1 New Paragraph; Administrative Procedure Act; Definition of Business Impact Assessment Added. Amend RSA 541-A:1 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

II-a. "Business impact assessment" means a statement prepared by the legislative budget assistant using readily available data researched from common data sources that includes the elements required by RSA 541-A:5, IV.

2 Procedure for Adoption of Rules. Amend RSA 541-A:3, I to read as follows:

I. Filing a notice of the proposed rule under RSA 541-A:6, including a fiscal impact statement, a business impact assessment, and a statement that the proposed rule does not violate the New Hampshire constitution, part I, article 28-a;

3 New Section; Business Impact Assessment. Amend RSA 541-A by inserting after section 5 the following new section:

541-A:5-a Business Impact Assessment.

I. The agency shall provide the legislative budget assistant with adequate details of the intended action and supporting data to enable the legislative budget assistant to prepare a business impact assessment.

II. The legislative budget assistant shall develop a form which shall specify the details and supporting data necessary to assess the business impact of the intended action. The business impact of a proposed rule which was previously effective but has expired, or of a proposed rule which adopts a current agency policy, procedure, or practice as a rule for the first time, shall not be assessed as an existing rule but as a proposed rule which is not yet effective.

III. The legislative budget assistant shall establish a schedule of deadlines for submission of the business impact assessment form, and the agency shall file the completed form with the legislative budget assistant in accordance with such deadlines.

IV. The business impact assessment issued by the legislative budget assistant shall use readily available data researched from common data sources and shall include:

(a) An estimated number of businesses affected by the rule.

(b) The projected cost to businesses of complying with the rule, including reporting, record keeping, administrative costs, effect on the workforce, capital investment, taxation, competition, economic development, consumer choice, fees, and legal or other professional counsel.

(c) The projected time required initially and then annually thereafter to comply with the proposed rule.

(d) A comparison to federal law and regulations to determine if the rule will make New Hampshire law more onerous, costly, and time consuming or the same as federal law.

(e) A comparison to similar rules in the northeast region of the United States.

(f) A comparison to similar rules across the country.

(g) An analysis if it is determined that the rule will help some businesses but hurt others.

(h) An analysis of regulatory flexibility and exemptions or alternative means of compliance.

(i) An analysis of whether the rule waives fees and penalties for first-time offenders of noncompliance.

V. All agencies are directed to cooperate with the legislative budget assistant in the preparation of the business impact assessment.

4 Notice of Rulemaking Proceedings. Amend RSA 541-A:6, I(i) to read as follows:

(i) The fiscal impact statement and business impact assessment completed by the legislative budget assistant.

5 New Subparagraph; Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules; Objection Based on Business Impact Assessment. Amend RSA 541-A:13, IV by inserting after subparagraph (d) the following new subparagraph:

(e) Deemed by the committee to have a substantial business impact not recognized in the business impact assessment.

6 Review by the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules; Final Objection to Agency Rule; Expiration. RSA 541-A:13, VII is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

VII. Following a final objection to a rule filed under subparagraph V(f), any portion of the rule objected to which is adopted and filed by the agency shall expire 90 days after becoming effective.

7 Expiration of Rules; Exception Added. Amend RSA 541-A:16, III to read as follows:

III. A rule shall become effective as of 12:01 a.m. on the day after the filing of the adopted rule or as of 12:01 a.m. on the date specified by the agency pursuant to RSA 541-A:14, IV, RSA 541-A:14-a, III, or RSA 541-A:19, X, or such other date and time as specified, provided that filing occurs before such effective date and time. Except as provided in RSA 541-A:14-a and RSA 541-A:13, VII, a rule adopted under RSA 541-A:14, IV shall expire after the last day of the tenth year following its becoming effective, unless sooner amended, readopted, or repealed.

8 Adoption of Rules; Reference to Joint Resolution Removed. Amend RSA 541-A:14, I(d) to read as follows:

(d) Passage of the 50-day period for committee review of the preliminary objection response, or revised objection response, if applicable, provided that the committee has not voted to sponsor a joint resolution pursuant to RSA 541-A:13, VII; or

9 Repeal; Final Legislative Action. The following are repealed:

I. RSA 541-A:1, VI-a, relative to the definition of final legislative action.

II. RSA 541-A:14, I(e), relative to adoption of rules upon final legislative action.

10 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2018.

1 New Paragraph; Administrative Procedure Act; Definition of Business Impact Assessment Added. Amend RSA 541-A:1 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

II-a. "Business impact assessment" means a statement prepared by the legislative budget assistant using readily available data researched from common data sources that includes the elements required by RSA 541-A:5, IV.

2 Procedure for Adoption of Rules. Amend RSA 541-A:3, I to read as follows:

I. Filing a notice of the proposed rule under RSA 541-A:6, including a fiscal impact statement, a business impact assessment, and a statement that the proposed rule does not violate the New Hampshire constitution, part I, article 28-a;

3 New Section; Business Impact Assessment. Amend RSA 541-A by inserting after section 5 the following new section:

541-A:5-a Business Impact Assessment.

I. The agency shall provide the legislative budget assistant with adequate details of the intended action and supporting data to enable the legislative budget assistant to prepare a business impact assessment.

II. The legislative budget assistant shall develop a form which shall specify the details and supporting data necessary to assess the business impact of the intended action. The business impact of a proposed rule which was previously effective but has expired, or of a proposed rule which adopts a current agency policy, procedure, or practice as a rule for the first time, shall not be assessed as an existing rule but as a proposed rule which is not yet effective.

III. The legislative budget assistant shall establish a schedule of deadlines for submission of the business impact assessment form, and the agency shall file the completed form with the legislative budget assistant in accordance with such deadlines.

IV. The business impact assessment issued by the legislative budget assistant shall use readily available data researched from common data sources and shall include:

(a) An estimated number of businesses affected by the rule.

(b) The projected cost to businesses of complying with the rule, including reporting, record keeping, administrative costs, effect on the workforce, capital investment, taxation, competition, economic development, consumer choice, fees, and legal or other professional counsel.

(c) The projected time required initially and then annually thereafter to comply with the proposed rule.

(d) A comparison to federal law and regulations to determine if the rule will make New Hampshire law more onerous, costly, and time consuming or the same as federal law.

(e) A comparison to similar rules in the northeast region of the United States.

(f) A comparison to similar rules across the country.

(g) An analysis if it is determined that the rule will help some businesses but hurt others.

(h) An analysis of regulatory flexibility and exemptions or alternative means of compliance.

(i) An analysis of whether the rule waives fees and penalties for first-time offenders of noncompliance.

V. All agencies are directed to cooperate with the legislative budget assistant in the preparation of the business impact assessment.

4 Notice of Rulemaking Proceedings. Amend RSA 541-A:6, I(i) to read as follows:

(i) The fiscal impact statement and business impact assessment completed by the legislative budget assistant.

5 New Subparagraph; Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules; Objection Based on Business Impact Assessment. Amend RSA 541-A:13, IV by inserting after subparagraph (d) the following new subparagraph:

(e) Deemed by the committee to have a substantial business impact not recognized in the business impact assessment.

6 Review by the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules; Final Objection to Agency Rule; Expiration. RSA 541-A:13, VII is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

VII. Following a final objection to a rule filed under subparagraph V(f), any portion of the rule objected to which is adopted and filed by the agency shall expire 90 days after becoming effective.

7 Expiration of Rules; Exception Added. Amend RSA 541-A:16, III to read as follows:

III. A rule shall become effective as of 12:01 a.m. on the day after the filing of the adopted rule or as of 12:01 a.m. on the date specified by the agency pursuant to RSA 541-A:14, IV, RSA 541-A:14-a, III, or RSA 541-A:19, X, or such other date and time as specified, provided that filing occurs before such effective date and time. Except as provided in RSA 541-A:14-a and RSA 541-A:13, VII, a rule adopted under RSA 541-A:14, IV shall expire after the last day of the tenth year following its becoming effective, unless sooner amended, readopted, or repealed.

8 Adoption of Rules; Reference to Joint Resolution Removed. Amend RSA 541-A:14, I(d) to read as follows:

(d) Passage of the 50-day period for committee review of the preliminary objection response, or revised objection response, if applicable; or

9 Repeal; Final Legislative Action. The following are repealed:

I. RSA 541-A:1, VI-a, relative to the definition of final legislative action.

II. RSA 541-A:14, I(e), relative to adoption of rules upon final legislative action.

10 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2018.