Title of Regulation: 1VAC42-5. Public Partipation Guidelines (adding 1VAC42-5-10 through 1VAC42-5-110).

Statutory Authority: § 2.2-4007.02 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information: No public hearings are scheduled.

Public Comment Deadline: January 14, 2016.

Effective Date: January 29, 2016.

Agency Contact: Julie C. Grimes, Communications Coordinator, Office of the State Inspector General, 101 North 14th Street, 7th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 625-3276, FAX (804) 371-0165, or email julie.grimes@osig.virginia.gov.

Basis: The legal basis for the Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) to promulgate its initial public participation guidelines is § 2.2-4007.02 of the Code of Virginia. OSIG is required to promulgate regulations under § 2.2-3014 of the Code of Virginia for the proper administration of the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund. OSIG is also authorized to adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind regulations related to carrying out its statutory duties by §§ 2.2-307 through 2.2-322 of the Code of Virginia.

Purpose: The purpose of adopting and promulgating the initial public participation guidelines is to ensure the regulatory review process used by OSIG with regard to the regulations it adopts, promulgates, amends, or rescinds is generally consistent with the rulemaking process used by other Virginia rulemaking bodies.

Rationale for Using Fast-Track Process: The promulgation of this regulation should be noncontroversial because OSIG is merely adopting the model public participation guidelines developed by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

Substance: OSIG is adopting its initial public participation guidelines because it is responsible for promulgating regulations for the administration of the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund. The regulations may be subject to periodic regulatory review, thus necessitating the need to adopt initial public participation guidelines, which are based upon the model public participation guidelines issued by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. The public participation guidelines exist to promote public involvement in the development, amendment, or repeal of an agency's regulations. Under § 2.2-4007.02 of the Code of Virginia, rulemaking bodies are required to adopt public participation guidelines and to use these guidelines in the development of their regulations. Adoption of public participation guidelines will ensure OSIG's rulemaking process is consistent with the process used by other Virginia rulemaking bodies. There are no substantive provisions or changes to the model public participation guidelines offered to executive agencies by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

Issues: The primary advantage of this regulation is that OSIG will have in place public participation guidelines consistent with the Governor's executive agencies that will guide future regulatory action by OSIG. There are no disadvantages to taking this action.

Department of Planning and Budget's Economic Impact Analysis:

Summary of the Proposed Amendments to Regulation. The Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) proposes to adopt model public participation guidelines as mandated in Chapter 321 of the 2008 Acts of Assembly.

Result of Analysis. The benefits likely exceed the costs for all proposed changes.

Estimated Economic Impact. Pursuant to Chapter 321 of the 2008 Acts of Assembly, the Department of Planning and Budget, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, (i) developed model public participation guidelines (PPGs) and (ii) provided these model PPGs to each agency that has the authority to promulgate regulations. Chapter 321 required that, by December 1, 2008, state agencies either (a) adopt these model public participation guidelines as an exempt action or (b) if significant additions or changes are proposed, promulgate the model public participation guidelines with the proposed changes as fast-track regulations pursuant to Code of Virginia section § 2.2-4012.1. Pursuant to Chapter 321, model PPGs promulgated by agencies after January 1, 2009, are subject to the normal requirements of the Administrative Process Act.

Pursuant to 2011 Acts of Assembly, Chapter 871, effective July 1, 2012, OSIG is authorized to promulgate regulations regarding the performance of its statutory duties regarding the proper administration of the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund including eligibility requirements and procedures for filing a claim. Thus, OSIG now proposes to promulgate the model PPGs as a fast-track action for development of its future regulations.

The purposes of the model PPG legislation are threefold: first, to ensure that each agency or board has a current set of PPGs in place.¹ Second, to ensure that each agency's or board's PPGs incorporate the use of technology such as the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, email to the extent possible, and the use of electronic mailing lists. Last, but perhaps most importantly, to have uniform guidelines in place to facilitate citizen participation in rulemaking and to make those guidelines consistent, to the extent possible, among all executive branch boards and agencies. For all of these reasons, citizens who are interested in participating in the OSIG's rulemaking process will benefit from the promulgation of these PPGs.

Businesses and Entities Affected. While OSIG has a broad client base, these PPGs are proposed for development of Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund regulations, the only regulations OSIG foresees at this time it will develop. Thus, citizens who are interested in participating in the OSIG's rulemaking process for the fund may be affected. Although there is no information on who may be interested in OSIG's rulemaking process, between July 1, 2012, and September 30, 2015, OSIG received 4,386 hotline calls, of which 1,971 were assigned for investigation.

Localities Particularly Affected. The proposed amendments do not disproportionately affect particular localities.

Projected Impact on Employment. The proposed amendments do not directly affect employment.

Effects on the Use and Value of Private Property. The proposed amendments do not directly affect the use and value of private property.

Real Estate Development Costs. The proposed amendments do not directly affect real estate development costs.

Small Businesses:

Definition. Pursuant to § 2.2-4007.04 of the Code of Virginia, small business is defined as "a business entity, including its affiliates, that (i) is independently owned and operated and (ii) employs fewer than 500 full-time employees or has gross annual sales of less than $6 million."

Costs and Other Effects. The proposed amendments do not directly affect small businesses.

Alternative Method that Minimizes Adverse Impact. The proposed amendments do not adversely affect small businesses.

Adverse Impacts:

Businesses: The proposed amendments do not adversely affect non-small businesses.

Localities: The proposed amendments do not adversely affect localities.

Other Entities: The proposed amendments do not adversely affect other entities.

__________________________

¹Some agencies and boards have not updated their PPGs since the mid-late 1980's.

Agency's Response to Economic Impact Analysis: The Office of the State Inspector General concurs with the findings of the Department of Planning and Budget's economic impact analysis.

Summary:

The regulations are based on model public participation guidelines issued by the Department of Planning and Budget pursuant to Chapter 321 of the 2008 Acts of Assembly. Public participation guidelines exist to promote public involvement in the development, amendment, or repeal of an agency's regulations. The public participation guidelines include (i) providing for the establishment and maintenance of notification lists of interested persons and specifying the information to be sent to such persons; (ii) providing for public comments on regulatory actions; (iii) establishing the time period during which public comments shall be accepted; (iv) providing that the plan to hold a public meeting shall be indicated in any notice of intended regulatory action; (v) providing for the appointment, when necessary, of regulatory advisory panels to provide professional specialization or technical assistance and negotiated rulemaking panels if a regulatory action is expected to be controversial; and (vi) providing for the periodic review of regulations.

CHAPTER 5
PUBLIC PARTIPATION GUIDELINES

Part I
Purpose and Definitions

1VAC42-5-10. Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to promote public involvement in the development, amendment, or repeal of the regulations of the Office of the State Inspector General. This chapter does not apply to regulations, guidelines, or other documents exempted or excluded from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).

1VAC42-5-20. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Administrative Process Act" means Chapter 40 (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia.

"Agency" means the Office of the State Inspector General, which is the unit of state government empowered by the agency's basic law to make regulations or decide cases. Actions specified in this chapter may be fulfilled by state employees as delegated by the agency.

"Basic law" means provisions in the Code of Virginia that delineate the basic authority and responsibilities of an agency.

"Commonwealth Calendar" means the electronic calendar for official government meetings open to the public as required by § 2.2-3707 C of the Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).

''Negotiated rulemaking panel'' or ''NRP'' means an ad hoc advisory panel of interested parties established by an agency to consider issues that are controversial with the assistance of a facilitator or mediator, for the purpose of reaching a consensus in the development of a proposed regulatory action.

"Notification list" means a list used to notify persons pursuant to this chapter. Such a list may include an electronic list maintained through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall or other list maintained by the agency.

"Open meeting" means any scheduled gathering of a unit of state government empowered by an agency's basic law to make regulations or decide cases, which is related to promulgating, amending, or repealing a regulation.

"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof.

"Public hearing" means a scheduled time at which members or staff of the agency will meet for the purpose of receiving public comment on a regulatory action.

"Regulation" means any statement of general application having the force of law, affecting the rights or conduct of any person, adopted by the agency in accordance with the authority conferred on it by applicable laws.

"Regulatory action" means the promulgation, amendment, or repeal of a regulation by the agency.

"Regulatory advisory panel" or "RAP" means a standing or ad hoc advisory panel of interested parties established by the agency for the purpose of assisting in regulatory actions.

"Town Hall" means the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, the website operated by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget at www.townhall.virginia.gov that has online public comment forums and displays information about regulatory meetings and regulatory actions under consideration in Virginia and sends this information to registered public users.

"Virginia Register" means the Virginia Register of Regulations, the publication that provides official legal notice of new, amended, and repealed regulations of state agencies, which is published under the provisions of Article 6 (§ 2.2-4031 et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act.

Part II
Notification of Interested Persons

1VAC42-5-30. Notification list.

A. The agency shall maintain a list of persons who have requested to be notified of regulatory actions being pursued by the agency.

B. Any person may request to be placed on a notification list by registering as a public user on the Town Hall or by making a request to the agency. Any person who requests to be placed on a notification list shall elect to be notified either by electronic means or through a postal carrier.

C. The agency may maintain additional lists for persons who have requested to be informed of specific regulatory issues, proposals, or actions.

D. When electronic mail is returned as undeliverable on multiple occasions at least 24 hours apart, that person may be deleted from the list. A single undeliverable message is insufficient cause to delete the person from the list.

E. When mail delivered by a postal carrier is returned as undeliverable on multiple occasions, that person may be deleted from the list.

F. The agency may periodically request those persons on the notification list to indicate their desire to either continue to be notified electronically, receive documents through a postal carrier, or be deleted from the list.

1VAC42-5-40. Information to be sent to persons on the notification list.

A. To persons electing to receive electronic notification or notification through a postal carrier as described in 1VAC42-5-30, the agency shall send the following information:

1. A notice of intended regulatory action (NOIRA).

2. A notice of the comment period on a proposed or a reproposed regulation and hyperlinks to, or instructions on how to obtain, a copy of the regulation and any supporting documents.

3. A notice soliciting comment on a final regulation when the regulatory process has been extended pursuant to § 2.2-4007.06 or 2.2-4013 C of the Code of Virginia.

B. The failure of any person to receive any notice or copies of any documents shall not affect the validity of any regulation or regulatory action.

Part III
Public Participation Procedures

1VAC42-5-50. Public comment.

A. In considering any nonemergency, nonexempt regulatory action, the agency shall afford interested persons an opportunity to (i) submit data, views, and arguments, either orally or in writing, to the agency, and (ii) be accompanied by and represented by counsel or other representative. Such opportunity to comment shall include an online public comment forum on the Town Hall.

1. To any requesting person, the agency shall provide copies of the statement of basis, purpose, substance, and issues; the economic impact analysis of the proposed or fast-track regulatory action; and the agency's response to public comments received.

2. The agency may begin crafting a regulatory action prior to or during any opportunities it provides to the public to submit comments.

B. The agency shall accept public comments in writing after the publication of a regulatory action in the Virginia Register as follows:

1. For a minimum of 30 calendar days following the publication of the notice of intended regulatory action (NOIRA).

2. For a minimum of 60 calendar days following the publication of a proposed regulation.

3. For a minimum of 30 calendar days following the publication of a reproposed regulation.

4. For a minimum of 30 calendar days following the publication of a final adopted regulation.

5. For a minimum of 30 calendar days following the publication of a fast-track regulation.

6. For a minimum of 21 calendar days following the publication of a notice of periodic review.

7. Not later than 21 calendar days following the publication of a petition for rulemaking.

C. The agency may determine if any of the comment periods listed in subsection B of this section shall be extended.

D. If the Governor finds that one or more changes with substantial impact have been made to a proposed regulation, he may require the agency to provide an additional 30 calendar days to solicit additional public comment on the changes in accordance with § 2.2-4013 C of the Code of Virginia.

E. The agency shall send a draft of the agency's summary description of public comment to all public commenters on the proposed regulation at least five days before final adoption of the regulation pursuant to § 2.2-4012 E of the Code of Virginia.

1VAC42-5-60. Petition for rulemaking.

A. As provided in § 2.2-4007 of the Code of Virginia, any person may petition the agency to consider a regulatory action.

B. A petition shall include but is not limited to the following information:

1. The petitioner's name and contact information;

2. The substance and purpose of the rulemaking that is requested, including reference to any applicable Virginia Administrative Code sections; and

3. Reference to the legal authority of the agency to take the action requested.

C. The agency shall receive, consider and respond to a petition pursuant to § 2.2-4007 and shall have the sole authority to dispose of the petition.

D. The petition shall be posted on the Town Hall and published in the Virginia Register.

E. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the agency from receiving information or from proceeding on its own motion for rulemaking.

1VAC42-5-70. Appointment of regulatory advisory panel.

A. The agency may appoint a RAP to provide professional specialization or technical assistance when the agency determines that such expertise is necessary to address a specific regulatory issue or action or when individuals indicate an interest in working with the agency on a specific regulatory issue or action.

B. Any person may request the appointment of a RAP and request to participate in its activities. The agency shall determine when a RAP shall be appointed and the composition of the RAP.

C. A RAP may be dissolved by the agency if:

1. The proposed text of the regulation is posted on the Town Hall, published in the Virginia Register, or such other time as the agency determines is appropriate; or

2. The agency determines that the regulatory action is either exempt or excluded from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act.

1VAC42-5-80. Appointment of negotiated rulemaking panel.

A. The agency may appoint an NRP if a regulatory action is expected to be controversial.

B. An NRP that has been appointed by the agency may be dissolved by the agency when:

1. There is no longer controversy associated with the development of the regulation;

2. The agency determines that the regulatory action is either exempt or excluded from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act; or

3. The agency determines that resolution of a controversy is unlikely.

1VAC42-5-90. Meetings.

Notice of any open meeting, including meetings of a RAP or an NRP, shall be posted on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall and Commonwealth Calendar at least seven working days prior to the date of the meeting. The exception to this requirement is any meeting held in accordance with § 2.2-3707 D of the Code of Virginia allowing for contemporaneous notice to be provided to participants and the public.

1VAC42-5-100. Public hearings on regulations.

A. The agency shall indicate in its notice of intended regulatory action whether it plans to hold a public hearing following the publication of the proposed stage of the regulatory action.

B. The agency may conduct one or more public hearings during the comment period following the publication of a proposed regulatory action.

C. An agency is required to hold a public hearing following the publication of the proposed regulatory action when:

1. The agency's basic law requires the agency to hold a public hearing;

2. The Governor directs the agency to hold a public hearing; or

3. The agency receives requests for a public hearing from at least 25 persons during the public comment period following the publication of the notice of intended regulatory action.

D. Notice of any public hearing shall be posted on the Town Hall and Commonwealth Calendar at least seven working days prior to the date of the hearing. The agency shall also notify those persons who requested a hearing under subdivision C 3 of this section.

1VAC42-5-110. Periodic review of regulations.

A. The agency shall conduct a periodic review of its regulations consistent with the following:

1. An executive order issued by the Governor pursuant to § 2.2-4017 of the Administrative Process Act to receive comment on all existing regulations as to their effectiveness, efficiency, necessity, clarity, and cost of compliance; and

2. The requirements in § 2.2-4007.1 of the Administrative Process Act regarding regulatory flexibility for small businesses.

B. A periodic review may be conducted separately or in conjunction with other regulatory actions.

C. Notice of a periodic review shall be posted on the Town Hall and published in the Virginia Register.