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An Act To Change the Date for Agency Submission of Provisionally Adopted Major Substantive Rules
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §8072, sub-§7,  as amended by PL 1997, c. 196, §2, is further amended to read:
 
7.  Consideration by the Legislature.   No later than 30 days before statutory adjournment of the Legislature as provided in Title 3, section 2 each joint standing committee of the Legislature shall submit to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives the committee’s report on agency rules the committee has reviewed as provided in this section. The report must include a copy of the rule or rules reviewed, the committee’s recommendation concerning final adoption of the rule or rules, a statement of the reasons for a recommendation to withdraw or modify the rule or rules and draft legislation for introduction in that session that is necessary to implement the committee’s recommendation. A committee may decline to include in its report recommendations covering any rules submitted to it later than 45 days before statutory adjournment5:00 p.m. on the 2nd Friday in January of the year in which the rules are to be considered by the committee. If an adjournment date earlier than required by statute is anticipated, the Legislative Council may establish an earlier deadline for agencies to submit provisionally adopted rules for review, except that any earlier date established by the council may not be more than 75 days before statutory adjournment. If, before adjournment of the session at which a rule is reviewed, the Legislature fails to act on all or part of any rule submitted to it for review in accordance with this section, an agency may proceed with final adoption and implementation of the rule or part of the rule that was not acted on.
 
SUMMARY
This bill changes the date for agency submission of provisionally adopted major substantive rules from 45 days prior to statutory adjournment to the close of business on the 2nd Friday in January of the year in which the rules are to be considered by the Legislature.