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First Substitute H.B. 343

Representative Chad E. Bennion proposes to substitute the following bill:


             1     
TIMELY AGENCY REVIEW OF CERTAIN

             2     
APPLICATIONS

             3     
2001 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Chad E. Bennion

             6      This act enacts statutes governing review and action by state agencies on applications and
             7      other requests for permits, licenses, and authorizations from state agencies. The act sets a
             8      time limit by which agency decisions are to be made, provides for relief to aggrieved citizens,
             9      and makes requirements applicable to pending applications. The act modifies the name and
             10      duties of the Administrative Rules Review Committee.
             11      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             12      AMENDS:
             13          63-46a-11, as last amended by Chapter 332, Laws of Utah 1998
             14      ENACTS:
             15          63-98-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             16          63-98-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             17          63-98-201, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             18          63-98-301, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             19      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             20          Section 1. Section 63-46a-11 is amended to read:
             21           63-46a-11. Administrative Rules Review Committee.
             22          (1) (a) There is created an Administrative Rules and Regulatory Permit Review Committee
             23      of ten permanent members and four ex officio members.
             24          (b) (i) The committee's permanent members shall be composed of five members of the
             25      Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate, and five members of the House, appointed by the


             26      speaker of the House, with no more than three senators and three representatives from the same
             27      political party.
             28          (ii) The permanent members shall convene at least once each month as a committee to
             29      review new agency rules, amendments to existing agency rules, and repeals of existing agency
             30      rules and to adjudicate, as required by Section 63-98-301 , agency failures to grant regulatory
             31      permits within the time limits established by Section 63-98-201 . Meetings may be suspended at
             32      the discretion of the committee chairs.
             33          (iii) Members shall serve for two-year terms or until their successors are appointed.
             34          (iv) A vacancy exists whenever a committee member ceases to be a member of the
             35      Legislature, or when a member resigns from the committee. Vacancies shall be filled by the
             36      appointing authority, and the replacement shall serve out the unexpired term.
             37          (c) When the committee reviews existing rules, the committee's permanent members shall
             38      invite the Senate and House chairmen of the standing committee and the Senate and House
             39      chairmen of the appropriation subcommittee that have jurisdiction over the agency whose existing
             40      rules are being reviewed to participate as nonvoting, ex officio members with the committee.
             41          (d) Three representatives and three senators from the permanent members are a quorum for
             42      the transaction of business at any meeting.
             43          (2) Each agency rule as defined in Section 63-46a-2 shall be submitted to the committee
             44      at the same time public notice is given under Section 63-46a-4 .
             45          (3) (a) The committee shall exercise continuous oversight of the process of rulemaking.
             46          (b) The committee shall examine rules submitted by each agency to determine:
             47          (i) whether or not they are authorized by statute;
             48          (ii) whether or not they comply with legislative intent;
             49          (iii) their impact on the economy and the government operations of the state and local
             50      political subdivisions; and
             51          (iv) their impact on affected persons.
             52          (c) To carry out these duties, the committee may examine any other issues that it considers
             53      necessary. The committee may also notify and refer rules to the chairmen of the interim committee
             54      which has jurisdiction over a particular agency when the committee determines that an issue
             55      involved in an agency's rules may be more appropriately addressed by that committee.
             56          (d) In reviewing the rules, the committee shall follow generally accepted principles of


             57      statutory construction.
             58          (4) The committee may request that the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst prepare
             59      a fiscal note on any rule.
             60          (5) In order to accomplish its oversight functions, the committee has all the powers granted
             61      to legislative interim committees as set forth in Section 36-12-11 .
             62          (6) (a) The committee may prepare written findings of its review of each rule and may
             63      include any recommendations, including legislative action.
             64          (b) The committee shall provide to the agency that enacted the rule:
             65          (i) a copy of its findings, if any; and
             66          (ii) a request that the agency notify the committee of any changes it makes in the rule.
             67          (c) The committee shall provide a copy of its findings to any member of the Legislature
             68      and to any person affected by the rule who requests a copy.
             69          (d) The committee shall provide a copy of its findings to the presiding officers of both the
             70      House and the Senate, Senate and House chairmen of the standing committee, and the Senate and
             71      House chairmen of the Appropriation Subcommittee that have jurisdiction over the agency whose
             72      rules are the subject of the findings.
             73          (7) (a) The committee may submit a report on its review of state agency rules to each
             74      member of the Legislature at each regular session.
             75          (b) The report shall include:
             76          (i) the findings and recommendations made by the committee under Subsection (6);
             77          (ii) any action taken by an agency in response to committee recommendations; and
             78          (iii) any recommendations by the committee for legislation.
             79          Section 2. Section 63-98-101 is enacted to read:
             80     
CHAPTER 98. UTAH FAIR GOVERNMENT PRACTICES ACT

             81     
Part 1. General Provisions

             82          63-98-101. Title.
             83          This chapter is known as the "Utah Fair Government Practices Act."
             84          Section 3. Section 63-98-102 is enacted to read:
             85          63-98-102. Definitions.
             86          As used in this chapter:
             87          (1) (a) "Agency" means the state of Utah or any department, division, or agency or other


             88      administrative subunit of the state.
             89          (b) "Agency" does not include:
             90          (i) a court or other instrumentality of the judicial branch;
             91          (ii) the Legislature or other instrumentality of the legislative branch;
             92          (iii) a municipality, county, school district, or special district; or
             93          (iv) an interlocal agency organized under Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act,
             94      unless an agency is a member.
             95          (2) "Applicant" means the person or entity applying for a permit.
             96          (3) "Application" means an application, petition, notice of intent, request for agency
             97      action, or other request for a permit.
             98          (4) "Complete application" means an application that contains all information sufficient
             99      to evaluate the application as required by the applicable statute or rule governing the content of the
             100      application.
             101          (5) "Permit" means an approval, order, license, authorization, or other action by an agency
             102      granting a right or entitlement to a person under the laws of the state.
             103          Section 4. Section 63-98-201 is enacted to read:
             104     
Part 2. Action on Applications

             105          63-98-201. Time within which to decide application -- Calculation of time --
             106      Submittal of amended application -- Applicability to pending applications.
             107          (1) State agencies shall act in a timely, efficient, and responsive manner in reviewing and
             108      making decisions on applications by its citizens for permits.
             109          (2) (a) Except as provided in this Subsection (2), each agency shall grant or deny each
             110      application for a permit by a date no later than one year after the date a complete application is
             111      submitted to the agency.
             112          (b) For purposes of this chapter, the calculation of the time spent by an agency in deciding
             113      to grant or deny a permit does not include any time spent in an appeal of the final decision of the
             114      agency to an administrative board or other reviewing authority.
             115          (c) If an applicant submits an amended application that contains substantive changes to
             116      the original application, the one-year time limit within which to make a decision to grant or deny
             117      the application shall begin on the date of submittal of the amended complete application.
             118          (d) If both the applicant and agency sign a written stipulation agreeing to a new date by


             119      which the agency must grant or deny an application for a permit, that new date supersedes the one
             120      year date required by Subsection (1)(a).
             121          (3) An agency may not deny an application merely because the time period established by
             122      this section has expired.
             123          (4) This chapter applies to:
             124          (a) each application filed after May 1, 2001; and
             125          (b) each complete application pending before an agency on May 1, 2001.
             126          (5) The requirements of this section do not apply to:
             127          (a) enforcement actions initiated by an agency;
             128          (b) judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings of boards or commissions; or
             129          (c) review of applications when statutes or rules expressly require or allow review periods
             130      of more or less than one year.
             131          Section 5. Section 63-98-301 is enacted to read:
             132     
Part 3. Remedies

             133          63-98-301. Request and review by Administrative Rules and Regulatory Permit
             134      Review Committee.
             135          (1) If an agency fails to grant or deny a complete application for a permit within the time
             136      period established by Subsection 63-98-201 ((2), the applicant may submit a request for review to
             137      the Administrative Rules and Regulatory Permits Review Committee.
             138          (2) When the committee receives the request, the chairs of the committee shall place the
             139      issue on an agenda to be considered at a meeting held within 30 days from the date the committee
             140      receives the request.
             141          (3) At the meeting, the committee shall hear testimony from the applicant and from the
             142      agency.
             143          (4) The agency failing to make the decision shall report to the committee its reasons for
             144      failing to make a timely decision.
             145          (5) If the committee finds, by substantial evidence, that the agency has failed to grant or
             146      deny a permit within the time limits established by Section 63-98-201 , the committee shall direct
             147      the agency to refund the applicant's permit or application fee.


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