Maine Revised Statutes Title 5. Administrative Procedures and Services § 8054. Emergency rulemaking

1. Emergency. If the agency finds that immediate adoption of a rule by procedures other than those set forth in sections 8052 and 8053 is necessary to avoid an immediate threat to public health, safety or general welfare, it may modify those procedures to the minimum extent required to enable adoption of rules designed to mitigate or alleviate the threat found. Emergency rules shall be subject to the requirements of section 8056.

2. Agency findings. Any emergency rule must include, with specificity, the agency's findings with respect to the existence of an emergency, including any modifications of procedures, and such findings are subject to judicial review under section 8058. Such findings must be included in the basis statement for any adopted emergency rule in a section labeled “findings of emergency.” No emergency may be found to exist when the primary cause of the emergency is delay caused by the agency involved.

3. Emergency period. Any emergency rule shall be effective only for 90 days, or any lesser period of time specified in an enabling statute or in the emergency rule. After the expiration of the emergency period, such rule shall not thereafter be adopted except in the manner provided by section 8052.

4. Fiscal impact; curtailment orders. An emergency rule adopted in whole or in part to satisfy the requirements of a temporary curtailment order by the Governor under section 1668 must include a specification of the dollar amount of curtailed funds attributable to each change adopted in the rule.