New Hampshire § 541-A-15 - Section 541-A:15 Publication of Rules.

§ 541-A-15. Section 541-A:15 Publication of Rules.

I. The director of legislative services shall compile, index, and publish all effective rules adopted by each agency. The text of an adopted rule as filed with the director and which is effective shall then be the official version of the rule which the director shall publish online. The agency shall be notified when the text is published. The director shall within 180 days send to the agency a draft certified rule in an edited format as determined by the director. The agency shall then have 60 days to certify that the edited rule is the same in substance as originally filed. If editorial changes not affecting the substance of the rule are needed, or an error in the publishing or editing process is identified, then the agency shall notify the director, who shall make such changes and the rule shall be certified by the agency that it is the same in substance as originally filed. If the agency does not notify the director within the 60-day deadline, then it will be presumed that the agency has reviewed the edited language and agreed that it is the certified version which be published online by the director in a format as determined by the director. The certified version shall then be the official version. Both the adopted rule as-filed and as-certified may be an electronic document and still be the official version if in compliance with RSA 541-A:1, V-a and VI and the drafting and procedure manual for administrative rules under RSA 541-A:8. The official version of the rule shall be available to the public by the agency and the director pursuant to RSA 541-A:14, IV as described in the drafting and procedure manual under RSA 541-A:8. I-a. The 120-day deadline in paragraph I shall not apply to interim rules or emergency rules. A copy of each rule as filed and each as certified shall be sent by the director to the state library and the New Hampshire law library at the supreme court. I-b. Compilations shall be supplemented, revised, or published as often as necessary. The compilation, indexing, or publishing of fiscal impact statements shall not be required. The director of legislative services, in consultation with state agencies, may enter into a contract for the preparation and publishing of the compilation of agency rules or any portion of it, or may certify a commercially prepared version of the compilation. Any version or portion of the code published under this section shall conform to all requirements of this chapter. II. The director of legislative services shall assist the agencies in developing a publicly accessible electronic rules database. III. The director of legislative services may omit from the compilation any rule the publication of which would be unduly cumbersome, expensive, or otherwise inexpedient, if the rule in printed or processed form is made available on application to the adopting agency, and if the compilation contains a notice stating the general subject matter of the omitted rule and stating how a copy thereof may be obtained.