AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES (Amends the refiling process for rules and regulations under the administrative procedures act by implementing a confirmation and attestation system to confirm agency rules and regulations are active and effective.)

H8297

2026 -- H 8297
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LC005961
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEDURES

Introduced By:
Representatives Read, Noret, and McGaw

Date Introduced:
March 13, 2026

Referred To:
House State Government & Elections
(Secretary of State)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 42-35-4.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-35 entitled
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"Administrative Procedures" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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42-35-4.1.
Refiling of rules and regulations
Confirmation of effective rules and
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regulations.
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(a)
Each agency shall,
on or before January 2, 2002

on the first Tuesday in January of every
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successive fifth year
, according to a schedule
and process
specified by the secretary of state, file
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with the secretary of state an electronic
list of

notice listing
all its lawfully adopted rules that are in
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force on the date of
the filing

said notice attesting that all its lawfully adopted rules have been
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reviewed by the agency and thereby confirm all its lawfully adopted rules shall remain effective as
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previously promulgated. Notwithstanding the electronic notice and the filing thereof as prescribed
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in this section, any adoption, amendment, repeal, or other promulgation activity, as defined in § 42-
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35-1, shall be undertaken only in accordance with the rulemaking process set forth in this chapter
.
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(b) Each agency shall give notice thirty (30) days prior to refiling any rule or regulation in
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order to comply with this section. Each agency shall also give notice, thirty (30) days prior to that
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agency’s due date for refiling, of which rules and regulations it shall not be refiling. The notices
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shall include a statement of the intended action and a description of the subjects and issues involved.
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The public notice of the refile shall be provided to all persons who have made timely request of the
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agency for advance notice of its rulemaking proceedings, and published in a newspaper, or

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newspapers, having aggregate general circulation throughout the state.
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(c) Agency compliance with this section shall be coordinated in accordance with a schedule
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established by the secretary of state for agency refiling of rules.
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SECTION 2. Section 42-35-4.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-35 entitled
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"Administrative Procedures" is hereby repealed.
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42-35-4.2. Periodic refiling of rules and regulations.
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All rules on file with the secretary of state pursuant to § 42-35-4.1 shall be refiled on the
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first Tuesday in January 2007 and on the first Tuesday in January of every successive fifth year.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEDURES
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This act would amend the refiling process for rules and regulations under the administrative
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procedures act by implementing a confirmation and attestation system to confirm agency rules and
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regulations are active and effective and would repeal the section of law relating to periodic refiling
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of rules and regulations.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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