AN ACT Relating to proceedings of the joint administrative rules review committee; and amending RCW 34.05.655 and 34.05.640.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1.  RCW 34.05.655 and 2015 2nd sp.s. c 11 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any person may petition the rules review committee for a review of a proposed or existing rule or a proposed or existing policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent. A petition to review a statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, may only be filed for the purpose of requesting the committee to determine whether the statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, is being used as a rule that has not been adopted in accordance with all provisions of law. Upon filing of the petition with the committee and service of the petition upon the agency, all promulgation, implementation, enforcement, and amendment of the proposed or existing rule, policy, interpretive statement, guideline, or document is stayed pending final conclusion of the rules review process. Within thirty days of the receipt of the petition, the rules review committee shall acknowledge receipt of the petition and describe any initial action taken. If the rules review committee rejects the petition, a written statement of the reasons for rejection shall be included.

(2) A person may petition the rules review committee under subsection (1) of this section requesting review of an existing rule only if the person has petitioned the agency to amend or repeal the rule under RCW 34.05.330(1) and such petition was denied.

(3) A petition for review of a rule under subsection (1) of this section shall:

(a) Identify with specificity the proposed or existing rule to be reviewed;

(b) Identify the specific statute identified by the agency as authorizing the rule, the specific statute which the rule interprets or implements, and, if applicable, the specific statute the department is alleged not to have followed in adopting the rule;

(c) State the reasons why the petitioner believes that the rule is not within the intent of the legislature, or that its adoption was not or is not in accordance with law, and provide documentation to support these statements;

(d) Identify any known judicial action regarding the rule or statutes identified in the petition.

A petition to review an existing rule shall also include a copy of the agency's denial of a petition to amend or repeal the rule issued under RCW 34.05.330(1) and, if available, a copy of the governor's denial issued under RCW 34.05.330(3).

(4) A petition for review of a policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, under subsection (1) of this section shall:

(a) Identify the specific policy or interpretative statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, to be reviewed;

(b) Identify the specific statute which the rule interprets or implements;

(c) State the reasons why the petitioner believes that the policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, meets the definition of a rule under RCW 34.05.010 and should have been adopted according to the procedures of this chapter;

(d) Identify any known judicial action regarding the policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, or statutes identified in the petition.

(5) Except for petitions that the rules review committee rejects, the rules review committee shall make a final decision within ninety days of receipt of a petition for review under subsection (1) of this section. If the legislature meets in regular or special session at any time before the rules review committee makes a final decision on a petition, the rules review committee may defer making a final decision until after the adjournment sine die of the regular or special session or sessions. The rules review committee shall make a final decision on a deferred petition within ninety days of adjournment. During a legislative session, petitioners may bring any concerns raised in a petition to any legislator, and those concerns may be addressed directly through legislation.

Sec. 2.  RCW 34.05.640 and 1998 c 21 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Within seven days of an agency hearing held after notification of the agency by the rules review committee pursuant to RCW 34.05.620 or 34.05.630, the affected agency shall notify the committee of its intended action on a proposed or existing rule to which the committee objected or on a committee finding of the agency's failure to adopt rules.

(2) If the rules review committee finds by a majority vote of its members: (a) That the proposed or existing rule in question will not be modified, amended, withdrawn, or repealed by the agency so as to conform with the intent of the legislature, (b) that an existing rule was not adopted in accordance with all applicable provisions of law, or (c) that the agency will not replace the policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, with a rule, the stay described in subsection (1) of this section remains in effect and the rules review committee ((may)) shall, within ((thirty)) ten days from ((notification by the agency of its intended action)) the date of the committee vote, file with the code reviser notice of its objections together with a concise statement of the reasons therefor. Such notice and statement shall also be provided to the agency by the rules review committee.

(3)(a) ((If the rules review committee makes an adverse finding regarding an existing rule under subsection (2)(a) or (b) of this section, the committee may, by a majority vote of its members, recommend suspension of the rule. Within seven days of such vote the committee shall transmit to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature, the governor, the code reviser, and the agency written notice of its objection and recommended suspension and the concise reasons therefor. Within thirty days of receipt of the notice, the governor shall transmit to the committee, the code reviser, and the agency written approval or disapproval of the recommended suspension. If the suspension is approved by the governor, it is effective from the date of that approval and continues until ninety days after the expiration of the next regular legislative session.

(4))) The code reviser shall publish transmittals from the rules review committee ((or the governor)) issued pursuant to subsection (2) ((or (3))) of this section in the Washington state register and shall publish in the next supplement and compilation of the Washington Administrative Code a reference to the committee's objection ((or recommended suspension and the governor's action on it)), the stay described in subsection (1) of this section, and ((to)) the issue of the Washington state register in which the full text thereof appears.

(((5))) (b) The reference shall be removed from a rule published in the Washington Administrative Code only if: A subsequent ((adjudicatory)) judicial proceeding determines that the rule is within the intent of the legislature ((or)) and was adopted in accordance with all applicable laws((, whichever was the objection of the rules review committee)); or the stay described in subsection (1) of this section is lifted by resolution of the senate adopted by majority vote.

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