House Bill 592 seeks to enhance the rulemaking process for state agencies under the Administrative Procedure Act by introducing new requirements aimed at improving transparency and stakeholder engagement. Key provisions include a mandate for agencies to contact the primary sponsor of any related legislation at least 10 days prior to issuing a proposal notice, ensuring that sponsors are informed and can provide input. If the agency does not incorporate the sponsor's comments, it must publish those comments unredacted in the proposal notice along with an explanation for their exclusion. The bill also establishes a rebuttable presumption of approval for board actions if the commissioner fails to provide written notice within 30 days, and it outlines procedures for reconsideration of the commissioner's determinations.

The bill amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated, including the deletion of specific requirements for agencies to issue concise statements of reasons for and against rule adoption, which are replaced with a requirement to fairly summarize and respond to public comments. Additionally, it modifies the notification process for the economic affairs interim committee regarding rule determinations, removing the provision that allowed for the suspension of a final determination by the committee. Instead, the committee can now notify the commissioner of its intent to provide public comment. Overall, the bill aims to streamline communication between agencies and stakeholders while ensuring that public input is adequately considered in the rulemaking process.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_1(1): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_1(2): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_1(3): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_1(4): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_1(5): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_1: 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(1): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(10): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(11): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(12): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(13): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(14): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(2): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(3): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(4): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(5): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(6): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(7): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(8): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2(9): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_2: 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(1): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(10): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(11): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(12): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(13): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(14): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(15): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(16): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(2): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(3): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(4): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(5): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(6): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(7): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(8): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3(9): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_3: 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(1): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(10): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(11): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(12): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(13): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(2): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(3): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(4): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(5): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(6): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(7): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(8): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X(9): 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122
HB0592_X: 2-3-301, 2-4-110, 2-4-111, 2-4-302, 2-4-305, 2-4-306, 2-4-406, 37-1-122