CHAPTER 54
UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE ACT

      Sec. 4-168. Notice prior to action on regulations. Fiscal notes. Small business impact. Hearings. Adoption procedure. Emergency regulations. Technical amendments. (a) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, an agency, prior to adopting a proposed regulation, shall: (1) Give at least thirty days' notice by publication in the Connecticut Law Journal of its intended action. The notice shall include (A) either a statement of the terms or of the substance of the proposed regulation or a description sufficiently detailed so as to apprise persons likely to be affected of the issues and subjects involved in the proposed regulation, (B) a statement of the purposes for which the regulation is proposed, (C) a reference to the statutory authority for the proposed regulation, (D) when, where and how interested persons may obtain a copy of the small business impact and regulatory flexibility analyses required pursuant to section 4-168a, and (E) when, where and how interested persons may present their views on the proposed regulation; (2) give notice to each joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of the subject matter of the proposed regulation; (3) give notice to all persons who have made requests to the agency for advance notice of its regulation-making proceedings. The agency may charge a reasonable fee for such notice based on the estimated cost of providing the service; (4) provide a paper copy or electronic version of the proposed regulation to persons requesting it. The agency may charge a reasonable fee for copies in accordance with the provisions of section 1-212; (5) no later than the date of publication of the notice in the Connecticut Law Journal, prepare a fiscal note, including an estimate of the cost or of the revenue impact (A) on the state or any municipality of the state, and (B) on small businesses in the state, including an estimate of the number of small businesses subject to the proposed regulation and the projected costs, including but not limited to, reporting, recordkeeping and administrative, associated with compliance with the proposed regulation and, if applicable, the regulatory flexibility analysis prepared under section 4-168a. The governing body of any municipality, if requested, shall provide the agency, within twenty working days, with any information that may be necessary for analysis in preparation of such fiscal note; (6) afford all interested persons reasonable opportunity to submit data, views or arguments, orally at a hearing granted under subdivision (7) of this subsection or in writing, and to inspect and copy the fiscal note prepared pursuant to subdivision (5) of this subsection; (7) grant an opportunity to present oral argument if requested by fifteen persons, by a governmental subdivision or agency or by an association having not less than fifteen members, if notice of the request is received by the agency within fourteen days after the date of publication of the notice; and (8) consider fully all written and oral submissions respecting the proposed regulation and revise the fiscal note in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (5) of this subsection to indicate any changes made in the proposed regulation. No regulation shall be found invalid due to the failure of an agency to give notice to each committee of cognizance pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, provided one such committee has been so notified.

      (b) If an agency is required by a public act to adopt regulations, the agency, within five months after the effective date of the public act or by the time specified in the public act, shall publish in the Connecticut Law Journal the notice required by subsection (a) of this section of its intent to adopt regulations. If the agency fails to publish the notice within such five-month period or by the time specified in the public act, the agency shall submit a written statement of its reasons for failure to do so to the Governor, the joint standing committee having cognizance of the subject matter of the regulations and the standing legislative regulation review committee. The agency shall submit the required regulations to the standing legislative regulation review committee, as provided in subsection (b) of section 4-170, not later than one hundred eighty days after publication of the notice of its intent to adopt regulations, or submit a written statement of its reasons for failure to do so to the committee.

      (c) An agency may begin the regulation-making process under this chapter before the effective date of the public act requiring or permitting the agency to adopt regulations, but no regulation may take effect before the effective date of such act.

      (d) Upon reaching a decision on whether to proceed with the proposed regulation or to alter its text from that initially proposed, the agency, at least twenty days before submitting the proposed regulation to the standing legislative regulation review committee, shall mail to all persons who have made submissions pursuant to subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of this section or who have made statements or oral arguments concerning the proposed regulation and who have requested notification, notice that it has decided to take action on the proposed regulation and that it has made available for copying and inspection pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200: (1) The final wording of the proposed regulation; (2) a statement of the principal reasons in support of its intended action; and (3) a statement of the principal considerations in opposition to its intended action as urged in written or oral comments on the proposed regulation and its reasons for rejecting such considerations.

      (e) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, no regulation may be adopted, amended or repealed by any agency until it is (1) approved by the Attorney General as to legal sufficiency, as provided in section 4-169, (2) approved by the standing legislative regulation review committee, as provided in section 4-170 and (3) filed in the office of the Secretary of the State, as provided in section 4-172.

      (f) (1) An agency may proceed to adopt an emergency regulation in accordance with this subsection without prior notice or hearing or upon any abbreviated notice and hearing that it finds practicable if (A) the agency finds that adoption of a regulation upon fewer than thirty days' notice is required (i) due to an imminent peril to the public health, safety or welfare or (ii) by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection in order to comply with the provisions of interstate fishery management plans adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission or to meet unforeseen circumstances or emergencies affecting marine resources, (B) the agency states in writing its reasons for that finding, and (C) the Governor approves such finding in writing.

      (2) The original of such emergency regulation and an electronic copy shall be submitted to the standing legislative regulation review committee in the form prescribed in subsection (b) of section 4-170, together with a statement of the terms or substance of the intended action, the purpose of the action and a reference to the statutory authority under which the action is proposed, not later than ten days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to the proposed effective date of such regulation. The committee may approve or disapprove the regulation, in whole or in part, within such ten-day period at a regular meeting, if one is scheduled, or may upon the call of either chairman or any five or more members hold a special meeting for the purpose of approving or disapproving the regulation, in whole or in part. Failure of the committee to act on such regulation within such ten-day period shall be deemed an approval. If the committee disapproves such regulation, in whole or in part, it shall notify the agency of the reasons for its action. An approved regulation, filed in the office of the Secretary of the State, may be effective for a period of not longer than one hundred twenty days renewable once for a period of not exceeding sixty days, provided notification of such sixty-day renewal is filed in the office of the Secretary of the State and a copy is given to the committee, but the adoption of an identical regulation in accordance with the provisions of subsections (a), (b) and (d) of this section is not precluded. The sixty-day renewal period may be extended an additional sixty days for emergency regulations described in subparagraph (A)(ii) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, provided the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection requests of the standing legislative regulation review committee an extension of the renewal period at the time such regulation is submitted or not less than ten days before the first sixty-day renewal period expires and said committee approves such extension. Failure of the committee to act on such request within ten days shall be deemed an approval of the extension.

      (3) If the necessary steps to adopt a permanent regulation, including publication of notice of intent to adopt, preparation and submission of a fiscal note in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 4-170 and approval by the Attorney General and the standing legislative regulation review committee, are not completed prior to the expiration date of an emergency regulation, the emergency regulation shall cease to be effective on that date.

      (g) If an agency finds (1) that technical amendments to an existing regulation are necessary because of (A) the statutory transfer of functions, powers or duties from the agency named in the existing regulation to another agency, (B) a change in the name of the agency, (C) the renumbering of the section of the general statutes containing the statutory authority for the regulation, or (D) a correction in the numbering of the regulation, and no substantive changes are proposed, or (2) that the repeal of a regulation is necessary because the section of the general statutes under which the regulation has been adopted has been repealed and has not been transferred or reenacted, it may elect to comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section or may proceed without prior notice or hearing. Any such amendments to or repeal of a regulation shall be submitted in the form and manner prescribed in subsection (b) of section 4-170, to the Attorney General, as provided in section 4-169, and to the standing legislative regulation review committee, as provided in section 4-170, for approval and upon approval shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the State with, in the case of renumbering of sections only, a correlated table of the former and new section numbers.

      (h) No regulation adopted after October 1, 1985, is valid unless adopted in substantial compliance with this section. A proceeding to contest any regulation on the ground of noncompliance with the procedural requirements of this section shall be commenced within two years from the effective date of the regulation.

      (1971, P.A. 854, S. 3; P.A. 73-616, S. 3; 73-620, S. 5, 19; P.A. 77-604, S. 82, 84; P.A. 78-283, S. 1; P.A. 79-623, S. 4, 5, 8; P.A. 80-471, S. 2; P.A. 83-277, S. 1, 3; P.A. 84-132; P.A. 85-608, S. 1; P.A. 86-250, S. 1, 4; P.A. 88-317, S. 3, 107; P.A. 90-124, S. 1; P.A. 94-179, S. 2; P.A. 96-16; P.A. 97-47, S. 26; P.A. 99-90, S. 2-4; P.A. 00-62; P.A. 05-288, S. 15, 16; P.A. 07-217, S. 9; P.A. 09-19, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; 11-81, S. 4; 11-150, S. 18.)

      History: P.A. 73-616 made technical changes; P.A. 73-620 required that requests to present arguments be made within 10 days of proposed regulation's publication and deleted provisions requiring publication of a defense of any regulation's adoption; P.A. 77-604 clarified procedure for adopting emergency regulations by requiring notice to and approval or rejection by regulation review committee at regular or special meeting; P.A. 78-283 allowed disapproval of emergency regulations in whole or in part, required notice to review committee of regulation's renewal and added provisions regarding adoption of emergency regulation as permanent regulation; P.A. 79-623 amended section to include provisions concerning fiscal notes, effective with respect to fiscal year ending June 30, 1980; P.A. 80-471 substantially amended section, in Subsec. (a), changing notice requirement from 20 to 30 days, clarifying contents of notice statement and providing for mailing to interested persons and in Subsec. (b) requiring governor's approval of emergency regulations, changing date of notice to review committee from 5 to 10 days prior to regulation's effective date and requiring regulations to be filed in secretary of the state's office; P.A. 83-277 inserted new Subsec. (c) which sets forth the procedure governing the adoption of technical amendments to agency regulations, relettering former Subsec. (c) accordingly; P.A. 84-132 added requirement that agencies submit proposed regulations to committee within 180 days after publication of notice and permitted technical amendment of regulations without hearing when general statute under which regulations were adopted is repealed; P.A. 85-608 changed publication of notice requirement in Subsec. (a) from one year to five months or by the first day of November following the passage of the act, whichever is earlier; P.A. 86-250 made technical changes including relettering of subsections and deleted requirement that agencies publish notice of intent to adopt regulations by November first following passage of act requiring adoption; P.A. 88-317 relettered subsections and renumbered subdivisions, rearranged and rephrased provisions, made other technical revisions and amended Subsec. (c) to allow agency to begin regulation-making process before effective date of act requiring or authorizing regulations, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to agency proceedings commenced on or after that date; P.A. 90-124 amended Subsec. (a) to require an agency, prior to adopting a regulation, to give notice of its intended action to each committee of the general assembly having cognizance of the subject of the regulation and provided that no regulation shall be found invalid due to an agency's failure to give such notice to each such committee if one such committee has been so notified; (Revisor's note: In 1993 the reference in Subsec. (d) to "subdivision (5) of subsection (a)" was changed editorially to "subdivision (6) of subsection (a)" to reflect renumbering of subdivisions in P.A. 90-124, S. 1); P.A. 94-179 amended Subsec. (a)(5) to require regulatory flexibility analysis to be included in fiscal note, if applicable (Revisor's note: Language newly designated as Subparas. (1) and (2) within Subdiv. (5) was redesignated by the Revisors as Subparas. (A) and (B) for statutory conformity); P.A. 96-16 amended Subsec. (f) to authorize emergency regulations by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection re fishery management and to make technical changes; P.A. 97-47 amended Subsec. (d) by substituting "the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-18a" for "chapter 3"; P.A. 99-90 amended Subsec. (b) by inserting "as provided in subsection (b) of section 4-170", amended Subsec. (f)(2) by requiring eighteen copies, instead of seventeen copies, to be submitted to regulation review committee and amended Subsec. (g) by inserting "or (D) a correction in the numbering of the regulation,"; P.A. 00-62 amended Subsec. (f)(2) by adding provision allowing additional 60 days for emergency fisheries regulations; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (g), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007; P.A. 09-19 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding new Subpara. (D) re small business impact and regulatory flexibility analyses and redesignating existing Subpara. (D) as Subpara. (E), and amended Subsec. (a)(5) by replacing "following" with "no later than the date of" and adding provision in Subpara. (B) re impact on small businesses; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, "Commissioner of Environmental Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection" in Subsec. (f), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-81 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting requirement for notice "by mail" in Subdivs. (2) and (3) and by changing "copy" to "paper copy or electronic version" in Subdiv. (4); P.A. 11-150 amended Subsec. (f)(2) to replace reference to 18 copies with "an electronic copy".

      Sec. 4-170. Legislative regulation review committee. Filing requirements for regulations. Fiscal notes required. (a) There shall be a standing legislative committee to review all regulations of the several state departments and agencies following the proposal thereof, which shall consist of eight members of the House of Representatives, four from each major party, to be appointed on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January in the odd-numbered years, by the speaker of said House, and six members of the Senate, three from each major party, to be appointed on or before said dates by the president pro tempore of the Senate. The members shall serve for the balance of the term for which they were elected. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the authority making the appointment. The members of the committee shall elect from among their members two cochairpersons, one of whom shall be a member of the Senate and one of whom shall be a member of the House of Representatives, and either of whom may call meetings of the committee for the performance of its duties.

      (b) (1) No adoption, amendment or repeal of any regulation, except a regulation issued pursuant to subsection (f) of section 4-168, shall be effective until (A) the original of the proposed regulation approved by the Attorney General, as provided in section 4-169, the regulatory flexibility analyses as provided in section 4-168a and an electronic copy thereof are submitted to the standing legislative regulation review committee at the designated office of the committee, in a manner designated by the committee, by the agency proposing the regulation, (B) the regulation is approved by the committee, at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for the purpose, and (C) the regulation is filed in the office of the Secretary of the State by the agency, as provided in section 4-172. (2) The date of submission for purposes of subsection (c) of this section shall be the first Tuesday of each month. Any regulation received by the committee on or before the first Tuesday of a month shall be deemed to have been submitted on the first Tuesday of that month. Any regulation submitted after the first Tuesday of a month shall be deemed to be submitted on the first Tuesday of the next succeeding month. (3) The form of proposed regulations which are submitted to the committee shall be as follows: New language added to an existing regulation shall be in capital letters or underlining, as determined by the committee; language to be deleted shall be enclosed in brackets and a new regulation or new section of a regulation shall be preceded by the word "(NEW)" in capital letters. Each proposed regulation shall have a statement of its purpose following the final section of the regulation. (4) The committee may permit any proposed regulation, including, but not limited to, a proposed regulation which by reference incorporates in whole or in part, any other code, rule, regulation, standard or specification, to be submitted in summary form together with a statement of purpose for the proposed regulation. On and after October 1, 1994, if the committee finds that a federal statute requires, as a condition of the state exercising regulatory authority, that a Connecticut regulation at all times must be identical to a federal statute or regulation, then the committee may approve a Connecticut regulation that by reference specifically incorporates future amendments to such federal statute or regulation provided the agency that proposed the Connecticut regulation shall submit for approval amendments to such Connecticut regulations to the committee not later than thirty days after the effective date of such amendment, and provided further the committee may hold a public hearing on such Connecticut amendments. (5) The agency shall append a copy of the fiscal note, prepared pursuant to subsection (a) of section 4-168, to each copy of the proposed regulation. At the time of submission to the committee, the agency shall submit an electronic copy of the proposed regulation and the fiscal note to (A) the Office of Fiscal Analysis which, not later than seven days after receipt, shall submit an analysis of the fiscal note to the committee; and (B) each joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of the subject matter of the proposed regulation. No regulation shall be found invalid due to the failure of an agency to submit a copy of the proposed regulation and the fiscal note to each committee of cognizance, provided such regulation and fiscal note has been submitted to one such committee.

      (c) The committee shall review all proposed regulations and, in its discretion, may hold public hearings thereon, and may approve, disapprove or reject without prejudice, in whole or in part, any such regulation. If the committee fails to so approve, disapprove or reject without prejudice a proposed regulation, within sixty-five days after the date of submission as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the committee shall be deemed to have approved the proposed regulation for purposes of this section.

      (d) If the committee disapproves a proposed regulation in whole or in part, it shall give notice of the disapproval and the reasons for the disapproval to the agency, and no agency shall thereafter issue any regulation or directive or take other action to implement such disapproved regulation or part thereof, as the case may be, except that the agency may adopt a substantively new regulation in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, provided the General Assembly may reverse such disapproval under the provisions of section 4-171. If the committee disapproves any regulation proposed for the purpose of implementing a federally subsidized or assisted program, the General Assembly shall be required to either sustain or reverse the disapproval.

      (e) If the committee rejects a proposed regulation without prejudice, in whole or in part, it shall notify the agency of the reasons for the rejection and the agency shall resubmit the regulation in revised form, if the adoption of such regulation is required by the general statutes or any public or special act, not later than the first Tuesday of the second month following such rejection without prejudice and may so resubmit any other regulation, in the same manner as provided in this section for the initial submission with a summary of revisions identified by paragraph. The committee shall review and take action on such revised regulation no later than thirty-five days after the date of submission, as provided in subsection (b) of this section. Publication of the notice in the Connecticut Law Journal pursuant to the provisions of section 4-168 shall not be required in the case of such resubmission.

      (f) If an agency fails to file any regulation approved in whole or in part by the standing legislative regulation review committee in the office of the Secretary of the State as provided in section 4-172, within fourteen days after the date of approval, the agency shall notify the committee, within five days after such fourteen-day period, of its reasons for not so filing. If any agency fails to comply with the time limits established under subsection (b) of section 4-168 or under subsection (e) of this section, the administrative head of such agency shall submit to the committee a written explanation of the reasons for such noncompliance. The committee, upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of its members, may grant an extension of the time limits established under subsection (b) of section 4-168 and under subsection (e) of this section. If no such extension is granted, the administrative head of the agency shall personally appear before the standing legislative regulation review committee, at a time prescribed by the committee, to explain such failure to comply. After any such appearance, the committee may, upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of its members, report such noncompliance to the Governor. Within fourteen days thereafter the Governor shall report to the committee concerning the action the Governor has taken to ensure compliance with the provisions of section 4-168 and with the provisions of this section.

      (1971, P.A. 854, S. 5; 1972, P.A. 258, S. 2; P.A. 73-396, S. 1, 2; P.A. 76-297, S. 2; 76-434, S. 3, 12; P.A. 78-283, S. 2; P.A. 79-623, S. 2, 8; P.A. 80-471, S. 4; P.A. 83-322, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-608, S. 2; P.A. 86-250, S. 2, 4; 86-403, S. 9, 132; P.A. 88-317, S. 5, 107; P.A. 90-124, S. 2; P.A. 94-76; P.A. 95-41; P.A. 99-90, S. 5; P.A. 01-195, S. 75, 181; P.A. 05-288, S. 17; P.A. 09-19, S. 4; P.A. 11-150, S. 19.)

      History: 1972 act specified the form of proposed regulations to be presented to regulation review committee; P.A. 73-396 changed date of appointment from July 1 to the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January of odd-numbered years and required seventeen copies rather than one copy to be given the review committee; P.A. 76-297 allowed submission of regulations in summary form and included procedure for course of action if committee rejects resolution without prejudice; P.A. 76-434 deleted provision providing per diem and reimbursement for expenses; P.A. 78-283 required that regulations be filed in secretary of the state's office and required notification of review committee if filing not performed; P.A. 79-623 added provisions concerning fiscal notes; P.A. 80-471 revised form of submitted regulations and permitted summary form; P.A. 83-322 specified the date of submission of proposed regulations for the purposes of Subsec. (c), and required that the proposed regulations be submitted at the designated office of the legislative regulation review committee; P.A. 85-608 upon disapproval of a proposed regulation, mandated adoption of a substantively new regulation, when required by public act and permitted adoption of any other regulation, mandated resubmission of revised regulation, if the adoption of such regulation is required by public act and permitted resubmission of any other regulation and provided procedures upon failure to comply with time limits imposed by Sec. 4-168; P.A. 86-250 made technical changes, deleted requirement that agency adopt a substantively new regulation in case of disapproval by committee and specified time for resubmittal of regulation rejected without prejudice; P.A. 86-403 made technical change; P.A. 88-317 made technical changes, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 90-124 amended Subsec. (b) to require that agency, at the time of submission of a proposed regulation to the regulation review committee, submit such regulation to each committee of the general assembly having cognizance of the subject of the regulation and provided no regulation shall be found invalid due to an agency's failure to submit such regulation to each such committee if such submission has been made to one such committee; P.A. 94-76 in Subsec. (b) authorized the approval of a Connecticut regulation which specifically incorporates future amendments to a federal statute or regulation; P.A. 95-41 amended Subsec. (e) to change date by which committees shall review and take action on revised regulation from "within" to "no later than" thirty-five days after date of submission; P.A. 99-90 amended Subsec. (b) by dividing the Subsec. into Subdivs. and Subparas., substituting "eighteen copies" for "seventeen copies" and inserting ", in a manner designated by the committee," in Subdiv. (1), and allowing new language in a regulation to be underlined as an alternative to capital letters, as determined by the committee, in Subdiv. (2) and made technical changes; P.A. 01-195 made technical changes in Subsec. (f), effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 09-19 amended Subsec. (b)(1)(A) to include regulatory flexibility analyses and made technical changes in Subsec. (b)(5); P.A. 11-150 amended Subsec. (b) to substitute "an electronic copy" for "eighteen copies", to require agency to submit an electronic copy of the regulation and fiscal note, and to make technical changes.