Information Connection, 0217 WYBJ, Vol. 40 No. 1. 48

AuthorCasey D. Duncan, George W. Hopper Law Library Laramie, Wyoming

Information Connection

Vol. 40 No. 1 Pg. 48

Wyoming Bar Journal

February, 2017

New Wyoming Administrative Rules (WyAR)

Casey D. Duncan, George W. Hopper Law Library Laramie, Wyoming

This month's column will examine the recently revised Wyoming Administrative Rules ("WyAR") online system.1 Under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies are required to file official, certified copies of agency regulations with the Wyoming Secretary of State,2 which, in turn, is required to compile, index, and publish the regulations in a state administrative code.3 As the repository for agency rules and regulations, the Secretary of State's Office also hosts an online, centralized system "to promote transparency and ease of access to rules by state agencies and the public."4 Touted benefits of the online system include the ability to subscribe to online notices for changes to proposed, final, and emergency rules, key term and phrase searching, the ability to view historical versions of rules, and the ability to submit online comments for proposed rules.5

The revised WyAR system features a clean, intuitive, and user-friendly interface. The prior Rules Database merely presented users with a group of dropdown menus that allowed for browsing by "Agency," "Agency Program," and "Rule Type."6 Upon visiting the new WyAR home page,7 users are presented with a search box for key terms, a link to an "Advanced Search8 " page, and options to search or browse "Current,"9 "Proposed,"10 or "Emergency Rules."11 These last three options most closely resemble and replicate the functionality of the old system.

The default home page search option allows users to perform a full-text search of current rules and regulations. This ability to search full-text by key terms is the most significant enhancement of the new system. Anyone familiar with basic Internet or legal database searching will find the system responsive and intuitive.

The ability to search other rule types, including proposed, emergency, expired emergency, repealed, and superceded [sic] rules, is available both from the search results page and via the "Advanced Search"12 option. Search results are returned at regulatory code chapter level instead of pointing to specific rules or sections. Results are organized under expandable groupings arranged first by Agency and then by Program.

The revised system's results page also includes a...

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