Legal Definitions - repealer

A repealer refers to a legislative act or a specific provision within a new law that officially cancels, revokes, or nullifies an existing law. It is the formal process by which a law-making body removes a previously enacted law from effect.

• Example 1: Outdated Regulations

  Scenario: A state once had a law requiring all new buildings to include a dedicated space for landline telephone booths, a common feature decades ago. As technology advanced and cell phones became universal, the state legislature passed a new act that included a clause explicitly stating, "The Landline Telephone Booth Requirement Act of 1975 is hereby repealed."

  Explanation: The new act, specifically the clause canceling the old law, serves as a repealer because it formally removes the outdated requirement from the state's legal code.

• Example 2: Policy Reversal

  Scenario: A city council enacted an ordinance banning the use of certain types of fireworks within city limits due to safety concerns. Several years later, after reviewing new safety data and considering public demand for regulated displays, the council passed a subsequent ordinance. This new ordinance stated, "Ordinance No. 123, prohibiting certain fireworks, is hereby repealed, effective immediately."

  Explanation: The second ordinance functions as a repealer by formally withdrawing the previous ban on fireworks, allowing for new regulations or practices to take its place.

• Example 3: Federal Program Discontinuation

  Scenario: The U.S. Congress established a federal program in the 1980s to subsidize a specific agricultural product. Decades later, after the market for that product changed significantly and the program was deemed inefficient, Congress passed a new farm bill. Within this comprehensive bill was a section titled "Repeal of the Agricultural Product Subsidy Act of 1985," which explicitly terminated the original law.

  Explanation: The section within the new farm bill acts as a repealer because it legally cancels the original act that created and funded the agricultural subsidy program.