Legal Definitions - private act

The term "private act" is not an acronym.

A private act (also known as a private law or special statute) is a law passed by a legislative body that applies only to a specific individual, a particular group of people, a designated corporation, or a defined locality, rather than to the general public or all citizens. Unlike public laws, which establish rules and regulations for everyone, private acts are enacted to address unique situations, grant specific rights, powers, or relief to the named parties, or create exceptions to general laws for particular circumstances.

• Example 1: Granting Specific Authority to an Organization

  Imagine a state legislature passes a law that grants a specific, non-profit historical preservation society the exclusive right to manage and operate a newly designated state park. This law might also allow the society to collect entrance fees and use them directly for park maintenance, without requiring them to follow the standard competitive bidding process for park management that other organizations would typically face. This is a private act because it singles out one particular society and grants it unique powers and exemptions, rather than creating a general rule for all park management organizations or all non-profits.

• Example 2: Providing Individual Relief

  Consider a situation where the U.S. Congress passes a law to grant posthumous citizenship to a specific individual who made extraordinary contributions to the nation but died before their naturalization process was complete. This act might be initiated by the individual's family seeking official recognition. This would be a private act because its provisions apply solely to one named individual and their unique circumstances, not to all immigrants, all deceased persons, or the general population seeking citizenship.

• Example 3: Addressing a Local Property Exception

  A city council might pass an ordinance that allows a specific property owner to build an addition to their historic home that slightly exceeds the standard setback requirements for that particular zoning district. This exception might be granted due to the unique architectural features of the existing structure and its historical significance, making strict adherence to the general rule impractical or detrimental to preservation. This is a form of private act (at the local level) because it creates an exception to a general zoning rule for one particular property and its owner, rather than changing the setback rules for the entire district or for all property owners.