Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB619%20intr.htm&yr=2016&sesstype=RS&i=619
Timestamp: 2020-08-11 07:27:25
Document Index: 469381700

Matched Legal Cases: ['§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29', '§29']

SB 619 Text
Introduced Version Senate Bill 619 History
By Senators Blair, Carmichael, Cline, Gaunch, Karnes, Mullins and Trump
A BILL to amend and reenact §29A-1-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §29A-3-5 and §29A-3-11 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §29A-3-19; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §29A-3A-20; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new article, designated §29A-3C-1, §29A-3C-2, §29A-3C-3, §29A-3C-4, §29A-3C-5 and §29A-3C-6, all relating to creating the Small Business Regulatory Relief Act; requiring sunset provisions in all future rulemaking affecting agencies and higher education; requiring sunset provisions in all future modifications of rules affecting agencies and higher education; providing exceptions; requiring agencies to respond to public comments during the rule-making process; requiring agencies to explain why or why not public comments were incorporated into the rule; providing that failure of an agency to adequately explain why or why not public comments were incorporated into the rule is grounds for rejection of the rule; requiring additional information to be included when an agency submits proposed legislation to the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee, including an economic impact statement, detailed description of the purpose or objective of the rule, explanation of the statutory authority, public comments and written responses by the agency concerning those comments, requiring the agency’s response address each issue and concern expressed by the comments received and whether the rule will be overly burdensome on business and industry by setting forth specific factors that must be addressed; creating the Small Business Regulatory Board; making findings; setting forth membership; establishing its authority to review and analyze existing and proposed rules for their impact on small businesses; requiring each agency to have at least one employee who serves as the small business regulatory coordinator for that agency; establishing their duties; requiring economic impact statements to be filed; providing for injunctive relief; requiring all executive branch agencies to review and evaluate all rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations with those of any federal counterparts and determine if the state’s rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations are more stringent than those counterparts; requiring notice and comment for its own rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations; requiring the board to submit a report to the Legislature; requiring each agency to review each of its rules within four years to determine if its rules should be continued without change, modified or repealed; and defining the term “small business”.
That §29A-1-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §29A-3-5 and §29A-3-11 of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §29A-3-19; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §29A-3A-20; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated §29A-3C-1, §29A-3C-2, §29A-3C-3, §29A-3C-4, §29A‑3C-5 and §29A-3C-6, all to read as follows:
(l) “Small Business” means a business entity, including its affiliates: (A) Which is independently owned and operated; and (B) employs fewer than five hundred full time employees or has gross annual sales of less than $6 million.
When an agency proposes to promulgate a rule other than an emergency rule, it shall file with the Secretary of State, for publication in the State Register, a notice of its action, including therein any request for the submission of evidence to be presented on any factual determinations or inquiries required by law to promulgate such rule. At the time of filing the notice of its action, the agency shall also file with the Secretary of State a copy of the full text of the rule proposed, and a fiscal note as defined in subsection (b), section four of this article. If the agency is considering alternative draft proposals, it may also file with the Secretary of State the full text of such draft proposals.
The notice shall fix a date, time and place for the receipt of public comment in the form of oral statements, written statements and documents bearing upon any findings and determinations which are a condition precedent to the final approval by the agency of the proposed rule, and shall contain a general description of the issues to be decided. If no specific findings and determinations are required as a condition precedent to the final approval by the agency of the approved rule, the notice shall fix a date, time and place for the receipt of general public comment on the proposed rule. To comply with the public comment provisions of this section, the agency may hold a public hearing or schedule a public comment period for the receipt of written statements and documents, or both.
In any hearing for public comment on the merits of the rule, the agency may limit presentations to written material. The time, date and place fixed in the notice shall constitute the last opportunity to submit any written material relevant to any hearing, all of which may be earlier submitted by filing with the agency. After the public hearing or the close of the public comment period, whichever is later, the agency shall not permit the filing or receipt of, nor shall it consider, any attempted ex parte communications directed to it in the form of additional comment, prior to the submission of its final agency-approved rule to the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee pursuant to the provisions of section eleven of this article.
Prior to the submission of any proposed rule to the Secretary of State, the agency shall respond to public comments made during the rule-making process and explain why comments were incorporated or not incorporated into the rule. Failure to adequately respond to public comments shall be grounds for rejection of the proposed rule.
(a) When an agency finally approves a proposed legislative rule for submission to the Legislature, pursuant to the provisions of section nine of this article, the secretary of the executive department which administers the agency pursuant to the provisions of article two, chapter five-f of this code shall submit to the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee at its offices or at a regular meeting of such committee fifteen copies of the number of copies in electronic or paper form requested by the committee that includes the following information:
(2) a A brief summary of the content of the legislative rule and a description and a copy of any existing rule which the agency proposes to amend or repeal;
(3) a A statement of the circumstances which require the rule;
(4) A detailed description of the objective or purpose of the rule and the proposed changes to the rule;
(4) a (5) A fiscal note containing all information included in a fiscal note for either house of the Legislature and a statement of the economic impact of the rule on the state or its residents;
(6) An economic impact statement that addresses the probable effect of the proposed rule on the economy on the State of West Virginia including, but not limited to, the effect of the regulation on employment, job creation or reduction and compensation. The agency may work with the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economics Research or the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University to prepare the statement. The statement shall include the names of those persons who participated in the drafting of the statement, including the time spent preparing the statement. The agency shall also make available a lead author of the statement or other qualified representative of the agency to discuss the statement with the Joint Rule-Making Review Committee and any committee of the House or Senate to which the rule is referred;
(5) one (7) One copy of any relevant federal statutes or regulations; and
(8) An explanation of the statutory authority for the rule including a detailed summary of the effect of each rule provision with citation to the specific statute which empowers the agency to enact such provision;
(9) All public comments for each proposed rule. An agency may consolidate substantially similar comments in the interest of efficiency;
(10) All written responses by the agency to the substance of any public comments received, including whether the agency chose to modify the proposed rule in response to the comments or, if no change were made, the rationale for declining to incorporate or make any suggested changes responding to the public comments. An agency may consolidate substantially similar responses in the interest of efficiency: Provided, That the agency’s response addresses each issue and concern expressed by all comments received; and
(6) any (11) Any other information which the committee may request or which may be required by law. If the agency is an agency, board or commission which is not administered by an executive department as provided for in article two, chapter five-f of this code, the agency shall submit the final agency-approved rule as required by this subsection.
(1) Whether the agency has specific statutory authority to propose the rule and has exceeded the scope of its statutory authority in approving the proposed legislative rule;
(3) Whether the proposed legislative rule overlaps, duplicates or conflicts with any other provision of this code or with any other rule adopted by the same or a different agency or with federal statutes or rules or with local laws or rules;
(4) Whether the proposed legislative rule is necessary to fully accomplish the objectives of the statute under which the rule was proposed for promulgation;
(7) Whether the proposed legislative rule was proposed for promulgation in compliance with the requirements of this article and with any requirements imposed by any other provision of this code;
(8) Whether the proposed legislative rule will be overly burdensome on business and industry by considering criteria that includes, but is not limited to, the potential impact on:
(C) Investment;
(D) Competitiveness;
(E) Entrepreneurial activity and;
(F) Innovation; and
(9) Whether the agency complied with all requirements of:
(A) Subsection (a) of this section; and
(B) Section five of this article regarding the agency’s mandatory response to public comments with an explanation as to the comments were or were not incorporated into the proposed rule.
(1) Authorize the promulgation of the legislative rule; or
(2) Authorize the promulgation of part of the legislative rule; or
(3) Authorize the promulgation of the legislative rule with certain amendments; or
The committee shall file notice of its action in the State Register and with the agency proposing the rule: Provided, That when the committee makes the recommendations of subdivision (2), (3), or (4) or (5) of this subsection, the notice shall contain a statement of the reasons for such recommendation.
(a) Any new legislative rule promulgated pursuant to this article after April 1, 2016, shall include a sunset provision terminating the rule after five years: Provided, That the rule may be renewed for additional terms of five years or less by the Legislature pursuant to the rulemaking procedures and authority in this article: Provided, however, That if a different sunset or termination provision exists in the statute under which the proposed rule is promulgated, the enabling statute’s provision shall control: Provided further, That this subsection does not apply to rules promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection or emergency rules promulgated pursuant to section fifteen of this article.
(b) Any legislative rule existing as of April 1, 2016, that is thereafter modified pursuant to this article shall include a sunset provision as part of the modification setting forth a termination date for the rule: Provided, That the rule may be renewed for additional terms of years by the Legislature pursuant to the rulemaking procedures and authority in this article: Provided, however, That if a different sunset or termination provision exists in the statute under which the proposed rule is promulgated, the enabling statute’s provision shall control: Provided further, That this subsection does not apply to rules promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection or emergency rules promulgated pursuant to section fifteen of this article.
(c) The existence of a sunset provision terminating a rule does not preclude the repeal of such rule by the Legislature prior to the expiration of the sunset provision.
(e) The Secretary of State shall provide notice that the rule will sunset to each agency the year prior to the agency’s rule sunset date, and the notice shall direct that the agency provide: whether the rule is needed, whether federal funding will be impacted by its expiration, any adverse effect that will result for expiration of the rule to the agency, and whether health or safety of the residents of the state or any regulated persons will be impacted by the rule. The Secretary of State shall publish agency responses in the State Register. The agency shall include this response with rule documents required for filing for reauthorization of each rule with the legislative rulemaking and review committee pursuant to section eleven of this article.
(a) Any new legislative rule promulgated pursuant to this article after April 1, 2016, shall include a sunset provision terminating the rule after five years: Provided, That the rule may be renewed for additional terms of five years or less by the Legislature pursuant to the rulemaking procedures and authority in this article: Provided, however, That if a different sunset or termination provision exists in the statute under which the proposed rule is promulgated, the enabling statute’s provision shall control: Provided further, That this subsection does not apply to emergency rules promulgated pursuant to section sixteen of this article.
(b) Any legislative rule existing as of April 1, 2016, that is thereafter modified pursuant to this article shall include a sunset provision as part of the modification setting forth a termination date for the rule: Provided, That the rule may be renewed for additional terms of years by the Legislature pursuant to the rulemaking procedures and authority in this article: Provided, however, That if a different sunset or termination provision exists in the statute under which the proposed rule is promulgated, the enabling statute’s provision shall control: Provided further, That this subsection does not apply to emergency rules promulgated pursuant to section sixteen of this article.
(e) The Secretary of State shall provide notice that the rule will sunset to the board the year prior to the board’s rule sunset date, and the notice shall direct that the board provide: whether the rule is needed, whether federal funding will be impacted by its expiration, any adverse effect that will result by expiration of the rule to the board, and whether the health or safety of the residents of the state or any persons regulated will be impacted by the rule. The Secretary of State shall publish the board’s responses in the State Register. The board shall include this response with rule documents required for filing for reauthorization of each rule with the commission pursuant to section ten of this article.
ARTICLE 3C. SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY RELIEF ACT.
§29A-3C-1. Findings.
(1) That a vibrant and growing small business sector is critical to creating jobs in a dynamic economy;
(2) That small businesses sustain a heavy financial burden due to high fixed costs of complying with uniform rules that pertain to businesses of all sizes;
(3) That it is important that the state seek to achieve statutory goals as effectively and efficiently as possible without imposing unnecessary burdens on small businesses;
(4) That failing to recognize differences in the scale and resources of regulated businesses can adversely affect competition in the marketplace, discourage innovation, and restrict improvements in productivity;
(5) That unnecessary rules create entry barriers in many industries and discourage potential entrepreneurs from introducing beneficial products and processes;
(6) That the practice of treating all regulated businesses as equivalent may lead to inefficient use of regulatory agency resources, enforcement problems, and, in some cases, to actions inconsistent with the legislative intent of health, safety, environmental, and economic welfare legislation;
(7) That alternative regulatory approaches which do not conflict with the stated objective of applicable statutes may be available to minimize the significant economic impact of rules on small businesses; and
(8) That when developing and reforming their rules, it is important that state entities solicit the ideas and comments of small businesses, examine the impact of proposed and existing rules on the businesses, and review the continued need for existing rules.
§29A-3C-2. Small Business Regulatory Review Board.
There is created a Small Business Regulatory Review Board. The board shall consist of nine members. The board shall consist of one representative of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, one representative from the West Virginia Business and Industry Council, one representative from the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, one representative from the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research, one representative from the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University, two West Virginia small business owners, one Senate and one House of Delegates committee chairperson concerned with small businesses shall serve as cochairs of the board. All members of the board shall be appointed for three-year terms by the Governor.
At the joint call of the cochairs, the board shall convene its first meeting. Subsequent meetings shall be at the call of the cochairs. The agendas of the meetings shall be set by the cochairs.
The board has the authority to review and analyze all existing and proposed rules to determine their impact on small businesses. The board may make recommendations regarding statutory changes and the modification or repeal of rules to the Governor’s office, the agency with jurisdiction over the existing or proposed rule and the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee.
The board members do not receive compensation or reimbursement for their service on the board.
§29A-3C-3. Agency small business regulatory cooperation.
(a) Each agency shall designate at least one employee to serve as the small business regulatory coordinator for the agency, and shall publicize that employee's electronic mail address and telephone number. The small business regulatory coordinator shall act as a contact person for small business regulatory issues for the agency.
(b) Each small business regulatory coordinator is meant to provide small businesses with additional flexibility in creating new jobs, creating new businesses and to grow the state’s economy without imposing undue regulatory burdens that would impede those goals.
(c) All small business regulatory coordinators are required to review this article to ensure they will be ready to assist small business owners.
(d) All small business regulatory coordinators are required to communicate and cooperate with small business owners, their representatives and the Small Business Regulatory Review Board to identify existing rules hindering job creation and small business growth.
(e) All small business regulatory coordinators are required to recommend changes to existing rules that will both reduce their burden on job creation while continuing to comply with the intent of the statutes that created them.
§29A-3C-4. Economic impact statements.
Prior to the adoption of any proposed regulation that may have an adverse impact on small businesses on or after January 1, 2017, each agency shall prepare and deliver to the Executive Director of the West Virginia Development Office and the Small Business Regulatory Review Board, an economic impact statement that includes the information required to be submitted by agencies to the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee under section eleven, article three of this chapter.
§29A-3C-5. Injunctive relief.
(a) A small business may commence an action against an agency for injunctive relief to prevent the imposition of a penalty if the small business is subject to the penalty as the result of the following:
(1) The small business acted or failed to act due to the failure by the agency's employee, officer, or agent with regulatory responsibility for that legal requirement to respond to a specific question in a reasonable time; or
(2) The small business acted or failed to act in response to inaccurate advice given to the small business by the agency's employee, officer, or agent with regulatory responsibility for that legal requirement.
(b) The small business may commence the action in the circuit court for the county where the property affected is located or, if no property is affected, in the circuit court for the county where the dispute arose.
(c) The circuit court may issue an order enjoining the imposition of a penalty or penalties.
§29A-3C-6. Executive review of agency rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations.
(a) All executive branch agencies shall:
(1) Review and evaluate all state rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations under their jurisdiction which have federal counterparts;
(2) Determine whether the state rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations are more stringent than their federal counterparts;
(3) Provide a notice and comment period for all rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations; and
(4) Submit a report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on or prior to November 1, 2017, that shall include:
(A) A description of the state rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations that are more stringent than their federal counterparts; and
(B) Comments received from the notice and comment period provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection.
(b) Within four years of the enactment of this law, each agency shall review all agency rules to determine whether the rules should be continued without change, modified or repealed to minimize the economic impact of the rules on small businesses in a manner consistent with the stated objective of applicable statutes.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create the Small Business Regulatory Relief Act. The bill requires sunset provisions in all future rule-making affecting agencies and higher education. The bill requires sunset provisions in all future modifications of rules affecting agencies and higher education. The bill provides exceptions. The bill requires agencies to respond to public comments during the rule-making process. The bill requires agencies to explain why or why not public comments were incorporated into the rule. The bill provides that failure of an agency to adequately explain why or why not public comments were incorporated into the rule is grounds for rejection of the rule. The bill requires additional information to be included when an agency submits proposed legislation to the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee, including an economic impact statement, detailed description of the purpose or objective of the rule, explanation of the statutory authority, public comments and written responses by the agency concerning those comments, requiring the agency’s response address each issue and concern expressed by the comments received and whether the rule will be overly burdensome on business and industry by setting forth specific factors that must be addressed. The bill creates the Small Business Regulatory Board. The bill makes findings. The bill sets forth membership. The bill establishes its authority to review and analyze existing and proposed rules for their impact on small businesses. The bill requires each agency to have at least one employee who serves as the small business regulatory coordinator for that agency. The bill establishes their duties. The bill requires economic impact statements to be filed. The bill provides for injunctive relief. The bill requires all executive branch agencies to review and evaluate all rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations with those of any federal counterparts and determine if the state’s rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations are more stringent than those counterparts. The bill requires notice and comment for its own rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations. The bill requires the board to submit a report to the Legislature. The bill requires each agency to review each of its rules within four years to determine if its rules should be continued without change, modified or repealed. The bill defines the term “small business.”