Assembly Bill 277 aims to amend existing statutes regarding the economic impact analysis of proposed administrative rules that impose costs on businesses, local governmental units, and individuals. Currently, the law requires agencies to halt work on proposed rules expected to pass along $10,000,000 or more in costs until they either modify the rule or obtain legislative approval. This bill lowers the threshold to any expected implementation and compliance costs, requiring agencies to stop work until they either eliminate the costs, receive 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.

The bill also introduces new requirements for the economic impact analysis, including a detailed quantification of both costs and savings, and specifies that these estimates must be attributed to the proposed rule regardless of the discretion afforded to the agency. It modifies existing provisions related to independent economic impact analyses, including how costs are assessed and who bears the financial responsibility for these 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