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On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court overruled Chevron deference, changing how courts review federal agencies’ interpretations of statutes. Courts must now use independent judgment to decide what a statute means; they cannot defer to an agency’s interpretation just because the law is ambiguous. The decision can make some regulations harder to defend, but it did not automatically invalidate existing rules or give judges power to strike rules down for any reason.
What is Chevron deference?
Chevron deference was a rule for judicial review of agency interpretations of federal statutes. Under that approach, when a statute administered by an agency was ambiguous, a court could be required to accept the agency’s reasonable interpretation—even if the court considered another interpretation better.
That gave an agency’s reading a controlling role in some disputes over the scope of its statutory authority. The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo ended that requirement.
What did the Supreme Court decide?
On June 28, 2024, the Court held that the Administrative Procedure Act requires reviewing courts to exercise independent judgment when deciding whether an agency acted within its statutory authority. A court may not defer to an agency’s interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous. The Court overruled Chevron. The decision is reported at 603 U.S. 369; its docket records the case and judgment.
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The cases concerned National Marine Fisheries Service rules under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Fishing businesses challenged a requirement that vessels pay for onboard monitors. The Court resolved the question of whether Chevron should be retained or clarified; it did not use the cases to invalidate federal regulation as a whole.
How does court review change?
The Court grounded its decision in APA §706, which directs reviewing courts to “decide all relevant questions of law” and “interpret . . . statutory provisions.” The practical difference is who determines a statute’s meaning when the text is unclear.
| Issue | Under Chevron | After Loper Bright |
|---|---|---|
| Ambiguous statute | A qualifying agency interpretation could receive required deference if reasonable. | Ambiguity alone does not require deference; the court decides statutory meaning independently. |
| Agency expertise and reasoning | Could be part of the agency’s case for its interpretation. | May still persuade the court, but does not control merely because the statute is ambiguous. |
| Prior decisions upholding agency actions | Some rested on Chevron’s interpretive method. | Not automatically erased; the Court said specific holdings remain subject to statutory stare decisis. |
The Congressional Research Service explains the ruling’s effects and limits in its analysis of Loper Bright.
Does this mean old regulations are now invalid?
No. The ruling did not automatically wipe out rules that had previously been upheld under Chevron. The Court said that prior holdings about the legality of specific agency actions remain subject to statutory stare decisis—the principle that courts generally respect established decisions interpreting statutes.
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A rule may still be challenged, but its validity must be assessed under the statute and the applicable standards for judicial review. The change in interpretive method does not itself decide the outcome of every challenge.
Can agencies still interpret ambiguous laws?
Agencies still interpret the statutes they administer and may explain how their expertise informs a reading of the law. Their reasoning can persuade a court. What they no longer receive is a mandatory judicial preference simply because the statute is ambiguous. The court supplies the controlling interpretation of statutory meaning.
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Does the ruling let judges block any federal rule?
No. “More power to block federal rules” is shorthand for a narrower change: judges must reach their own view of statutory meaning rather than defer under Chevron solely because a law is unclear. That can make it harder for an agency to defend a rule that depends on its reading of an ambiguous statute. It does not allow a judge to invalidate a rule merely because the judge dislikes it, and the ruling itself did not strike down all federal rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens next for challenged rules?
The decision changed the method courts use to resolve statutory-meaning questions; it did not settle the result of future cases. The effect on a particular regulation depends on the text of its governing statute, the arguments and record in the case, applicable judicial-review standards, and any controlling precedent. Later litigation will determine how the rule applies in specific disputes.
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