Senate Bill 979 proposes amendments to existing statutes regarding the requirements for proposed administrative rules that impose costs. The bill lowers the threshold for implementation and compliance costs from $10,000,000 to $4,000,000, meaning that if a proposed rule is expected to pass along costs at or above this new threshold to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals over a two-year period, the proposing agency must halt work on the rule until it either modifies the rule to reduce costs or receives legislative approval to proceed. Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision that prohibits agencies from circumventing this requirement by promulgating multiple or separate rules that could have been combined into a single rule.

The bill also amends several sections of the statutes to reflect these changes, including the specific language that defines the cost threshold and the conditions under which an agency may continue with the rule-making process after modifying a proposed rule. Furthermore, it adds a requirement for courts to declare a rule invalid if it is found to have been promulgated in violation of the new provisions established by the bill. Overall, Senate Bill 979 aims to enhance oversight and accountability in the rule-making process by ensuring that significant costs to stakeholders are carefully considered before new regulations are enacted.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 227.137(3)(b)2, 227.137, 227.139(1), 227.139, 227.139(2)(b), 227.40(4)(a), 227.40