Yakus v. United States

Congress's Emergency Price Control Act let the Office of Price Administration (OPA) set maximum commodity prices to fight wartime inflation, but only once a price rose to a level inconsistent with that purpose, and the Act specified standards OPA had to apply — including that fixed prices be fair and equitable and account for prices prevailing before the rise. Yakus (defendant) was convicted of selling beef above the OPA's ceiling price and argued the Act unconstitutionally delegated Congress's price-control power to an executive agency.

Whether a congressional delegation of power is proper when Congress prescribes definite standards to guide the delegatee such that compliance with Congress's will can be determined.