Legal Definitions - organic statute

An organic statute is a fundamental law that establishes the structure, powers, and responsibilities of a governmental body, agency, or other public entity. It acts as the foundational blueprint, giving the entity its legal existence and defining its core functions, much like a constitution for a specific organization.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine the U.S. Congress passes a law to create a new federal agency, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This law would specify the agency's mission (e.g., protecting human health and the environment), its various divisions, the powers granted to its administrator, and its authority to issue regulations and enforce environmental laws.

  How it illustrates the term: This congressional act is an organic statute because it provides the fundamental legal framework that brings the EPA into existence, defines its purpose, and outlines its operational structure and authority.

• Consider a state legislature enacting a law to establish a new statewide public transportation authority. This statute would define the authority's mandate to provide public transit services, create its governing board, outline the board's powers to set fares and routes, and specify how the authority will be funded and managed.

  How it illustrates the term: This state law serves as an organic statute for the transportation authority, providing the essential legal foundation for its creation, governance, and operation across the state.

• A state might pass a general law that outlines the basic structure and powers of all public school districts within that state. This law could define the responsibilities of school boards, how superintendents are appointed, the powers related to curriculum and budgeting, and the relationship between the districts and the state's department of education.

  How it illustrates the term: This overarching state law is an organic statute because it provides the fundamental legal framework that gives life and defines the core functions and authorities of all public school districts within that state.