Regulations: economic impacts review.

Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law requires the Department of Finance to adopt and update, as necessary, instructions for inclusion in the State Administrative Manual that prescribe the methods that any agency shall use in making certain determinations relating to the impact of proposed regulations. Existing law also authorizes the department to review any estimate prepared pursuant to these provisions for content. This bill would additionally require the department to adopt and update instructions for inclusion in the State Administrative Manual that prescribe the methods that any agency shall use in making certain determinations, estimates, statements, and findings relating to the economic and cost impacts of a regulation on businesses and private individuals. The bill would require, instead of authorize, the department to review these determinations, estimates, statements, and findings for content. This bill would require the department, if it determines that an agency's determinations, estimates, statements, or findings are erroneous or otherwise inconsistent with the prescribed guidelines, criteria, or formats, to submit its determinations to the agency in the form of public comment to be considered by the agency, as specified. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 6, 2010. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 6, 2010, pursuant to the California Constitution.