Assembly Bill 274 introduces a significant change to the Wisconsin Administrative Code by establishing a seven-year expiration period for each chapter unless it is readopted by the relevant agency. Currently, administrative rules remain in effect indefinitely unless repealed or amended. The bill mandates that agencies notify the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) and appropriate standing committees of their intention to readopt a chapter one year before its expiration. If no objections are raised, the chapter is automatically readopted; otherwise, it will expire unless the agency follows the standard rule-making process to readopt it. Additionally, JCRAR is tasked with creating a schedule for the expiration of existing code chapters.

The bill also includes provisions to ensure that agencies avoid using outdated or derogatory language in their rules. It amends existing statutes to clarify the process for readoption and establishes new sections that outline the requirements for notices of readoption, objections, and the legislative review process. Notably, it renumbers and amends several sections of the statutes to accommodate these changes, including the creation of new subsections that detail the readoption process and the responsibilities of legislative staff in reporting on past actions related to readoption notices.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 227.114(2)(intro.), 227.114, 227.14(6)(c)1.(intro.), 227.14, 227.15(7), 227.15