The local jurisdiction will follow the state/provincial laws exactly as written. What is this practice called?

• A. Home rule
• B. Ordinances
• C. Adopting by reference
• D. Enabling acts

Answer: (C)

Adopting by reference is when a local jurisdiction incorporates the exact text of state or provincial laws into its own regulations, applying those laws as written without rewriting them locally. This approach keeps uniform rules across the area and avoids duplicating language. It requires a formal action by the local governing body to adopt the state language. The other concepts don’t fit: home rule implies local autonomy beyond state control, ordinances are local rules created from scratch rather than copied verbatim from state law, and enabling acts authorize the creation or powers of a local government rather than adopting state law text.