S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5796
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
June 5, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the state administrative procedure act, in relation to
state mandates on local governments and detailing the benefits and
costs of proposed rules and to repeal certain provisions of such act
relating thereto
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The legislature finds that the rules promulgated by state
agencies often have a substantial impact on the lives of the state's
residents and the operations of local governments and businesses, and
therefore should be adopted through a process that provides for the open
and fully realized consideration of the potential costs and benefits of
regulatory action. To this end, the statutes governing the rulemaking
process should ensure that agency assessments of the costs and the bene-
fits of proposed rules are accurate and comprehensive.
S 2. Section 102 of the state administrative procedure act is amended
by adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
15. "LOCAL GOVERNMENT" MEANS ANY COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, VILLAGE, OR
SCHOOL DISTRICT.
S 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 4-a of section 202 of the state
administrative procedure act, as added by chapter 335 of the laws of
1992, is amended to read as follows:
(b) Each agency shall publish and make available to the public an
assessment of public comment for a rule revised pursuant to this subdi-
vision. Such assessment shall be based upon any written comments submit-
ted to the agency and any comments presented at any public hearing held
on the proposed rule by the agency. The assessment shall contain: (i) a
summary and an analysis of the issues raised and significant alterna-
tives suggested by any such comments; (ii) a statement of the reasons
why any significant alternatives were not incorporated into the rule;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11932-02-9
S. 5796 2
and (iii) a description of any changes made in the rule as a result of
such comments. IF ANY COMMENTS INCLUDE ESTIMATES OF PROJECTED COSTS OF
THE PROPOSED RULE TO THE STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR REGULATED PERSONS
WHICH DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THOSE PRESENTED BY THE AGENCY IN ITS
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT, REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ANALYSIS OR RURAL
AREA FLEXIBILITY ANALYSIS, THE ASSESSMENT SHALL SET FORTH THE AGENCY'S
EVALUATION OF THE DIFFERING ESTIMATES. COPIES OF COMMENTS THAT INCLUDE
ESTIMATES OF PROJECTED COSTS WHICH DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE AGEN-
CY'S ESTIMATES SHALL ACCOMPANY THE ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENT DISTRIB-
UTED WITH THE RULE MAKING NOTICE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVI-
SION SIX-A OF THIS SECTION. If no comments have been received, the
notice of revised rule making shall state that no comments were received
by the agency. Any subsequent assessment published pursuant to this
paragraph or paragraph (b) of subdivision five of this section need only
include comments not addressed in any previously published assessment of
public comment for the rule; provided, however, that the notice of
revised rule making or adoption shall contain the date any previous
notice of revised rule making containing an assessment of public comment
was published in the state register.
S 4. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 202 of the state admin-
istrative procedure act, as amended by chapter 171 of the laws of 1994,
is amended to read as follows:
(b) Except with respect to any rule defined in subparagraph (ii) of
paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section one hundred two of this
chapter, each agency shall publish [and], make available to the public
ON ITS WEBSITE AND DELIVER TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REVIEW
COMMISSION an assessment of public comment for a rule adopted pursuant
to this subdivision or paragraph (e) of subdivision six of this section.
Such assessment shall be based upon any written comments submitted to
the agency and any comments presented at any public hearing held on the
proposed rule by the agency. The assessment shall contain: (i) a summary
and an analysis of the issues raised and significant alternatives
suggested by any such comments, (ii) a statement of the reasons why any
significant alternatives were not incorporated into the rule and (iii) a
description of any changes made in the rule as a result of such
comments. If any comments included estimates of projected costs of the
proposed rule to the state, local governments or regulated persons,
which differed significantly from those presented by the agency in its
regulatory impact statement, regulatory flexibility analysis, or rural
area flexibility analysis, the assessment shall also summarize the agen-
cy's assessment of such estimates. COPIES OF COMMENTS THAT INCLUDE
ESTIMATES OF PROJECTED COSTS WHICH DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE AGEN-
CY'S ESTIMATES SHALL ACCOMPANY THE ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC COMMENT DISTRIB-
UTED WITH THE RULE MAKING NOTICE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVI-
SION SIX-A OF THIS SECTION. If no comments have been received, the
notice of adoption shall state that no comments were received by the
agency. Comments submitted or presented to the agency by a legislative
committee or commission or by a member or members of the senate or
assembly shall be considered public comment and shall be summarized and
analyzed in the assessment.
S 5. Subdivision 2 of section 202-a of the state administrative proce-
dure act, as amended by chapter 850 of the laws of 1990, is amended to
read as follows:
2. Each agency shall, except as provided in subdivision five of this
section, issue AND DELIVER TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REVIEW
S. 5796 3
COMMISSION a regulatory impact statement for a rule proposed for
adoption or a rule adopted on an emergency basis.
S 6. Paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of subdivision 3 of section 202-a of
the state administrative procedure act, paragraph (b) as amended by
chapter 229 of the laws of 2000 and paragraphs (c) and (d) as amended by
chapter 520 of the laws of 1992, are amended to read as follows:
(b) Needs and benefits. A statement setting forth the purpose of,
necessity for, and benefits derived from the rule, a citation for and
summary, not to exceed five hundred words, of each scientific or statis-
tical study, report or analysis that served as the basis for the rule,
an explanation of how it was used to determine the necessity for and
benefits derived from the rule, and the name of the person that produced
each study, report or analysis. THE STATEMENT SHALL IDENTIFY THE CLASSES
OF PERSONS OR ENTITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM ADOPTION OF THE RULE,
DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF THE BENEFITS THAT SUCH CLASSES OF PERSONS OR
ENTITIES WOULD DERIVE FROM IT, AND SET FORTH THE INFORMATION AND METHOD-
OLOGY UPON WHICH THE ANALYSIS OF THE BENEFITS IS BASED;
(c) Costs. A statement detailing the projected [costs] POSITIVE OR
NEGATIVE COST IMPACTS, INCLUDING MONETARY COSTS AND OPPORTUNITY COSTS
AND OTHER NON-MONETARY COSTS, of the rule, which shall [indicate]
INCLUDE:
(i) the costs for the implementation of, and continuing compliance
with, the rule to regulated persons;
(ii) the costs for the implementation of, and continued administration
of, the rule to the agency and to the state and its local governments;
and
(iii) THE COSTS FOR PERSONS WHO OR ENTITIES THAT ARE NOT REGULATED BY
BUT ARE OTHERWISE AFFECTED BY THE RULE;
(IV) the information, including the source or sources of such informa-
tion, and methodology upon which the cost analysis is based; or [(iv)],
where an agency finds that it cannot fully provide a statement of such
costs, a statement setting forth its best estimate, which shall indicate
the information and methodology upon which such best estimate is based
and the reason or reasons why a complete cost statement cannot be
provided;
(d) Paperwork. A statement describing the need for any reporting
requirements, including forms and other paperwork AND ANY REPORTING BY
ELECTRONIC MEDIA, which would be required as a result of the rule;
S 7. Section 202-a of the state administrative procedure act is
amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. EACH AGENCY SHALL DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN ON ITS WEBSITE A STATEMENT
OF THE PROCEDURES IT HAS ADOPTED TO ENSURE THAT INTERESTED PARTIES ARE
GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AT AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY OF THE PROPOSED
DEVELOPMENT OF ITS RULES AND TO PARTICIPATE MEANINGFULLY IN THAT DEVEL-
OPMENT.
S 8. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 202-b of the state
administrative procedure act, as amended by chapter 611 of the laws of
1996, is amended to read as follows:
(c) an estimate of the initial capital costs and an estimate of the
annual cost of complying with the rule, with an indication of any likely
variation in such costs for small businesses or local governments of
different types and of differing sizes, AND, WHEN THE RULE WOULD IMPOSE
INITIAL CAPITAL COSTS OR ANNUAL COMPLIANCE COSTS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS,
THE AGENCY SHALL IDENTIFY THE SOURCES, IF ANY, AVAILABLE TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS TO FUND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RULE;
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S 9. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 204-a of the state
administrative procedure act is REPEALED and paragraphs (b) and (c) of
such subdivision are relettered paragraphs (a) and (b).
S 10. This act shall take effect on the first of September next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, and shall apply
to any rule for which a notice of proposed or revised rulemaking or a
notice of adoption is first prepared on or after such date.