2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 2. Government Structure and Administration › Chapter 4. Administrative Procedure Act › Part 3. Adoption and Publication of Rules › 2-4-306. Filing and format -- adoption and effective dates -- dissemination of emergency rules

2-4-306. Filing and format -- adoption and effective dates -- dissemination of emergency rules.
(1) Each agency shall file with the secretary of state a copy of each rule adopted by it or a reference to the rule as contained in the proposal notice. A rule is adopted on the date that the adoption notice is filed with the secretary of state and is effective on the date referred to in subsection (4), except that if the secretary of state requests corrections to the adoption notice, the rule is adopted on the date that the revised notice is filed with the secretary of state.
(2) Pursuant to 2-15-401, the secretary of state may prescribe rules to effectively administer this chapter, including rules regarding the printed or electronic format, style, and arrangement for notices and rules that are filed pursuant to this chapter, and may refuse to accept the filing of any notice or rule that is not in compliance with this chapter and the secretary of state's rules. The secretary of state shall keep and maintain a permanent register of all notices and rules filed, including superseded and repealed rules, that must be open to public inspection and shall provide copies of any notice or rule upon request of any person. Unless otherwise provided by statute, the secretary of state may require the payment of the cost of providing copies.
(3) If the appropriate administrative rule review committee has conducted a poll of the legislature in accordance with 2-4-403, the results of the poll must be published with the rule if the rule is adopted by the agency.
(4) Each rule is effective after publication in the register, as provided in 2-4-312, except that:
(a) if a later date is required by statute or specified in the rule, the later date is the effective date;
(b) subject to applicable constitutional or statutory provisions:
(i) a temporary rule is effective immediately upon filing with the secretary of state or at a stated date following publication in the register; and
(ii) an emergency rule is effective at a stated date following publication in the register or immediately upon filing with the secretary of state if the agency finds that this effective date is necessary because of imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare. The agency's finding and a brief statement of reasons for the finding must be filed with the rule. The agency shall, in addition to the required publication in the register, take appropriate and extraordinary measures to make emergency rules known to each person who may be affected by them.
(c) if, following written administrative rule review committee notification to an agency under 2-4-305(9), the committee meets and under 2-4-406(1) objects to all or some portion of a proposed rule before the proposed rule is adopted, the proposed rule or portion of the proposed rule objected to is not effective until the day after final adjournment of the regular session of the legislature that begins after the notice proposing the rule was published by the secretary of state, unless, following the committee's objection under 2-4-406(1) and subject to 2-4-112:
(i) the committee withdraws its objection under 2-4-406 before the proposed rule is adopted; or
(ii) the rule or portion of a rule objected to is adopted with changes that in the opinion of a majority of the committee members, as communicated in writing to the committee presiding officer and staff, make it comply with the committee's objection and concerns.
(5) An agency may not enforce, implement, or otherwise treat as effective a rule proposed or adopted by the agency until the effective date of the rule as provided in this section. Nothing in this subsection prohibits an agency from enforcing an established policy or practice of the agency that existed prior to the proposal or adoption of the rule as long as the policy or practice is within the scope of the agency's lawful authority.
(6) This section applies to the department of labor and industry adopting a rule relating to a commercial drug formulary as provided in 39-71-704. This section does not apply to the automatic updating of department of labor and industry rules relating to commercial drug formularies as provided in 39-71-704.
History: En. Sec. 5, Ch. 2, Ex. L. 1971; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 285, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 561, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 82-4205(part); amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 243, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 268, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 261, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 335, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 489, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 19, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 210, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 370, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 87, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 337, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 303, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 489, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 433, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 102, L. 2021.