House committee adopts H-1 substitute to HB 4029; moves rule-adoption date, restores newspaper notice

The Michigan House Committee on Resources and Tourism on an unanimously adopted the H-1 substitute to House Bill 4029, changing the deadline for rule adoption to June 1 while leaving the publication deadline at Aug. 15 and restoring a requirement for newspaper notification when the Department of Natural Resources adopts emergency rules.

The change was explained on the floor by the bill sponsor, Representative Brad Slaw, who said the committee incorporated suggestions from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "So, the first was that the, that the rule adaption had to be by August 15 and the publication had to be August 15. We've changed that. So, the rule adaption is actually June 1 with publication still being the August 15 date," Slaw said. He also said the substitute "reinserted the language regarding the newspaper notification of an emergency rule adoption" after it had been removed from an earlier draft.

Vice Chair Nicole asked whether the newspaper requirement meant a legal notice must be published in a local paper. Slaw replied, "That is correct. And it is that's what was in the bill before they've asked us to leave it in the bill." The exchange included clarification that the publication may be any newspaper in the state of Michigan.

Representative Altman moved to adopt the H-1 substitute; the clerk conducted a roll call. The clerk reported "14 yays, 0 nays, and 0 pass" on the motion to adopt the substitute. Later in the meeting, a motion to report House Bill 4029 as the H-1 substitute carried on a committee roll call of "15 yays, 0 nays, and 0 pass." The committee chair then thanked members for the work and the bill was reported out of committee.

The change shifts the internal deadline for agencies' rule adoption earlier in the year while keeping the public-notice publication date in mid-August and restores an explicit requirement for newspaper notice of emergency rule adoptions as requested by the DNR. The committee scheduled its next meeting for April 30.

Votes at a glance: Adopt H-1 substitute to House Bill 4029 — motion passed on roll call (14–0); Motion to report HB 4029 as H-1 — passed on roll call (15–0).