sunset law

American  

noun

1. a statute that includes provision for automatic termination of a government program, agency, etc., at the end of a specified time period unless it is reauthorized by the legislature.

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Etymology

Origin of sunset law

An Americanism dating back to 1975–80

Example Sentences

The U.N. needs a sunset law to eliminate units that have outlived their usefulness.

From Time Magazine Archive

A column on Colorado's "sunset law," which requires a yearly re-evaluation of spending programs, prompted legislators in eight other states to introduce similar measures.

From Time Magazine Archive

To curtail such cozy practices, the Colorado House of Representatives has recently passed a "sunset" law that would require each of the state's 41 regulatory agencies to justify its existence every six years�or quietly expire.

From Time Magazine Archive