chevron deference
Chevron deference. A two-part test under which a court will uphold a federal agency’s construction of a federal statute if (1) the statute is ambiguous or does not address the question at issue, and (2) the agency’s interpretation of the statute is reasonable. • If the court finds that the legislature’s intent is clearly expressed in the statute, then that intent is upheld. The U.S. Supreme Court enunciated the rule in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842–43, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 2781–82 (1984).