§41-22-5. Notice of intent to adopt, amend, or repeal rules; submission of data, views, etc., by interested persons; procedure for adoption of emergency rules; effect of this section on other procedural requirements; validity of rules in substantial compliance with this section; limitation of proceedings to contest rules.

(a) Prior to the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any rule, the agency shall:

(1) Give at least 35 days' notice of its intended action. Date of publication in the Alabama Administrative Monthly shall constitute the date of notice. The notice shall include a statement of either the terms or substance of the intended action or a description of the subjects and issues involved, shall specify a notice period ending not less than 35 days or more than 90 days from the date of the notice, during which period interested persons may present their views thereon, and shall specify the place where, and the manner in which interested persons may present their views thereon. The notice shall be given to the chairman of the legislative committee, as provided in Section 41-22-23, and mailed to all persons who pay the cost of such mailing and who have made timely request of the agency for advance notice of its rulemaking proceedings and shall be published, prior to any action thereon, in the Alabama Administrative Monthly. A complete copy of the proposed rule shall be filed with the secretary of the agency and the Legislative Reference Service.

(2) Afford all interested persons reasonable opportunity to submit data, views, or arguments, orally or in writing. The agency shall consider fully all written and oral submissions respecting the proposed rule. Upon adoption of a rule, the agency, if conflicting views are submitted on the proposed rule, shall issue a concise statement of the principal reasons for and against its adoption, incorporating therein its reasons for overruling any considerations urged against its adoption.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, if an agency finds that an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare requires adoption of a rule upon fewer than 35 days' notice or that action is required by or to comply with a federal statute or regulation which requires adoption of a rule upon fewer than 35 days' notice and states in writing its reasons for that finding, it may proceed without prior notice or hearing or upon any abbreviated notice and hearing that it finds practicable, to adopt an emergency rule. The rule shall become effective immediately, unless otherwise stated therein, upon the filing of the rule and a copy of the written statement of the reasons therefor with the Legislative Reference Service and the secretary of the agency. The rule may be effective for a period of not longer than 120 days and shall not be renewable. An agency shall not adopt the same or a substantially similar emergency rule within one calendar year from its first adoption unless the agency clearly establishes it could not reasonably be foreseen during the initial 120-day period that such emergency would continue or would likely reoccur during the next nine months. The adoption of the same or a substantially similar rule by normal rule-making procedures is not precluded. In any subsequent action contesting the effective date of a rule adopted pursuant to this subsection, the burden of proof shall be on the agency to justify its finding. Prior to indexing and publication, the agency shall make reasonable efforts to apprise the persons who may be affected by its rules of the adoption of the emergency rule.

(c) It is the intent of this section to establish basic minimum procedural requirements for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of administrative rules. Except for emergency rules which are provided for in subsection (b) of this section, the provisions of this section are applicable to the exercise of any rulemaking authority conferred by any statute, but nothing in this section repeals or diminishes additional requirements imposed by law or diminishes or repeals any summary power granted by law to the state or any agency thereof.

(d) No rule adopted after October 1, 1982, is valid unless adopted in substantial compliance with this section. A proceeding to contest any rule on the ground of noncompliance with the procedural requirements of this section must be commenced within two years from the effective date of the rule; provided, however, that a proceeding to contest a rule based on failure to provide notice as herein required may be commenced at any time.

(Acts 1981, No. 81-855, p. 1534, §5; Acts 1993, No. 93-627, p. 1051, §1.)