The proposed bill, if enacted, would significantly amend existing statutes regarding agency rulemaking in Arizona. It would require agencies to submit proposed rules to the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) for review if they are estimated to increase regulatory costs by more than $100,000 within five years. If the OEO confirms that the costs will exceed $500,000, the rule cannot take effect until the Legislature ratifies it. Additionally, the OEO must submit the proposed rule to the Administrative Rules Oversight Committee (AROC) at least 30 days before the next legislative session, and AROC is tasked with submitting the rule to the Legislature as soon as practicable. The bill also allows any legislator to sponsor legislation for ratification, prohibits agencies from filing final rules without legislative approval, and mandates termination of proposed rulemaking if not ratified within the session.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions allowing citizens or businesses affected by a rule to request an assessment of its impact on taxpayers, which the OEO must complete within six months. It also permits the Legislature to eliminate any agency rule costing taxpayers over $1,000,000 annually by concurrent resolution. Notably, emergency rules and rules from the Arizona Corporation Commission are exempt from these new requirements. The bill includes a severability clause to ensure that if any provision is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain effective.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-1049, 41-1049.01
House Engrossed Version: 41-1049, 41-1049.01