Bill > H7001

This bill revises the process by which state agencies in Florida propose and adopt new rules, aiming to improve transparency and accountability in rulemaking. It changes the deadline for agencies to propose rules needed to implement new laws from 180 days to a timeframe specified in new provisions related to regulatory plans. These new provisions require agencies to create and publish annual regulatory plans by October 1st each year, detailing which laws enacted in the past year require new rules, the status of rulemaking for those laws, and projected timelines for publishing notices of rule development and proposed rules. The bill also mandates that agencies publish these plans on their websites and in the Florida Administrative Register, and includes a certification from agency leadership confirming the plan's review and the agency's regular review of its existing rules. Furthermore, it sets specific deadlines for agencies to publish notices of rule development (by November 1st) and proposed rules (by April 1st of the following year) for laws identified in their plans, with provisions for extensions and supplements to the plan if new laws are enacted later in the year. Crucially, if an agency fails to comply with these requirements, its rulemaking authority will be suspended until compliance is achieved or the next legislative session ends, though this suspension does not apply to emergency rules or rules necessary for federal compliance. Finally, the bill repeals existing provisions related to legislative review of certain agency rules and an internet-based public survey of regulatory impacts, and rescinds any suspensions of rulemaking authority under those repealed provisions.