The laws that create an administrative agency and provide the scope of agency powers and authority are called

• A. Founding statutes
• B. Enabling acts
• C. Organic acts
• D. Regulatory acts

Answer: (B)

Enabling acts are the statutes that create an administrative agency and specify its authority and limits. They provide the legal basis for the agency to act, defining its mission, the powers it can exercise (such as rulemaking, inspections, licensing, and enforcement), and the boundaries within which it operates. In fire and emergency services, an enabling act would authorize a fire marshal or safety department to adopt fire codes, conduct inspections, issue permits, and enforce compliance under the framework set by that act. Other terms like founding statutes or organic acts can describe creation or organization in some contexts, but the most precise and commonly used term for establishing both the agency and its scope of power is enabling act. Regulatory acts describe the rules themselves, not the creation of the agency.