Summary of article from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, by Anna Abram, Sudhana Bajracharya, Jenna Becker, Craig Bleifer, Nathan Brown, Kelly Cleary:
The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo overturns the Chevron doctrine, which previously allowed federal agencies to interpret ambiguous statutes with judicial deference. This change raises the bar for agencies like CMS and FDA, requiring them to provide the “best reading” of statutory gaps rather than a “permissible” one. The ruling will significantly impact lower courts, which have continued to apply Chevron, and could lead to increased litigation challenging longstanding regulations. Additionally, the Corner Post decision extends the timeframe for challenging agency regulations under the APA, further exposing agencies to potential lawsuits. These developments will necessitate more precise statutory language from Congress and could constrain agency policy changes across administrations.