Which of the following is an example of a government created agency to regulate environmental issues?

Learn about some of the best-known U.S. laws and regulations.

On This Page

  • Federal Laws and Agency Enforcement
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Environmental Laws and Regulations
  • Impeachment of Federal Officials
  • Get Copies of Your Government Files Through the Privacy Act
  • Federal and State Laws, Regulations, and Related Court Decisions

Federal Laws and Agency Enforcement

One way to learn about federal laws and regulations is through the federal agencies charged with enforcing them. Check the list below for links to agency sites on popular legal topics. Where no federal law exists, sites offer compilations of state laws on a topic.

Business

  • Stay Legally Compliant with Business Laws
  • Copyright Law of the United States

Child Welfare

  • Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (School Meals)
  • Anti-Bullying Laws and Policies by State
  • Children’s Internet Protection Act

Consumer Protection

  • Telemarketing Sales Rule and the National Do Not Call Registry
  • Fair Credit Reporting Act: Free Credit Reports

Controlled Substances

  • Alcohol Laws by State
  • National Minimum Drinking Age Act
  • Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Ammunition - Regulations
  • Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Ammunition - Licensing, Sale, Possession, and Enforcement
  • Tobacco Control Act

Debt and Bankruptcy

  • Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
  • Federal Bankruptcy Laws

Education

  • Education Laws and Guidance

Health

  • Health Laws and Regulations
  • Food and Drug Regulation

Historic Preservation

  • Federal Historic Preservation Laws, Regulations, and Orders

Housing

  • Fair Housing Act

Homeland Security

  • Major Homeland Security Laws and Regulations
  • Key DHS Laws: Border, Maritime, Transportation Security
  • Human Trafficking Laws and Regulations
  • Counterterrorism Laws and Regulations

Immigration and Citizenship

  • Immigration Laws
  • Citizenship Laws

Information and Privacy

  • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)  
  • Privacy Act

Jobs and Employment

  • Whistleblower Laws and Protections
  • Major Department of Labor Laws
  • Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Workers’ Health and Safety Rights
  • Youth and Labor
  • eLaws - Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses
  • Workplace Discrimination Laws
  • Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices

Protection of Animals and the Environment

  • Environmental Protection Laws and Regulations
  • Animal Welfare
  • Protection of Marine Life, Endangered Species, and Ecosystems

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of people with disabilities. It guarantees equal opportunity in:

  • Public accommodations

  • Jobs

  • Transportation

  • Government services

  • Telecommunications

The Department of Justice ADA information line answers questions about ADA requirements. It's available to businesses, state and local governments, and the public. Call 1- 800-514-0301 (TTY: 1-800-514-0383).

Find More ADA Resources From the Government

The ADA website has information on:

  • ADA standards for accessible design

  • Federal agencies with ADA responsibilities

  • Mediation for dispute resolution

The United States Access Board website provides:

  • Guidelines and standards for transportation vehicles, passenger vessels, and prescription drug labels

  • A guide to the ADA standards

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible.

  • View information on Section 508 law.

  • For questions, contact the Section 508 program.

When to File a Complaint

According to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, hotels, restaurants, and certain places of entertainment must provide disability access. 

If you feel that you've been the object of Title III discrimination, you can file an ADA complaint.

Environmental Laws and Regulations

Learn which state and federal agencies manage environmental protection and regulation.

Air Pollutants, Clean Water, and Safe Drinking Water Laws

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on certain air pollutants. It also enforces federal laws on clean water and safe drinking water. The EPA also enforces federal regulations to limit the impact of businesses on the environment.

  • For more information, visit EPA: Laws and Regulations.  
  • The EPA Small Business Gateway provides environmental information and contacts for small businesses.

Wildlife and Endangered Species Protection

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed in 1973. It protects and conserves threatened and endangered plants, animals, and their habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service administer the ESA.

  • Learn which species are endangered in your state and how they are being protected.
  • Read the laws and regulations that enforce the protection of endangered species. 

Laws Governing Pesticide Use on Food

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA have a cooperative arrangement to carry out the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The FDA is responsible for the safety of food and any substance that is applied to the human body.   

Environmental Concerns at Work

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is part of the U.S. Department of Labor. It deals with problems with the environment inside the workplace. This includes the presence or handling of toxic chemicals and fumes. 

Find State, Local, and Tribal Offices That Handle Environmental Concerns

States have primary responsibility over many environmental programs. And some environmental laws and regulations apply to tribal government operations.

  • For issues handled by state agencies, refer to the Directory of State Departments of Environmental Protection.
  • If you have local concerns, contact your county or town.
  • The American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO) has information on EPA's laws and regulations that apply to tribal governments.  

Impeachment of Federal Officials

Impeachment is the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing. A trial may be held and the official may be removed from office.

Impeachment Process 

The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials.

  • The House of Representatives brings articles (charges) of impeachment against an official.

  • An official can be impeached for treason, bribery, and “other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

  • If the House adopts the articles by a simple majority vote, the official has been impeached.

  • The Senate holds an impeachment trial. In the case of a president, the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice presides.

  • If found guilty, the official is removed from office. They may never be able to hold elected office again.

  • If they are not found guilty, they may continue to serve in office.

Past Impeachments of Federal Officials

The House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times. But there have been only 20 impeachments. This includes three presidents, one cabinet secretary, and one senator. Of those who were impeached, only eight—all federal judges—were found guilty by the Senate and removed from office.

The presidents impeached by the House were:

  • Andrew Johnson in 1868

  • William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton in 1998

  • Donald John Trump in 2019 and 2021

Presidents Johnson, Clinton, and Trump (both times) remained in office following acquittals by the Senate on all charges.

Former President Richard Nixon was not impeached. He resigned after Congress started the impeachment process against him in 1974.

Impeachment of State and Local Officials

A state legislature can impeach its governor and other state officials. Many local governments also have impeachment procedures.

Get Copies of Your Government Files Through the Privacy Act

Federal agencies create files on everyone who’s ever paid income taxes, served in the military, applied for a federal benefit, or in another way directly interacted with the government.

If you’re a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you have the right through the Privacy Act to see and correct information the government keeps on file about you.

Your Rights Under the Privacy Act

The Privacy Act of 1974 guarantees your right to:

  • See records about your personal information, subject to the act’s exemptions
  • Correct a record that is inaccurate or incomplete unless it’s exempt
  • Sue the government for violating the law for improper disclosures

How to Make a Privacy Act Request

To request records under the Privacy Act, you must contact the federal agency you believe holds the records. 

When creating your request:

  • Explain what information you want, why you believe the agency has information about you, and when you believe the record was created. Provide as many details as possible.
  • Include proof of identity, such as a copy of your driver’s license.
  • Ask about any fees you’ll owe for copies of your files.

Agencies typically group their Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) offices together. When you write, address your request to the agency’s or program’s FOIA/Privacy Act Officer and state in your letter that it is a Privacy Act request.

Learn more specific guidelines from these agencies:

  • Department of Agriculture
  • Department of Commerce
  • Department of Defense
  • Department of Education  and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)  
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of Homeland Security  
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Department of the Interior
  • Department of Justice
  • Department of Labor
  • Department of State
  • Department of the Treasury
  • National Archives 
  • U.S. Census Bureau 

Find other agencies and contacts for submitting your Privacy Act request.

Types of Information Agencies Are Not Required to Disclose

There are 9 exemptions to the information agencies must allow you to see. Two frequently-used exemptions involve:

  • Records containing classified information on national security
  • Records concerning criminal investigations

Federal laws apply to people living in the United States and its territories.

Congress creates and passes bills. The president then may sign those bills into law. Federal courts may review the laws to see if they agree with the Constitution. If a court finds a law is unconstitutional, it can strike it down.

Find Federal Laws

The United States Code contains general and permanent federal laws. It does not include regulations, decisions, or laws issued by:

  • Federal agencies

  • Federal courts

  • Treaties

  • State and local governments

New public and private laws appear in each edition of the United States Statutes at Large.  There is a new edition for each session of Congress.

  • Find bills and resolutions introduced by the current and earlier sessions of Congress. This includes new laws that have not yet been assigned a public law number.

  • Find laws and joint resolutions that have been assigned public law numbers.

  • Visit the Law Library of Congress to research U.S. code, statutes, and public laws.

  • To find older laws, visit a law library or a Federal Depository Library.

Federal Regulations

Regulations are issued by federal agencies, boards, and commissions. They explain how agencies plan to carry out laws. Regulations are published yearly in the Code of Federal Regulations.

State Laws and Regulations

State legislatures make the laws in each state. State courts can review these laws. If a court decides a law doesn't agree with the state's constitution, it can declare it invalid.

Find state laws and regulations with the Law Library of Congress’s guide for each state.

Federal Court Decisions

Federal courts do not write or pass laws. But they may establish individual “rights” under federal law. This happens through courts' interpretations of federal and state laws and the Constitution.

An example is the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The court decided that state laws which segregated public school students by race violated the 14th Amendment. It said that "separate but equal" schools cause minority children to feel inferior. And that hurts their educational opportunities.

Research recent decisions of the Supreme Court. Or get information about historic Supreme Court decisions by topic.

Last Updated: August 10, 2022

Top

Which of the following is an example of whistleblowing?

If an employee report wrongdoing that they believe is in the public interest, it is known as whistleblowing. Whistleblowing examples can include criminal activity, such as theft or unethical or unjust behaviour in the workplace, including racist, sexist or homophobic behaviour.

What is the name of the law that protects a person who Whistleblows?

Whistleblowing law is located in the Employment Rights Act 1996 (as amended by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998). It provides the right for a worker to take a case to an employment tribunal if they have been victimised at work or they have lost their job because they have 'blown the whistle'.

What is a company exhibiting when they have the highest degree of social responsibility?

Socially responsible companies use their position and resources for something more than pleasing their shareholders and increasing their bottom line. They operate on a business model that focuses on social change, sharing its success with their local and global communities.

Which of the following is the best definition of whistleblowing?

A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent.