By Natalie Willis, Reporter, Valley Ag Voice
On June 28, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron Doctrine which compelled federal courts, for the past 40 years, to defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous statute if they were delegated by Congress to administer it.
In a 6-3 vote, the high court overruled this doctrine which was initially placed in the 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defence Council.
“The Administrative Procedure Act requires courts to exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority, and courts may not defer to an agency interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous,” the court ruled.
For agriculture, this power shift from federal agencies to the courts may result in fewer regulations as it would alter how laws affecting farming are applied — agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Department of Agriculture will face greater challenges in imposing regulations.
In a statement, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall explained that the Chevron deference multiplied the power of federal agencies and undermined the separation of powers.
“For decades, Congress has passed vague laws and left it to federal agencies and the courts to figure out how to implement them,” Duvall said. “AFBF has argued on behalf of farmers who are caught in a regulatory back and forth when administrations change the rules based on political priorities instead of relying on the legislative process. We are pleased the Court heard those concerns.”
