(a) To ensure the efficient implementation and administration of the Public Interest Research, Development, and Demonstration Program, the commission shall do both of the following:

(1) Develop procedures for the solicitation of award applications for project or program funding, and to ensure efficient program management.

(2) Evaluate and select programs and projects, based on merit, that will be funded under the program.

(b) The commission shall adopt regulations to implement the program, in accordance with the following procedures:

(1) Prepare a preliminary text of the proposed regulation and provide a copy of the preliminary text to any person requesting a copy.

(2) Provide public notice of the proposed regulation to any person who has requested notice of the regulations prepared by the commission. The notice shall contain all of the following:

(A) A clear overview explaining the proposed regulation.

(B) Instructions on how to obtain a copy of the proposed regulations.

(C) A statement that if a public hearing is not scheduled for the purpose of reviewing a proposed regulation, any person may request, not later than 15 days prior to the close of the written comment period, a public hearing conducted in accordance with commission procedures.

(3) Accept written public comments for 30 calendar days after providing the notice required in paragraph (2).

(4) Certify that all written comments were read and considered by the commission.

(5) Place all written comments in a record that includes copies of any written factual support used in developing the proposed regulation, including written reports and copies of any transcripts or minutes in connection with any public hearings on the adoption of the regulation. The record shall be open to public inspection and available to the courts.

(6) Provide public notice of any substantial revision of the proposed regulation at least 15 days prior to the expiration of the deadline for public comments and comment period using the procedures provided in paragraph (2).

(7) Conduct public hearings, if a hearing is requested by an interested party, that shall be conducted in accordance with commission procedures.

(8) Adopt any proposed regulation at a regularly scheduled and noticed meeting of the commission. The regulation shall become effective immediately unless otherwise provided by the commission.

(9) Publish any adopted regulation in a manner that makes copies of the regulation easily available to the public. Any adopted regulation shall also be made available on the Internet. The commission shall transmit a copy of an adopted regulation to the Office of Administrative Law for publication, or, if the commission determines that printing the regulation is impractical, an appropriate reference as to where a copy of the regulation may be obtained.

(10) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this subdivision provides an interim exception from the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code for regulations required to implement Sections 25620.1 and 25620.2 that are adopted under the procedures specified in this subdivision.

(11) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2012, unless a later enacted statute deletes or extends that date. However, after January 1, 2012, the commission is not required to repeat any procedural step in adopting a regulation that has been completed before January 1, 2012, using the procedures specified in this subdivision.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 512, Sec. 3. Effective September 27, 2006.)