Bill Text: CA AB1996 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: State government: administrative regulations: review.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-19 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1996 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB1996-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1996
Introduced by Assembly Member Cooley |
February 10, 2022 |
An act to add and repeal Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 11366) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to state agency regulations.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1996, as introduced, Cooley.
State government: administrative regulations: review.
Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, in part, authorizes various state entities to adopt, amend, or repeal regulations for various specified purposes. These rulemaking provisions of the act require the Office of Administrative Law and the state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation to review the proposed changes for, among other things, consistency with existing state regulations. Existing law requires the office to initiate a priority review of existing regulations when requested by a committee of the Legislature, as specified.
This bill would require each state agency to, on or before January 1, 2026, review that agency’s regulations, identify any regulations that are duplicative, overlapping, inconsistent, or out of date, to revise those identified regulations, as provided, and report to the Legislature and
Governor, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2027.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 11366) is added to Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:CHAPTER 3.6. Regulatory Reform
Article 1. Findings and Declarations
11366.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340)) require agencies and the Office of Administrative Law to review regulations to ensure their consistency with law and to consider impacts on the state’s economy and businesses, including small businesses.
(b) However, the act does not expressly require agencies to individually review their regulations to identify overlapping, inconsistent, duplicative, or out-of-date regulations that may exist.
(c) At a time when the state’s economy is slowly recovering, unemployment and
underemployment continue to affect all Californians, especially older workers and younger workers who received college degrees in the last seven years but are still awaiting their first great job, and with state government improving but in need of continued fiscal discipline, it is important that state agencies systematically undertake to identify, publicly review, and eliminate overlapping, inconsistent, duplicative, or out-of-date regulations, both to ensure they more efficiently implement and enforce laws and to reduce unnecessary and outdated rules and regulations.
Article 2. Definitions
11366.1.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:(a) “State agency” means a state agency, as defined in Section 11000, except those state agencies or activities described in Section 11340.9.
(b) “Regulation” has the same meaning as provided in Section 11342.600.
Article 3. State Agency Duties
11366.2.
On or before January 1, 2026, each state agency shall do all of the following:(a) Review all provisions of the California Code of Regulations adopted by that state agency.
(b) Identify any regulations that are duplicative, overlapping, inconsistent, or out of date.
(c) Adopt, amend, or repeal regulations to reconcile or eliminate any duplication, overlap, inconsistencies, or out-of-date provisions, and shall comply with the process specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346) of Chapter 3.5, unless the addition, revision, or deletion is without regulatory effect and may be done pursuant to Section 100 of Title 1 of the
California Code of Regulations.
(d) Hold at least one noticed public hearing, which shall be noticed on the internet website of the state agency, for the purposes of accepting public comment on proposed revisions to its regulations.
(e) Notify the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of each house of the Legislature of the revisions to regulations that the state agency proposes to make at least 30 days prior to initiating the process under Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346) of Chapter 3.5 or Section 100 of Title 1 of the California Code of Regulations.
(f) (1) Report to the Governor and the Legislature on the state agency’s compliance with this chapter, including the number and content of regulations the state agency identifies as duplicative, overlapping, inconsistent, or out of date, and the state
agency’s actions to address those regulations.
(2) The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.
11366.3.
(a) On or before January 1, 2026, each agency listed in Section 12800 shall notify a department, board, or other unit within that agency of any existing regulations adopted by that department, board, or other unit that the agency has determined may be duplicative, overlapping, or inconsistent with a regulation adopted by another department, board, or other unit within that agency.(b) A department, board, or other unit within an agency shall notify that agency of revisions to regulations that it proposes to make at least 90 days prior to a noticed public hearing pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 11366.2 and at least 90 days prior to adoption, amendment, or repeal of the regulations pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 11366.2. The
agency shall review the proposed regulations and make recommendations to the department, board, or other unit within 30 days of receiving the notification regarding any duplicative, overlapping, or inconsistent regulation of another department, board, or other unit within the agency.