5 U.S.C. § 701 - Application; definitions

• Cite as: 5 U.S.C. § 701

(a) This chapter applies, according to the provisions thereof, except to the extent that-

(1) statutes preclude judicial review; or

(2) agency action is committed to agency discretion by law.

(b) For the purpose of this chapter-

(1) "agency" means each authority of the Government of the United States, whether or not it is within or subject to review by another agency, but does not include-

(A) the Congress;

(B) the courts of the United States;

(C) the governments of the territories or possessions of the United States;

(D) the government of the District of Columbia;

(E) agencies composed of representatives of the parties or of representatives of organizations of the parties to the disputes determined by them;

(F) courts martial and military commissions;

(G) military authority exercised in the field in time of war or in occupied territory; or

(H) functions conferred by sections 1738, 1739, 1743, and 1744 of title 12; subchapter II of chapter 471 of title 49; or sections 1884, 1891-1902, and former section 1641(b)(2),of title 50, appendix; ¹ and

(2) "person", "rule", "order", "license", "sanction", "relief", and "agency action" have the meanings given them by section 551 of this title.

¹ See References in Text note below.

Cite as 5 U.S.C. § 701

Source: Pub. L. 89-554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 392; <actcitation href="" statecd="US" sessionyear="1994" actaltid="103-272" description="To revise, codify, and enact without substantive change certain general and permanent laws, related to transportation, as subtitles II, III, and V-X of title 49, United States Code, "Transportation", and to make other technical improvements in...">Pub. L. 103-272</actcitation>, §5(a), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1373; Pub. L. 111-350, §5(a)(3), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3841.</note></notes-src>

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 10/12/2021

In subsection (a), the words "This chapter applies, according to the provisions thereof," are added to avoid the necessity of repeating the introductory clause of former section 1009 in sections 702-706.

Subsection (b) is added on authority of section 2 of the Act of June 11, 1946, ch. 324, 60 Stat. 237, as amended, which is carried into section 551 of this title.

In subsection (b)(1)(G), the words "or naval" are omitted as included in "military".

In subsection (b)(1)(H), the words "functions which by law expire on the termination of present hostilities, within any fixed period thereafter, or before July 1, 1947" are omitted as executed. Reference to the "Selective Training and Service Act of 1940" is omitted as that Act expired on Mar. 31, 1947. Reference to the "Sugar Control Extension Act of 1947" is omitted as that Act expired on Mar. 31, 1948. References to the "Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended" and the "Veterans' Emergency Housing Act of 1946" have been consolidated as they are related. The reference to former section 1641(b)(2) of title 50, appendix, is retained notwithstanding its repeal by §111(a)(1) of the Act of Sept. 21, 1961, Pub. L. 87-256, 75 Stat. 538, since §111(c) of the Act provides that a reference in other Acts to a provision of law repealed by §111(a) shall be considered to be a reference to the appropriate provisions of Pub. L. 87-256.