Office of Regulatory Counsel.

Senator Niello's proposal to establish an Office of Regulatory Counsel within the Governor's office aims to centralize the drafting of state regulations before their submission to the Office of Administrative Law. The new office would assist state agencies in preparing, amending, and repealing regulations prior to their publication in the California Regulatory Notice Register.

Under the bill's provisions, the Office of Regulatory Counsel would operate under a director appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, with the director's term running concurrent with the appointing administration. The office would provide specialized legal expertise to help ensure regulations meet clarity and consistency standards while remaining within agencies' rulemaking authority. The bill's findings note that these requirements represent common reasons for regulation disapproval under current procedures.

The measure includes a sunset date of January 1, 2035, and requires the office's personnel and operational costs to be absorbed within existing state resources rather than through new appropriations. This temporary authorization allows for evaluation of the centralized drafting model's effects on California's regulatory development process. The office would supplement, rather than replace, the Office of Administrative Law's existing oversight role in reviewing and publishing proposed regulations.