What Is the Administrative Procedures Act?

Full Video Transcript

The Administrative Procedures Act, also known as the APA, is a federal law enacted in 1946. Its purpose is to govern administrative agencies of the United States, such as the FDA and the EPA. Agencies are governmental bodies that exercise the powers granted to them by the judicial, legislative, or executive branch. In essence, the APA regulates these federal agencies by establishing necessary standards for the implementation of the agency’s laws. For example, the APA requires agencies to keep the public informed by providing clear and legally valid rules and regulations and forces them to establish uniform standards of rule-making. The APA also requires agencies to provide the public with the opportunity to participate in the rule-making process