enabling act

plural enabling acts

1. governmentLegislation piece enacted by a legislative body that authorizes a dependent entity to exercise specific powers or undertake certain actions.

   I know an enabling act can enable anything, but the Prime Minister feels it would merely enable him to lose the next general election (laugh track).

   1987 December 17, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “A Diplomatic Incident”, in Yes, Prime Minister, season 2, episode 3, spoken by Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds)

1. historicalthe Enabling Act of 1933 passed by Weimar Republic's Reichstag, which paved the way for the Nazi's seizure of power.

   The Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the Reich is also known as the Enabling Act.

   (Can we date this quote?), “The Enabling Act”, in United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

   2 more examples

   As a result, on March 23, he placed before parliament a "Law to Remedy the Distress of People and the Reich" - also called the "Enabling Act."

   2013 March 23, Marc von Lüpke-Schwarz, “Parliament lost”, in Deutsche Welle

   When the Reichstag met on 23 March 1933 Hitler was able to secure the passing of an important law, the Enabling Act by: […]

   (Can we date this quote?), “The Reichstag Election”, in BBC Bitesize