The bill amends the State Rules Act to require state agencies to hold additional public comment periods when substantial changes are made to proposed rules. A "substantial change" is defined as any alteration that affects the meaning or effect of a regulatory provision within the rule. When such a change occurs, the agency must provide a twenty-one-day public comment period, during which individuals can submit their feedback in written or electronic formats. The agency is also required to publish a notice in the New Mexico Register detailing the changes and the public comment period, including a summary of the changes, technical information supporting the changes, and instructions on how to comment.

Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of "provide to the public" to include distribution of rulemaking information to the legislative service for further dissemination to relevant legislative committees. It also clarifies that a substantial change does not necessitate an additional public rule hearing, and agencies may charge reasonable fees for non-electronic records but cannot charge for electronic records. This legislation aims to enhance transparency and public participation in the rulemaking process by ensuring that citizens are informed and able to comment on significant modifications to proposed regulations.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 14-4-2