Administrative Procedure Act (APA)

Administrative Procedure Act (1946)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (5 U.S.C. §§ 551–559, 701–706)

2) Why It Was Done
Passed in the aftermath of the New Deal, the APA established a uniform process for federal agency rulemaking, adjudication, and judicial review, ensuring agencies operate with transparency and accountability.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before the APA, agencies exercised broad, often unchecked authority. The Act codified due process principles for administrative action, grounded in the Fifth Amendment, and created standards for court review of agency decisions.

Acts

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1969)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
NEPA was enacted to ensure that federal agencies consider the environmental impacts of their actions and decisions. It established a national environmental policy and created mechanisms for accountability.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before NEPA, environmental protections were scattered across various statutes without a unified review process. NEPA created the requirement for Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs).

Acts

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act)

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) (1970)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (29 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Enacted to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for employees by authorizing standards, enforcement, and education programs through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before 1970, workplace safety laws were minimal and mostly state-based. Rising workplace injuries and fatalities pushed Congress to establish a uniform federal standard.

Acts

Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA)

Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA, 1972)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (15 U.S.C. § 2051 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The CPSA was enacted to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with consumer products. It created the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Prior to 1972, consumer product regulation was scattered across various agencies, leaving many household goods unregulated for safety. The CPSA centralized oversight.

Acts

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA, 1974)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The SDWA was enacted to protect public drinking water supplies across the United States, setting national health-based standards and requiring states and water suppliers to ensure safety.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before SDWA, drinking water safety was primarily a state and local responsibility, with no enforceable federal standards. Pollution crises and unsafe municipal supplies prompted federal action.

Acts

Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA)

Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA, 1989)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (12 U.S.C. §§ 1811 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Passed in response to the Savings and Loan crisis, FIRREA overhauled regulation of thrift institutions, abolished the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, created new oversight agencies, and authorized taxpayer funds to resolve failing S&Ls.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Previous deregulation under DIDMCA (1980) and Garn–St Germain (1982) had allowed excessive risk-taking, leading to collapse. FIRREA imposed stricter regulation and accountability, but did not alter constitutional rights.

Acts

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA, 1991)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (12 U.S.C. §§ 1811 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Passed after continuing bank and thrift failures in the late 1980s and early 1990s, FDICIA strengthened the FDIC’s authority, imposed stricter capital requirements, and introduced a system of prompt corrective action to intervene in troubled banks before collapse.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
FIRREA (1989) had addressed the S&L crisis, but weaknesses remained in deposit insurance and bank supervision. FDICIA expanded federal authority over banks but did not directly impact constitutional rights.

Acts

Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (12 U.S.C. § 5301 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, Dodd–Frank aimed to reduce systemic risk, increase transparency, and protect consumers from abusive financial practices.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Glass–Steagall Act (1933) had separated commercial and investment banking but was repealed in 1999. Existing securities and banking laws failed to prevent the 2008 crisis. Dodd–Frank created a modernized regulatory framework.

Acts

Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act

Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (2018)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (12 U.S.C. §§ 5365 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Passed to amend and roll back parts of the Dodd–Frank Act (2010), the Act was intended to ease regulatory burdens on small and mid-sized banks while maintaining protections for consumers and systemic risk oversight.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Dodd–Frank imposed strict oversight on nearly all banks with assets over $50 billion. This Act raised that threshold and loosened some compliance rules, but did not alter constitutional rights.