Opinion ID: 2168838
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legislative Character and Effect of JCAR Review and Maintenance of the Status Quo

Text: In Chadha, the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254(c)(2), was at issue. The act provided that either house of Congress could pass a resolution invalidating the United States Attorney General's decision to allow a deportable alien to remain in the United States. Chadha, supra at 923, 103 S.Ct. 2764. Section 244(a)(1) conferred upon the Attorney General the discretion to suspend deportation. Section 244(c)(2) allowed a single house of Congress to override the suspension and order that the alien be deported. Thus, in Chadha, Congress conferred upon the Attorney General the authority to make a decision regarding the deportation of a particular alien. By exercising its legislative veto, it nullified the Attorney General's decision. The result was that the delegation of authority conferred no authority at all because one house of Congress could unilaterally take away the effect of the Attorney General's decision. Thereafter, the Attorney General remained powerless to respond. Importantly, the legislative veto came into play after the Attorney General exercised the delegated authority. That is not the case here. In this case, JCAR review is part of the rule-approval process. Rulemaking authority is not conferred and then taken away; rather, the APA establishes a rulemaking process. The executive agencies have only been delegated the power to act within that process. Also, unlike Chadha, the executive agency has the opportunity to revise proposed rules. The plain language of §§ 45 and 46 provide procedures for the executive agency to follow in the face of JCAR disapproval. When the agency follows the provisions of the APA, it has an opportunity to overcome the JCAR's decision. Here, the DOC simply decided to ignore the plain language of the APA because it felt that it was not bound by the statute. Further, Chadha held that the Immigration and Nationality Act was constitutionally flawed because Congress's ability to order deportation was legislative in its character and effect and had the purpose and effect of altering the legal rights, duties and relations of persons outside the legislative branch. Id. at 952, 103 S.Ct. 2764. Today's lead opinion similarly opines that allowing JCAR review of administrative rules would affect the rights of individuals outside the legislative branch. Specifically, the lead opinion argues that the JCAR review process interferes with the DOC director's ability to administer his department. Yet, the director only has power to enact rules pursuant to the administrative procedures act.... MCL 791.206(1); MSA 28.2276(1). JCAR review does not limit the director's power or alter his rights and duties, rather, the director's power is subject to JCAR review. Michigan's APA is quite different than the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under Michigan law, rules do not become effective until they undergo JCAR review. MCL 24.245, 24.246; MSA 3.560(145), 3.560(146). The purpose and effect of JCAR review is not to legislate. Rather, JCAR disapproval maintains the status quo ante. Persons who would otherwise be affected by the rules retain the same status because the rules have never been in effect at the time when the JCAR disapproves. The rights of the executive branch similarly remain unchanged because the executive agency never had the authority to promulgate rules outside the scope of JCAR review. Instead, JCAR review is part of the required process. If the agency ignores the procedural requirements imposed by the terms of delegation, then the executive has exceeded the power delegated to it. As such, the analysis simply returns to whether the DOC rules must be invalidated. Michigan law clearly provides that agency rules must be invalidated if procedural standards are not satisfied. Here, the DOC failed to satisfy the constitutionally valid procedural standards of the APA when it proceeded without JCAR approval. Therefore, the rules cannot stand.