Organic statutes are a specific type of enabling statute. According to Black's Law Dictionary, an enabling statute "permits what was previously prohibited or that creates new powers;" in United States law, the term most frequently refers to "a congressional statute conferring powers on an executive agency to carry out various delegated tasks."[3] Under the system of government established by the United States Constitution, legislative authority (the power to make law) is vested in the Congress. However, Congress delegates its rulemaking authority to a variety of executive departments, agencies, and commissions via organic and enabling statutes. Organic statutes establish and authorize administrative agencies to issue specific rules and regulations and carry out other activities to fulfill broad aims defined by Congress, while enabling statutes grant additional authority or responsibility to existing agencies.[6]

Organic statutes establishing federal agencies

Below is a partial list of organic statutes that established agencies of the United States federal government:[1][2][3][7]

See also

External links

Footnotes