House Bill 197 Summary

• Establishes new definitions for "pending fee rule" and "pending non-fee rule" to distinguish rules that impose or increase fees from those that do not.

• Requires agencies to allow oral presentations on substantive rules via video conference or telephone, and mandates recording and posting of proceedings on agency websites for at least three years beginning July 1, 2026.

• Replaces the automatic annual rule expiration system with a staggered sunset schedule where all rule chapters expire between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2034, and new rules receive eight-year sunset dates from their effective date.

• Transfers legislative review authority from a prior structure to standing committees that may approve or reject rules in whole or in part based on consistency with legislative intent, with rejections communicated through concurrent resolution.

• Pending fee rules require affirmative approval by concurrent resolution to become final, while pending non-fee rules expire upon adjournment sine die if not approved during the legislative session in which they are submitted.