§337.94.  Procedure for adoption of rules

A.  Prior to the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any rule, the board shall:

(1)(a)  Give notice of its intended action and a copy of the proposed rules at least ninety days prior to taking action on the rule.  The notice shall include all of the following:

(i)  The name of the person within the board who has the responsibility for responding to inquiries about the intended action.

(ii)  The time when, the place where, and the manner in which interested persons may present their views thereon.

(iii)  A statement that the intended action complies with the statutory law administered by the board, including a citation of the enabling legislation.

(b)(i)  The notice shall be published at least once in the Louisiana Register and shall be submitted with a full text of the proposed rule to the Louisiana Register at least one hundred days prior to the date the board will take action on the rule.

(ii)  Upon publication of the notice, copies of the full text of the proposed rule shall be available from the board upon written request.

(c)  Notice of the intent to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule shall be mailed to all persons who have made timely request of the board for such notice, which notice and statements shall be mailed at the earliest possible date, and in no case later than ten days after the date when the proposed rule change is submitted to the Louisiana Register.

(d)  For the purpose of timely notice as required by this Paragraph, the date of notice shall be deemed to be the date of publication of the issue of the Louisiana Register in which the notice appears, such publication date to be the publication date as stated on the outside cover or the first page of such issue.

(2)  Afford all interested persons at least thirty days from the date of the publication of the notice of intent to submit data, views, comments, or arguments.  In the case of substantive rules, opportunity for oral presentation or argument shall be granted if requested within twenty days after publication of the rule as provided in this Subsection, by twenty-five persons or by an association having not less than twenty-five members, or by a committee of either house of the legislature to which the proposed rule change has been referred under the provisions of R.S. 47:337.99.

(3)(a)  Make available to all interested persons copies of any rule intended for adoption, amendment, or repeal from the time the notice of its intended action is published in the Louisiana Register.  Any hearing pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (2) shall be held no earlier than thirty-five days and no later than forty days after the publication of the Louisiana Register in which the notice of the intended action appears.  The board shall fully consider all comments and submissions respecting the proposed rule.

(b)  The board shall issue a response to comments and submissions describing the principal reasons for and against adoption of any amendments or changes suggested in the comments and submissions to the respective oversight committees.  In addition to the response to comments, the board may prepare a preamble explaining the basis and rationale for the rule, identifying the data and evidence upon which the rule is based, and responding to comments and submissions.  Such preamble and response to comments and submissions shall be furnished to the respective legislative oversight subcommittees at least five days prior to the day the legislative oversight subcommittee hearing is to be held on the proposed rule, and shall be made available to interested persons no later than one day following their submission to the appropriate legislative oversight subcommittee.  If no legislative oversight hearing is to be held, the board shall issue a response to comments and submissions and preamble, if any, to any person who presented comments or submissions on the rule and to any requesting person not later than fifteen days prior to the time of publication of the final rule.

(c)  The board shall, upon request, make available to interested persons the report submitted pursuant to R.S. 47:337.99(C) and (D) no later than one working day following the submittal of such report to the legislative oversight subcommittees.

B.  Only the board may initiate or rescind the adoption, amendment or repeal of a rule.  Any interested person may petition the board requesting the adoption, amendment or repeal of a rule.  Within one hundred twenty days after submission of a petition, a written response shall be sent to such petitioner.

Acts 2004, No. 469, §1, eff. July 1, 2004.