Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Federal preemption is a principle in the United States Constitution that says federal laws are more important than state laws. This means that if there is a conflict between a federal law and a state law, the federal law wins. For example, if a state law says one thing and a federal law says something different, the federal law is the one that must be followed. This is because the Constitution says that federal laws are the supreme law of the land.
Definition: Federal preemption is a principle in constitutional law that allows federal laws to override or replace any state laws or regulations that are inconsistent with them. This principle is derived from the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Examples:
These examples illustrate how federal preemption can limit the power of state governments to regulate certain areas of activity. It ensures that federal laws take precedence over conflicting state laws, which helps to promote consistency and uniformity in the application of laws across the country.