The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), signed into law in 1970 and codified at 42 U.S.C. Chapter 55, is a foundational U.S. environmental law. NEPA establishes a national policy for protecting the environment and created the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to oversee its implementation. Unlike laws like the Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act, NEPA does not set pollution standards but is instead a procedural law.