The proposed bill aims to establish the Pro-growth Regulatory Reform Act by adding a new section, 29A-3-21, to the Code of West Virginia. This section stipulates that any proposed rule that is projected to increase regulatory costs by more than $500,000 over a five-year period cannot take effect without legislative approval. The bill outlines a process where agencies must submit proposed rules to the Legislative Rule-making Review Committee at least 30 days before the next regular legislative session, and any member of the legislature can introduce legislation to ratify the proposed rule.

Additionally, the bill specifies that agencies cannot file a final rule with the Secretary of State until they have obtained legislative approval. If the legislature does not ratify the proposed rule during the current session, the agency must terminate the rulemaking process. Importantly, the bill exempts emergency rules from these requirements, ensuring that urgent regulatory actions can still be implemented without delay. The bill also declares that any rule that falls under the specified cost threshold is void starting from the effective date of this section.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 29A-3-21