42 USC 7191 - Procedures for issuance of rules, regulations, or orders

Collapse to view only § 7191. Procedures for issuance of rules, regulations, or orders

§ 7191. Procedures for issuance of rules, regulations, or orders
§ 7192. Judicial review
§ 7193. Remedial orders
§ 7194. Requests for adjustments
§ 7195. Report to Congress; contents

§ 7191. Procedures for issuance of rules, regulations, or orders

(a) Applicability of subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5

(1) Subject to the other requirements of this subchapter, the provisions of subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5 shall apply in accordance with its terms to any rule or regulation, or any order having the applicability and effect of a rule (as defined in section 551(4) of title 5), issued pursuant to authority vested by law in, or transferred or delegated to, the Secretary, or required by this chapter or any other Act to be carried out by any other officer, employee, or component of the Department, other than the Commission, including any such rule, regulation, or order of a State, or local government agency or officer thereof, issued pursuant to authority delegated by the Secretary in accordance with this subchapter. If any provision of any Act, the functions of which are transferred, vested, or delegated pursuant to this chapter, provides administrative procedure requirements in addition to the requirements provided in this subchapter, such additional requirements shall also apply to actions under that provision.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), this subchapter shall apply to the Commission to the same extent this subchapter applies to the Secretary in the exercise of any of the Commission’s functions under section 7172(c)(1) of this title or which the Secretary has assigned under section 7172(e) of this title.

(b) Substantial issue of fact or law or likelihood of substantial impact on Nation’s economy, etc.; oral presentation

(1) If the Secretary determines, on his own initiative or in response to any showing made pursuant to paragraph (2) (with respect to a proposed rule, regulation, or order described in subsection (a)) that no substantial issue of fact or law exists and that such rule, regulation, or order is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the Nation’s economy or large numbers of individuals or businesses, such proposed rule, regulation, or order may be promulgated in accordance with section 553 of title 5. If the Secretary determines that a substantial issue of fact or law exists or that such rule, regulation, or order is likely to have a substantial impact on the Nation’s economy or large numbers of individuals or businesses, an opportunity for oral presentation of views, data, and arguments shall be provided.

(2) Any person, who would be adversely affected by the implementation of any proposed rule, regulation, or order who desires an opportunity for oral presentation of views, data, and arguments, may submit material supporting the existence of such substantial issues or such impact.

(3) A transcript shall be kept of any oral presentation with respect to a rule, regulation, or order described in subsection (a).

(d) Effects confined to single unit of local government, geographic area within State, or State; hearing or oral presentation

(1) With respect to any rule, regulation, or order described in subsection (a), the effects of which, except for indirect effects of an inconsequential nature, are confined to—

(A) a single unit of local government or the residents thereof;

(B) a single geographic area within a State or the residents thereof; or

the Secretary shall, in any case where appropriate, afford an opportunity for a hearing or the oral presentation of views, and provide procedures for the holding of such hearing or oral presentation within the boundaries of the unit of local government, geographic area, or State described in paragraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph as the case may be.

(2) For the purposes of this subsection—

(A) the term “unit of local government” means a county, municipality, town, township, village, or other unit of general government below the State level; and

(B) the term “geographic area within a State” means a special purpose district or other region recognized for governmental purposes within such State which is not a unit of local government.

(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as requiring a hearing or an oral presentation of views where none is required by this section or other provision of law.

(e) Prescription of procedures for State and local government agencies

(Pub. L. 95–91, title V, § 501, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 587; Pub. L. 105–28, § 2(a), July 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 245.)

§ 7192. Judicial review

(a) Agency action

(b) Review by district court of United States; removal

(Pub. L. 95–91, title V, § 502, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 589.)

§ 7193. Remedial orders

(a) Violations of rules, regulations, or orders promulgated pursuant to Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973

(b) Notice of intent to contest; final order not subject to review

(d) Time limits

(e) Effect on procedural action taken by Secretary prior to issuance of initial remedial order

(f) Savings provision

(g) Retroactive application; marketing of petroleum products

With respect to any person whose sole petroleum industry operation relates to the marketing of petroleum products, the Secretary or any person acting on his behalf may not exercise discretion to maintain a civil action (other than an action for injunctive relief) or issue a remedial order against such person for any violation of any rule or regulation if—

(1) such civil action or order is based on a retroactive application of such rule or regulation or is based upon a retroactive interpretation of such rule or regulation; and

(2) such person relied in good faith upon rules, regulations, or ruling in effect on the date of the violation interpreting such rules or regulations.

(Pub. L. 95–91, title V, § 503, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 590; Pub. L. 95–620, title VIII, § 805, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3348.)

§ 7194. Requests for adjustments

(a) The Secretary or any officer designated by him shall provide for the making of such adjustments to any rule, regulation or order described in section 7191(a) of this title issued under the Federal Energy Administration Act [15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.], the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973 1

1 See References in Text note below.

[15 U.S.C. 751 et seq.], the Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act of 1974 [15 U.S.C. 791 et seq.], or the Energy Policy and Conservation Act [42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.], consistent with the other purposes of the relevant Act, as may be necessary to prevent special hardship, inequity, or unfair distribution of burdens, and shall by rule, establish procedures which are available to any person for the purpose of seeking an interpretation, modification, or recission 2

2 So in original. Probably should be “recision”.

of, exception to, or exemption from, such rule, regulation or order. The Secretary or any such officer shall additionally insure that each decision on any application or petition requesting an adjustment shall specify the standards of hardship, inequity, or unfair distribution of burden by which any disposition was made, and the specific application of such standards to the facts contained in any such application or petition.

(b)

(1) If any person is aggrieved or adversely affected by a denial of a request for adjustment under subsection (a) such person may request a review of such denial by the Commission and may obtain judicial review in accordance with this subchapter when such a denial becomes final.

(2) The Commission shall, by rule, establish appropriate procedures, including a hearing when requested, for review of a denial. Action by the Commission under this section shall be considered final agency action within the meaning of section 704 of title 5 and shall not be subject to further review by the Secretary or any officer or employee of the Department. Litigation involving judicial review of such action shall be the responsibility of the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 95–91, title V, § 504, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 590.)

§ 7195. Report to Congress; contents

Within one year after October 1, 1977, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress concerning the actions taken to implement section 7191 of this title. The report shall include a discussion of the adequacy of such section from the standpoint of the Department and the public, including a summary of any comments obtained by the Secretary from the public about such section and implementing regulations, and such recommendations as the Secretary deems appropriate concerning the procedures required by such section.

(Pub. L. 95–91, title V, § 505, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 591.)