HOUSE BILL No. 5971

April 25, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Acciavatti, Ball, Gosselin, Taub and Schuitmaker and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to amend 1969 PA 306, entitled

 

"Administrative procedures act of 1969,"

 

by amending sections 7, 31, 38, and 44 (MCL 24.207, 24.231, 24.238,

 

and 24.244), section 7 as amended by 2000 PA 216, section 31 as

 

amended by 1989 PA 288, and section 44 as amended by 2004 PA 23.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 7. "Rule" means an agency regulation, statement,

 

standard, policy, ruling, or instruction of general applicability

 

that implements or applies law enforced or administered by the

 

agency, or that prescribes the organization, procedure, or practice

 

of the agency, including the amendment, suspension, or rescission

 

of the law enforced or administered by the agency. Rule does not

 

include any of the following:

 

     (a) A resolution or order of the state administrative board.


 

     (b) A formal opinion of the attorney general.

 

     (c) A rule or order establishing or fixing rates or tariffs.

 

     (d) A rule or order pertaining to game and fish and

 

promulgated under parts 401, 411, and 487 of the natural resources

 

and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.40101 to

 

324.40119, 324.41101 to 324.41105, and 324.48701 to 324.48740.

 

     (e) A rule relating to the use of streets or highways, the

 

substance of which is indicated to the public by means of signs or

 

signals.

 

     (f) A determination, decision, or order in a contested case.

 

     (g) An intergovernmental, interagency, or intra-agency

 

memorandum, directive, or communication that does not affect the

 

rights of, or procedures and practices available to, the public.

 

     (h) A form with instructions, an interpretive statement, a

 

guideline, a policy directive, an informational pamphlet, or other

 

material that in itself does not have the force and effect of law

 

but is merely explanatory.

 

     (i) A declaratory ruling or other disposition of a particular

 

matter as applied to a specific set of facts involved.

 

     (j) A decision by an agency to exercise or not to exercise a

 

permissive statutory power, although private rights or interests

 

are affected.

 

     (k) Unless another statute requires a rule to be promulgated

 

under this act, a rule or policy that only concerns the inmates of

 

a state correctional facility and does not directly affect other

 

members of the public, except that a rule that only concerns

 

inmates which was promulgated before December 4, 1986, shall be


 

considered a rule and shall remain in effect until rescinded but

 

shall not be amended. As used in this subdivision, "state

 

correctional facility" means a facility or institution that houses

 

an inmate population under the jurisdiction of the department of

 

corrections.

 

     (k)  (l)  A rule establishing special local watercraft controls

 

promulgated under former 1967 PA 303. A rule described in this

 

subdivision may be rescinded as provided in section 80113(2) of the

 

natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451,

 

MCL 324.80113.

 

     (l)  (m)  All of the following, after final approval by the

 

certificate of need commission  or the statewide health

 

coordinating council  under section 22215  or 22217  of the public

 

health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.22215:  and 333.22217:

 

     (i) The designation, deletion, or revision of covered medical

 

equipment and covered clinical services.

 

     (ii) Certificate of need review standards.

 

     (iii) Data reporting requirements and criteria for determining

 

health facility viability.

 

     (iv) Standards used by the department of community health in

 

designating a regional certificate of need review agency.

 

     (v) The modification of the 100 licensed bed limitation for

 

short-term nursing care programs set forth in section 22210 of the

 

public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.22210.

 

     (m)  (n)  A policy developed by the family independence agency

 

under section 6(3) of the social welfare act, 1939 PA  250  280,

 

MCL 400.6, setting income and asset limits, types of income and


 

assets to be considered for eligibility, and payment standards for

 

administration of assistance programs under that act.

 

     (n)  (o)  A policy developed by the family independence agency

 

under section 6(4) of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL

 

400.6, to implement requirements that are mandated by federal

 

statute or regulations as a condition of receipt of federal funds.

 

     (o)  (p)  The provisions of an agency's contract with a public

 

or private entity including, but not limited to, the provisions of

 

an agency's standard form contract.

 

     (p)  (q)  A policy developed by the department of community

 

health under the authority granted in section 111a of the social

 

welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.111a, to implement policies and

 

procedures necessary to operate its health care programs in

 

accordance with an approved state plan or in compliance with state

 

statute.

 

     Sec. 31. (1) Rules  which  that became effective before July

 

1, 1970 continue in effect until amended or rescinded.

 

     (2) When a law authorizing or directing an agency to

 

promulgate rules is repealed and substantially the same rule-making

 

power or duty is vested in the same or a successor agency by a new

 

provision of law or the function of the agency to which the rules

 

are related is transferred to another agency, by law or executive

 

order, the existing rules of the original agency relating  thereto  

 

to that agency continue in effect until amended or rescinded, and

 

the agency or successor agency may rescind any rule relating to the

 

function. When a law creating an agency or authorizing or directing

 

it to promulgate rules is repealed or the agency is abolished and


 

substantially the same rule-making power or duty is not vested in

 

the same or a successor agency by a new provision of law and the

 

function of the agency to which the rules are related is not

 

transferred to another agency, the existing applicable rules of the

 

original agency are automatically rescinded as of the effective

 

date of the repeal of such law or the abolition of the agency.

 

     (3) The rescission of a rule does not revive a rule which was

 

previously rescinded.

 

     (4) The amendment or rescission of a valid rule does not

 

defeat or impair a right accrued, or affect a penalty incurred,

 

under the rule.

 

     (5)  Except in the case of the amendment of rules concerning

 

inmates as described in section 7(k), a  A rule may be amended or

 

rescinded by another rule which constitutes the whole or a part of

 

a filing of rules or as a result of an act of the legislature.

 

     Sec. 38.  A  Except for a rule involving a state correctional

 

facility as described in section 44(2)(b), a person may request an

 

agency to promulgate a rule. Within 90 days after filing of a

 

request, the agency shall initiate the processing of a rule or

 

issue a concise written statement of its principal reasons for

 

denial of the request. The denial of a request is not subject to

 

judicial review.

 

     Sec. 44. (1) Sections 41 and 42 do not apply to an amendment

 

or rescission of a rule that is obsolete or superseded, or that is

 

required to make obviously needed corrections to make the rule

 

conform to an amended or new statute or to accomplish any other

 

solely formal purpose, if a statement to that effect is included in


 

the legislative service bureau certificate of approval of the rule.

 

     (2) Sections 41 and 42 do not apply to  a  the following:

 

     (a) A rule that is promulgated under the Michigan occupational

 

safety and health act, 1974 PA 154, MCL 408.1001 to 408.1094, that

 

is substantially similar to an existing federal standard that has

 

been adopted or promulgated under the occupational safety and

 

health act of 1970, Public Law 91-596, 84 Stat. 1590.  However,

 

notice

 

     (b) A rule or policy that only concerns the inmates of a state

 

correctional facility and does not directly affect other members of

 

the public. As used in this subdivision, "state correctional

 

facility" means a facility or institution that houses an inmate

 

population under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.

 

     (3) Notice of the proposed rule promulgated under subsection

 

(2) shall be published in the Michigan register at least 35 days

 

before the submission of the rule to the secretary of state

 

pursuant to section 46(1). A reasonable period, not to exceed 21

 

days, shall be provided for the submission of written or electronic

 

comments and views following publication in the Michigan register.

 

     (4)  (3) For purposes of subsection (2)  As used in this

 

section, "substantially similar" means identical, with the

 

exception of style or format differences needed to conform to this

 

or other state laws, as determined by the state office of  

 

regulatory reform  administrative hearings and rules pursuant to

 

section 45(1).