§29A-3B-10 Emergency legislative rules; procedure for promulgation; definition. - West Virginia Statutes

§29A-3B-10. Emergency legislative rules; procedure for promulgation; definition.
(a) The board may, without hearing, find that an emergency exists requiring that emergency rules be promulgated and promulgate the same in accordance with this section. Such emergency rules, together with a statement of the facts and circumstances constituting the emergency, shall be filed in the State Register and shall become effective immediately upon such filing. Such emergency rules may adopt, amend or repeal any legislative rule, but the circumstances constituting the emergency requiring such adoption, amendment or repeal shall be stated with particularity and be subject to de novo review by any court having original jurisdiction of an action challenging their validity.

(b) The board shall file ten copies of the rules and of the required statement with the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability. At its discretion, the board may meet the filing requirement contained in this subsection by submitting the emergency rule electronically to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability. Proposed rules submitted electronically shall be transmitted in a timely manner, shall contain all required information and shall be compatible with computer applications in use by the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability.

(c) An emergency rule shall be effective for not more than fifteen months and shall expire earlier if any of the following occurs:

(1) The board has not previously filed and fails to file a notice of public hearing on the proposed rule within sixty days of the date the proposed rule was filed as an emergency rule; in which case the emergency rule expires on the sixty-first day.

(2) The board has not previously filed and fails to file the proposed rule with the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability within one hundred eighty days of the date the proposed rule was filed as an emergency rule; in which case the emergency rule expires on the one hundred eighty-first day.

(3) The board adopts a legislative rule dealing with substantially the same subject matter since such emergency rule was first promulgated and in which case the emergency rule expires on the date the authorized rule is made effective.

(d) Any amendment to an emergency rule made by the board shall be filed in the State Register and does not constitute a new emergency rule for the purpose of acquiring additional time or avoiding the expiration dates in subdivision (1), (2) or (3), subsection (c) of this section.

(e) Once an emergency rule expires due to the conclusion of fifteen months or due to the effect of subdivision (1), (2) or (3), subsection (c) of this section, the board may not refile the same or similar rule as an emergency rule.

(f) Emergency legislative rules currently in effect under the prior provisions of this section may be refiled under the provisions of this section.

(g) The provision of this section shall not be used to avoid or evade any provision of this article or any other provisions of this code, including any provisions for legislative review of proposed rules. Any emergency rule promulgated for any such purpose may be contested in a judicial proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction.

(h) The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability may review any emergency rule to determine: (1) Whether the board has exceeded the scope of its statutory authority in promulgating the emergency rule; (2) whether there exists an emergency justifying the promulgation of such rule; and (3) whether the rule was promulgated in compliance with the requirements and prohibitions contained in this section. The commission may recommend to the board, the Legislature or the Secretary of State such action as it may deem proper.