The bill amends the Administrative Procedures Act and the State Rules Act to improve oversight and accountability for major rules established by state agencies. It mandates that the Legislative Finance Committee conduct rule impact analyses for major rules, defined as those with significant financial or social implications. These analyses must evaluate costs, benefits, and alternatives, and be made publicly accessible. Additionally, the bill stipulates that major rules cannot take effect without legislative authorization and requires all agency rules to receive the governor's approval prior to publication. It also introduces a provision for the automatic expiration of rules five years after their adoption unless renewed by the legislature, along with procedures for judicial review of rules to ensure compliance with necessary requirements.

Moreover, the bill revises the State Rules Act to include new definitions and requirements for rulemaking processes, specifically defining "major rule" and establishing criteria for its classification based on economic and social impacts. It enhances notice of proposed rulemaking requirements by mandating agencies to classify rules, provide cost-benefit analyses, and include additional information in their notices. The bill also requires periodic reviews of rules to evaluate their economic impact on small businesses, with findings submitted to the legislature. Existing rules will automatically be considered adopted under these new provisions upon the bill's effective date, ultimately aiming to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the rulemaking process.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 2-5-4, 12-8-2, 12-8-4, 12-8-8, 14-4-2, 14-4-5.2, 14-4A-6