Assembly Bill 277 aims to amend existing statutes regarding the economic impact analysis of proposed administrative rules in Wisconsin. Currently, agencies must halt work on proposed rules that are expected to impose $10 million or more in costs over a two-year period. The bill lowers this threshold to any expected implementation and compliance costs, requiring agencies to pause until they either modify the rule to eliminate costs, obtain legislative approval, or promulgate a different rule that offsets the costs. Additionally, the bill mandates that agencies include an estimate of total cost savings in their economic impact analyses, expressed as a single dollar figure.

The bill also introduces new provisions for the economic impact analysis process, including a requirement for agencies to prepare a detailed quantification of both costs and savings associated with proposed rules. It specifies that the analysis must account for various factors influencing costs, such as statutory directives and federal law constraints. Furthermore, it outlines the financial responsibilities for independent economic impact analyses, establishing conditions under which agencies may be assessed for these costs based on discrepancies between agency estimates and independent analyses. Overall, the bill seeks to enhance transparency and accountability in the rule-making process by ensuring that the economic implications of proposed rules are thoroughly evaluated and communicated.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 227.137(3)(c), 227.137, 227.137(4m)(b)2.a, 227.137(4m)(b)2.b, 227.137(4m)(c)1, 227.139(1), 227.139, 227.139(2)(b), 227.19(5)(b)3.a, 227.19, 227.19(5)(b)3.b