Laws/Regulations/Policies/Guidance

On this page:
NPS Policy
Policy - General
Laws
Executive Orders & Presidential Proclamations
Regulations

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NPS Policy

The NPS has adopted a 3-tiered Directives System to express policy and provide instructions for its implementation.

Level 1: NPS Management Policies

• This is the only level 1 policy statement which provides a framework for making management decisions.
• Approved by the NPS Director after review by Washington Support Office (WASO), NPS Office of Policy, and National Leadership Council (NLC).
• Adherence is mandatory (unless waived by the Secretary of the Interior (SOI), Assistant SOI, or NPS Director).

NPS Management Policies 2006

Level 2: Director's Orders (DOs)

• NPS Director's instructions for implementing management policy.
• May articulate new or revised policy.
• May provide specific instructions.
• May outline requirements or standards for NPS functions, programs, and activities.
• Approved by the NPS Director after review by WASO, NPS Office of Policy, and NLC.
• Adherence is mandatory (unless waived by the SOI, Assistant SOI, or the NPS Director).

Director's Orders & Related Guidance

Level 3: Handbooks, Reference Manuals (RMs), and other Professional Materials

Director's Orders & Related Guidance

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Policy - General

• Guiding principles or procedures setting framework and providing direction for management decisions.
• May prescribe process by which decisions are made, an action is to be accomplished, or results to be achieved.

Department of the Interior (DOI) > Electronic Library of Interior Policies

• DOI policy is contained in the Departmental Manual.

Federal Register (FR)

• Policies for most agencies are usually first published in the register, as well as published separately.

Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Task Force > Modernizing NEPA Implementation

General Services Administration (GSA) > Office of Government-wide Policy

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Laws

• Passed by the United States (U.S.) Congress and approved by the President.
• Must be consistent with the U.S. Constitution.
• Federal laws have supremacy over state and local laws.
• Legislative history (i.e., committee reports, transcripts of congressional debates) often helps to clarify the congressional intent in enacting a law.

Congressional Record (CR)

• Contains proceedings and debates that make up legislative history.
• Published daily with an index developed at the end of each congressional session.

U.S. Code (U.S.C.)

• Consolidation and codification of general and permanent federal laws.
• Consists of 50 titles (subject areas).
• New edition published every 6 years with cumulative supplements following each session of Congress.

U.S. Statutes at Large

• Contains record of laws, amendments, concurrent resolutions enacted by each session of Congress.
• Organized chronologically.
• Published annually.

U.S. Congress | Library of Congress

U.S. Department of the Interior > Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs

• National Park Service > Legislative and Congressional Affairs
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service > Laws & Regulations

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Executive Orders (EO) & Presidential Proclamations

• Executive Orders are directives from the President to departments and agencies of the executive branch.
• Presidential Proclamations are decrees by the President under the Constitution and other authorities (e.g., Antiquities Act).

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

• Since 1976 Title 3 of CFR contains an annual compilation of executive orders and proclamations.

Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders

Federal Register (FR)

• Contains executive orders, presidential proclamations, agency regulations and notices, and other public documents
• Published daily and indexed monthly.

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Regulations

• Rules for complying with a federal law developed by the authorized department or agency.
• Include codification of agency policy.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

• Consolidation and codification of general and permanent rules and regulations of federal agencies and presidential documents.
• There are 50 titles.

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

• The principal set of rules in the FAR System.
• Regulations issued by agencies of the United States Federal government to govern the acquisition process.
• The acquisition process, through which the government purchases (acquires) goods and services, consists of three phases:
  1. need recognition and acquisition planning
  2. contract formation
  3. contract administration
• The FAR System regulates the activities of government personnel in carrying out the acquisition process.

Federal Register (FR)

• Regulations are first published and revised in the register.

 

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