227.136 Preliminary public hearing and comment period.

(1) Within 10 days after publication of a statement of the scope of a proposed rule under s. 227.135 (3), either cochairperson of the joint committee for the review of administrative rules may submit a written directive to the agency that prepared the statement for the agency to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period on the statement of scope as provided in this section.

(2) If the agency is directed to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period on a statement of scope as provided in sub. (1) or if the agency otherwise opts to do so on its own initiative, the agency shall submit to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, a notice of a preliminary public hearing and comment period to allow for public comment and feedback on the statement of scope. The agency may also take any other action it considers necessary to provide notice of the preliminary public hearing and comment period to other interested persons. The notice shall be approved by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule and shall include all of the following:

(a) A statement of the date, time, and place of the preliminary public hearing.

(b) The place where comments on the statement of scope should be submitted and the deadline for submitting those comments.

(3) The agency shall hold the preliminary public hearing and comment period in accordance with the notice required under sub. (2), but may not hold the hearing sooner than the 3rd day after publication of the notice in the register.

(4) The agency shall conduct a hearing under this section in accordance with s. 227.18.

(5) The agency shall report all public comments and feedback on the statement of scope of the proposed rule that the agency receives at the preliminary public hearing and comment period to the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule.

(6) Failure of any person to receive notice of a preliminary public hearing as provided in this section is not grounds for invalidating any resulting rule if notice of the hearing was published in the register in accordance with s. 35.93 (2) (b) 3. bm.

(7) For the purpose of soliciting public comment, an agency may hold a hearing on the general subject matter of possible or anticipated rules before preparing a statement of scope for a proposed rule. A hearing held under this subsection does not relieve the agency from its obligation to comply with a directive under sub. (1) or the requirement to hold a hearing under s. 227.16.

History: 2017 a. 57 ss. 5, 17.