Oregon’s administrative rules are an important part of the rules and laws that govern Oregon. These rules range from the Criminal Justice Commission’s (Chapter 213) sentencing rules to the Department of Environmental Quality’s (Chapter 340) hazardous waste management rules.
As an Oregonian these rules affect your everyday life. You can research them and even contribute to their creation using online tools and local library resources.
Research Rulemaking Rules and Procedures
Agencies rely on public input to craft effective rules. If you are interested in a pending rule you can research the rule and file official comments with the agency.
Oregon's Administrative Procedures Act sets out the rules and procedures agencies need to follow to promulgate an administrative rule.
The Oregon Department of Justice has useful resources and forms available for people interested in contributing to Oregon administrative rules. The following publications are particularly helpful.
· Attorney General’s Administrative Law Manual (PDF) – This manual covers the process of rulemaking and appeals in exhaustive detail.
· Code of Conduct for Non-Attorney Representatives at Administrative Hearings (PDF) – A short list of what is expected from all parties when a non-attorney is involved in the rulemaking process.
Researching Rules and Rulemaking Documents
The Oregon Secretary of State organizes and coordinates existing rules and the rulemaking process for Oregon agencies. They have a lot of information about the process of their website:
Where to go and how to participate in Oregon Administrative Rulemaking
Oregon Transparency collects information about Oregon state government public meetings. This is a great way to find meeting where public comments on pending rules are being accepted.
Each state agency is responsible for setting up it’s own process for promulgating and receiving public comments on it’s administrative rules. Agency websites will often have useful information about their procedures and ways to participate in the their rulemaking:
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