The Florida Senate

456.012  Board rules; final agency action; challenges.--

(1)  The secretary of the department shall have standing to challenge any rule or proposed rule of a board under its jurisdiction pursuant to s. 120.56 In addition to challenges for any invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority, the administrative law judge, upon such a challenge by the secretary, may declare all or part of a rule or proposed rule invalid if it:

(a)  Does not protect the public from any significant and discernible harm or damages;

(b)  Unreasonably restricts competition or the availability of professional services in the state or in a significant part of the state; or

(c)  Unnecessarily increases the cost of professional services without a corresponding or equivalent public benefit.

However, there shall not be created a presumption of the existence of any of the conditions cited in this subsection in the event that the rule or proposed rule is challenged.

(2)  In addition, either the secretary or the board shall be a substantially interested party for purposes of s. 120.54(7). The board may, as an adversely affected party, initiate and maintain an action pursuant to s. 120.68 challenging the final agency action.

(3)  No board created within the department shall have standing to challenge a rule or proposed rule of another board. However, if there is a dispute between boards concerning a rule or proposed rule, the boards may avail themselves of the provisions of s. 456.011(5).

History.--s. 46, ch. 97-261; s. 44, ch. 2000-160.

Note.--Former s. 455.544.