HF895

The legislative bill H.F. No., authored by Knudsen, Davis, Joy, Engen, Altendorf, and others, proposes changes to the process of rule adoption in Minnesota state government.

Here's a simple outline of the major changes proposed by this bill:

1. Legislative Approval Required for Rules:

   • The bill mandates that any rule to become effective must first receive approval from the legislature after it meets existing procedural requirements and is published in the State Register.

2. Changes in rule adoption notices:

   • If a rule adopted is identical to the one proposed, notification can just reference the initial State Register publication.
   • If there are differences between the adopted rule and the proposed rule, the changes must be clearly stated in the notice of adoption.

3. Handling Omissions in Rule Proposals:

   • If an agency omits the text of a proposed rule in its initial notice (allowed under certain conditions), the chief administrative law judge can decide that the notice for the adopted rule need not include the text of changes.
   • However, the notice must still detail the changes from the proposed rule, and inform how to obtain a free copy of the relevant portions of the adopted rule.

This bill would amend sections 14.18, 14.27, and 14.389 of the Minnesota Statutes 2024, changing how rules are approved and announced, adding a layer of legislative oversight to ensure rules reflect legislative intent and public interest before they can be enforced.