The Virginia Register OF
REGULATIONS is an official state publication issued every other week
throughout the year. Indexes are published quarterly, and are cumulative for
the year. The Virginia Register has several functions. The new and
amended sections of regulations, both as proposed and as finally adopted, are
required by law to be published in the Virginia Register. In addition,
the Virginia Register is a source of other information about state
government, including petitions for rulemaking, emergency regulations,
executive orders issued by the Governor, and notices of public hearings on
regulations.
ADOPTION,
AMENDMENT, AND REPEAL OF REGULATIONS
An
agency wishing to adopt, amend, or repeal regulations must first publish in the
Virginia Register a notice of intended regulatory action; a basis,
purpose, substance and issues statement; an economic impact analysis prepared
by the Department of Planning and Budget; the agency’s response to the economic
impact analysis; a summary; a notice giving the public an opportunity to
comment on the proposal; and the text of the proposed regulation.
Following
publication of the proposal in the Virginia Register, the promulgating agency
receives public comments for a minimum of 60 days. The Governor reviews the
proposed regulation to determine if it is necessary to protect the public
health, safety and welfare, and if it is clearly written and easily
understandable. If the Governor chooses to comment on the proposed regulation,
his comments must be transmitted to the agency and the Registrar no later than
15 days following the completion of the 60-day public comment period. The
Governor’s comments, if any, will be published in the Virginia Register.
Not less than 15 days following the completion of the 60-day public comment
period, the agency may adopt the proposed regulation.
The
Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR) or the appropriate standing
committee of each house of the General Assembly may meet during the
promulgation or final adoption process and file an objection with the Registrar
and the promulgating agency. The objection will be published in the Virginia
Register. Within 21 days after receipt by the agency of a legislative
objection, the agency shall file a response with the Registrar, the objecting
legislative body, and the Governor.
When
final action is taken, the agency again publishes the text of the regulation as
adopted, highlighting all changes made to the proposed regulation and
explaining any substantial changes made since publication of the proposal. A
30-day final adoption period begins upon final publication in the Virginia
Register.
The
Governor may review the final regulation during this time and, if he objects,
forward his objection to the Registrar and the agency. In addition to or in
lieu of filing a formal objection, the Governor may suspend the effective date
of a portion or all of a regulation until the end of the next regular General
Assembly session by issuing a directive signed by a majority of the members of
the appropriate legislative body and the Governor. The Governor’s objection or
suspension of the regulation, or both, will be published in the Virginia
Register. If the Governor finds that changes made to the proposed
regulation have substantial impact, he may require the agency to provide an
additional 30-day public comment period on the changes. Notice of the
additional public comment period required by the Governor will be published in
the Virginia Register.
The
agency shall suspend the regulatory process for 30 days when it receives
requests from 25 or more individuals to solicit additional public comment,
unless the agency determines that the changes have minor or inconsequential
impact.
A
regulation becomes effective at the conclusion of the 30-day final adoption
period, or at any other later date specified by the promulgating agency, unless
(i) a legislative objection has been filed, in which event the regulation,
unless withdrawn, becomes effective on the date specified, which shall be after
the expiration of the 21-day objection period; (ii) the Governor exercises his
authority to require the agency to provide for additional public comment, in
which event the regulation, unless withdrawn, becomes effective on the date
specified, which shall be after the expiration of the period for which the
Governor has provided for additional public comment; (iii) the Governor and the
General Assembly exercise their authority to suspend the effective date of a
regulation until the end of the next regular legislative session; or (iv) the
agency suspends the regulatory process, in which event the regulation, unless
withdrawn, becomes effective on the date specified, which shall be after the
expiration of the 30-day public comment period and no earlier than 15 days from
publication of the readopted action.
A
regulatory action may be withdrawn by the promulgating agency at any time
before the regulation becomes final.
FAST-TRACK
RULEMAKING PROCESS
Section
2.2-4012.1 of the Code of Virginia provides an exemption from certain
provisions of the Administrative Process Act for agency regulations deemed by
the Governor to be noncontroversial. To use this process, Governor's
concurrence is required and advance notice must be provided to certain
legislative committees. Fast-track regulations will become effective on the
date noted in the regulatory action if no objections to using the process are
filed in accordance with § 2.2-4012.1.
EMERGENCY
REGULATIONS
Pursuant
to § 2.2-4011 of the Code of Virginia, an agency, upon consultation
with the Attorney General, and at the discretion of the Governor, may adopt
emergency regulations that are necessitated by an emergency situation. An
agency may also adopt an emergency regulation when Virginia statutory law or
the appropriation act or federal law or federal regulation requires that a
regulation be effective in 280 days or less from its enactment. The emergency regulation becomes operative upon its
adoption and filing with the Registrar of Regulations, unless a later date is
specified. Emergency regulations are limited to no more than 18 months in
duration; however, may be extended for six months under certain circumstances
as provided for in § 2.2-4011 D. Emergency regulations are published as
soon as possible in the Register.
During
the time the emergency status is in effect, the agency may proceed with the
adoption of permanent regulations through the usual procedures. To begin
promulgating the replacement regulation, the agency must (i) file the Notice of
Intended Regulatory Action with the Registrar within 60 days of the effective
date of the emergency regulation and (ii) file the proposed regulation with the
Registrar within 180 days of the effective date of the emergency regulation. If
the agency chooses not to adopt the regulations, the emergency status ends when
the prescribed time limit expires.
STATEMENT
The
foregoing constitutes a generalized statement of the procedures to be followed.
For specific statutory language, it is suggested that Article 2 (§ 2.2-4006
et seq.) of Chapter 40 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia be examined
carefully.
CITATION
TO THE VIRGINIA REGISTER
The Virginia
Register is cited by volume, issue, page number, and date. 34:8 VA.R.
763-832 December 11, 2017, refers to Volume 34, Issue 8, pages 763 through
832 of the Virginia Register issued on
December 11, 2017.
The
Virginia Register of Regulations is
published pursuant to Article 6 (§ 2.2-4031 et seq.) of Chapter 40 of
Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Members
of the Virginia Code Commission: John
S. Edwards, Chair; James A. "Jay" Leftwich, Vice Chair;
Ryan T. McDougle; Rita Davis; Leslie L. Lilley; E.M. Miller,
Jr.; Thomas M. Moncure, Jr.; Christopher R. Nolen; Charles S. Sharp; Samuel T.
Towell; Malfourd W. Trumbo; Mark J. Vucci.
Staff
of the Virginia Register: Karen
Perrine, Registrar of Regulations; Anne Bloomsburg, Assistant
Registrar; Nikki Clemons, Regulations Analyst; Rhonda Dyer,
Publications Assistant; Terri Edwards, Senior Operations Staff
Assistant.