[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6226977,"mediaKeyId","3497337-51f2f057c353c24f779d57ea59e1f809","parentId",3497337,"title","Senate File 127 expands legislative review of \"major\" administrative rules; questions raised about emergency rules and staffing","audioSeconds",11824,"startMs",227000,"endMs",12051000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497337-51f2f057c353c24f779d57ea59e1f809&start=227&end=12051","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497337-51f2f057c353c24f779d57ea59e1f809/thumbnail_227000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6226977/Wyoming/Senate-File-127-expands-legislative-review-of-major-administrative-rules-questions-raised-about-emergency-rules-and-staffing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226977-91f3a2536bb129dc8e351bd5787cc083/orig.mp4?Expires=1770799043&Signature=hDDniO1~K9YHt88lm7Le8Vaz8slhXV34W0Squ0YkQv5f0k4~b6ldq~peGbISCNWWsRS-Iz1ELXouhKGDpdxSzfWAsAXbOF9ZMyDRhnCGQJmCUPUr8B2YgXfwABcdqXLLUKKeYxIc5xlA9O3ngeg~tCL0B4v0VvAYFumIV2TLQFdxGotw0gTznZ0jB6Q3n-IiKe2enATA7Zas5C-3L~2XSAwtTEnQsPpKy7LEnP5nxqA46i~j3BNYnics-b4dTeh5lAka7QNj2n570h9QSIAk~3batlO-xuF1WM8UuQVsem5XfT8ZNny~~k5Oh8RsnztGMoPGGWVnjikukt7YnYbfSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-05-24T20:58:11.943Z","article","The Management Audit Committee on Friday received a detailed briefing on Senate File 127, the new law that requires the Legislative Service Office to perform economic analyses of so‑called \"major rules,\" notify every legislator when those rules are proposed and make those regulatory impact analyses public.

Josh Anderson of the Legislative Service Office summarized the bill and the existing rule‑review process, saying the Department of Administration’s Administrative Procedure Act governs rulemaking and that \"these rules, when they're properly adopted, they do have the force and effect of law.\" He told the committee SF 127 directs LSO to provide a copy of each major rule to every member of the legislature within 15 days and to complete a regulatory impact analysis within 50 days.

Committee members and LSO research staff described how the new timeline and the bill's definition of a \"major rule\" could change oversight in Wyoming. Under the statute as passed, a major rule is one that \"will result in or is likely to result in an annual impact on the economy of Wyoming of $1,000,000 or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity or innovation in the state.\" The law also authorizes any legislator, committee or management council to introduce a legislative order in the next session to prohibit enforcement of a major rule.

LSO Administrator Matt Petrie warned about operational complications if emergency rules are included in the definition. \"By including emergency rules in the definition of major rules, LSO will potentially be required to conduct three regulatory impact analyses for essentially the exact same set of rules,\" Petrie said, noting emergency rules and the corresponding regular rules are often identical in content. He added that because emergency rules are time‑limited, \"it’s giving you the authority to question something that will no longer exist when you have the authority to question it,\" meaning legislators may not have a practical opportunity to act before the emergency rule expires.

The committee heard a description of how the rule review process currently works: LSO performs a legal review of final (non‑emergency) rules and reports findings to Management Council, which then makes a recommendation to the governor; the governor has final authority to approve, amend or rescind rules. LSO's legal review is due within 15 days after a final rule is submitted; the new regulatory impact analysis required by SF 127 must be completed within 50 days and will be sent to each legislator and the public rather than routed to Management Council alone.

Committee discussion focused on three practical problems LSO staff flagged:
- Designation ambiguity: SF 127 lets Management Council designate a major rule, but the statute does not prescribe how or when that designation is made. LSO staff suggested agencies could flag draft rules they believe may meet the major‑rule standard on the Secretary of State’s notice of intent form to allow earlier analysis.
- Emergency rules: Staff warned that including emergency rules in the major‑rule definition could require duplicate analyses (initial emergency, extension, then final regular rule) and could create a situation where oversight arrives after the temporary rule has already expired.
- Resources: SF 127 included a $400,000 appropriation to LSO for up to two full‑time positions to perform required analyses; LSO staff told the committee those positions have not yet been filled and signaled that the appropriation may need clarification (whether $400,000 was intended as an annual amount to be biannualized) and possibly expansion depending on workload.

Committee members asked whether the $1 million threshold should be changed. Several members said a lower numeric threshold would increase the number of rules subject to the new analysis; others cautioned that a lower threshold would increase staff needs and costs. LSO noted other states the office studied (including Florida and Kansas) take different approaches, and both states exempt emergency rules from the major‑rule economic analysis or handle timing differently because of longer or year‑round legislative calendars.

Following discussion, committee members asked staff to draft possible statutory amendments to clarify the designation process, to consider removing emergency rules from the major‑rule definition and to revisit the monetary threshold and staffing level. The committee agreed in voice vote to move those draft ideas to the next meeting for further work.

What happens next: The Management Audit Committee is required by law to study implementation issues for SF 127 and report recommendations to Management Council by Dec. 1. LSO will prepare options for clarifying when a rule should be designated as major, whether emergency rules should be excluded, and what staffing and funding will be needed to meet the law’s timelines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Management Audit Committee Meeting, May 23, 2025, AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Management Audit Committee on Friday received a detailed briefing on Senate File 127, the new law that requires the Legislative Service Office to perform economic analyses of so‑called \"major rules,\" notify every legislator when those rules are proposed and make those regulatory impact analyses public.","taxTitle","Management Audit Committee, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",21035,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6226971,"LSO says program‑evaluation unit is inactive; committee hears options for audits and program cleanup",1356,6372000,7728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497337-51f2f057c353c24f779d57ea59e1f809&start=6372&end=7728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497337-51f2f057c353c24f779d57ea59e1f809/thumbnail_6372000.jpg","/articles/6226971/Wyoming/LSO-says-programevaluation-unit-is-inactive-committee-hears-options-for-audits-and-program-cleanup","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226971-16139497cde5250b04e1e01be7e73a2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770799043&Signature=F5JvnJlNvUP8Pco0067CSIdtFtN2bFc~PNGUWyWYBnlXa6MgQqUXmKHTLLS12CI5sns4wcMOWtF-CCztMlCNAN9IXF13Nas0nczq8bk8NprSu9szHqpUfCZ8nTTdq-ohjwO4CIbFJT9wRNWvyYkCKHBEwDULSQjuert8hogIwYk-461Uba7u-VXnxELwzxcyhOBuaNPo18GAqRwfOYY9q18BOkUyHjX7-Xmu8gzO2gyUQKpLC4KVh1AntWt1q1tmlMuM5Q8dpAl~6qo3C6uN8jb-0yzv-Bm8ILHOVaifP6eaRZPTXSNBJ9uVX4goc4n~anW7Z-as6aKvZ9YcMp9N2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislative Service Office officials told the Management Audit Committee that the Legislature’s program‑evaluation function has been largely dormant and the office lacks staff to perform the type of in‑depth program reviews the committee has historically commissioned.

\"Essentially, since I became director in 2016, I poached positions from the management evaluation or a program evaluation section, to be able to hire personnel in other growth areas at LSO,\" the LSO director told the committee, explaining staffing decisions over the last decade. The director said the last full program evaluation by LSO was completed in 2018 and that, since then, the office has not undertaken a full program evaluation.

Matt Petrie, administrator of LSO’s Research and Evaluation Division, told the committee the Management Audit Committee previously considered two legislative options in 2023: to authorize seven new LSO positions (estimated at roughly $1 million a year) to restore program evaluation capacity, or to suspend program evaluation activities for five years and sunset the function. Neither bill advanced, and LSO staff said they currently do not retain full program‑evaluation staff.

The committee discussed whether to rely on external consultants for ad‑hoc evaluations or to rebuild an in‑house capability. LSO staff recommended consultants for single, discrete evaluations but said a permanent, staffed program would be preferable if the Legislature wants recurring, in‑depth reviews.

The committee also heard from Justin Chavez, director of the Department of Audit, on financial audits. Chavez said the statewide financial statement audit is procured through an RFP every four years and then performed annually by the selected independent CPA firm. Component units and many agencies separately procure independent CPA audits; in addition, the Department of Audit produces audit reports and said it could provide the committee with a consolidated list or summary of audits it receives each year (roughly 300 audits), noting that availability and the number of qualified firms in‑state is limited.

LSO staff and committee members noted practical constraints: the Legislature itself does not conduct routine financial audits; to secure a financial audit of a state agency the committee would need statutory authority and money to hire an outside accounting firm, or LSO would need to build an internal financial‑audit capability. The LSO director told members the committee can request such audits, but \"you would need money to be able to do that\" and the committee cannot appropriate funds itself.

Committee next steps included requests to LSO and the Department of Audit: Department of Audit will provide a summary of audits it holds or receives (including independent CPA audits of component units), and LSO will circulate departmental program‑priority tables taken from agency budget materials so committee members can identify statutory authorities or programs that appear inactive or unfunded. Committee members said they will review those materials and return to the question of whether to pursue restored in‑house evaluations or engage consultants.","Legislative Service Office staff told the Management Audit Committee that the legislature’s program evaluation capacity has been diminished and that the last full program evaluation was done in 2018. Committee members discussed hiring staff vs. hiring consultants, the scope and cost of financial audits, and asked the Department of Au","actionData","errors"]

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Senate File 127 expands legislative review of "major" administrative rules; questions raised about emergency rules and staffing

LSO says program‑evaluation unit is inactive; committee hears options for audits and program cleanup