Subcommittee passes bill to codify courts' primacy in interpreting agency rules
Representative Reeves' HB 1247 would codify recent court decisions that agency interpretations are not equivalent to law, narrowing deference to agency handbooks and internal guidance. Supporters said the change restores predictable administration; subcommittee approved the bill by voice vote.
The full story
Representative Reeves presented House Bill 1247, a short statute the sponsor described as codifying current case law (including the EVA and Jackson decisions) that courts — not agencies — interpret statutes and regulations. Reeves said the bill does not eliminate rulemaking or agency expertise but clarifies that agency handbooks and internal guidance are not a substitute for law and that judicial review should focus on written statutes and duly promulgated regulations.
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