§ 4-5-202 — When hearings required

(a) An agency shall precede all its rulemaking with notice and a public hearing unless: (1) The rule is adopted as an emergency rule; or (2) (A) The rule is promulgated as a proposed rule. (B) As used in this section, "proposed rule" and "proposed written rule" mean a rule that: (i) Involves minor, nonsubstantive modifications, including, but not limited to, clerical updates; (ii) Is approved by the joint government operations committee of the house of representatives and the senate pursuant to subdivision (a)(2)(C)(ii); (iii) Repeals an existing rule; or (iv) Eliminates or reduces a fee contained in an existing rule. (C) (i) Any rule promulgated as a proposed rule must be posted to the administrative register website within the secretary of state's website within seven (7) days of receipt, together with a statement that the agency will adopt the proposed rule without a public hearing unless within ninety (90) days after filing of the proposed rule with the secretary of state, a petition for a public hearing on the proposed rule is filed by ten (10) persons who will be affected by the rule, an association of ten (10) or more members, a municipality, or by a majority vote of any standing committee of the general assembly. If an agency receives such a petition, the agency shall not proceed with the proposed rulemaking until the agency has given notice and held a hearing as provided in this section. The agency shall forward the petition to the secretary of state. The secretary of state is not required to compile all filings of the preceding month into one (1) document. (ii) An agency may petition the joint government operations committee of the house of representatives and the senate to authorize a rule to be a proposed rule when the agency has given proper notice and held a public hearing pursuant to this part, but the rule is withdrawn to make nonsubstantive modifications to the rule prior to the review of the rule by the joint government operations committee. (b) Subdivision (a)(2) does not apply if another statute specifically requires the agency to hold a hearing prior to adoption of the rule under consideration. (c) The secretary of state shall prescribe rules governing the manner and form in which proposed written rules shall be prepared by the agencies for submission for publication under subdivision (a)(2). The secretary of state may require the online submission of rules and related filings pursuant to this part. The secretary of state may refuse to accept for publication any proposed rule that does not conform to such requirements.

Legislative History

Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 531, s 2, eff. 7/1/2021. Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 576, s 1, eff. 7/1/2016. Amended by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 502, s 1, eff. 7/1/2015. Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 782, s 1, eff. 7/1/2014. Acts 1975, ch. 370, § 8; 1978, ch. 938, § 3; T.C.A., § 4-530; Acts 1980, ch. 729, § 1; T.C.A., § 4-5-124; Acts 1982, ch. 874, § 10; 2009 , ch. 566, § 5.