When modifying more than 50% of the existing text of a rule, the LSC Rule Drafting Manual directs agencies to rescind the existing rule and enact a new rule bearing the same rule number. For more details, please see page 26 of the Rule Drafting Manual (http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/rules/manual1.pdf). If this guideline is not adhered to, LSC will ask the agency to withdraw the filing of the amended rule and submit a new package that rescinds the existing rule and presents the proposed changes as a new rule.

The release of RAS 2.0 makes complying with this guideline much easier through the addition of the "transform to new" feature. This feature can be used in two ways

• If you know from the start that you will be amending more than 50% of the text of a rule, open the existing rule and select "transform to new." This will create a rule with all of the existing text designated as new text. You can then edit the text of this new rule.
  
  
• If, while drafting amendments to an existing rule, you realize that you are amending more than 50% of the existing text, select the "transform to new" feature. Doing this will create a new rule that incorporates the amendments you were working on in the existing rule. In other words, any new text inserted into the amended existing document is also inserted into the new document, and any stricken text in the amended existing document is omitted from the new document.

Of course, the "transform to new" feature does not eliminate the need to actually file the existing text as a rescinded rule simultaneously with the new rule. But it can make drafting the new rule easier.

If you have any questions about this new feature, or any other matter related to electronic rule filing, please contact the ERF Help Desk at 614-387-2078 or erfhelpdesk@lsc.ohio.gov.

Thank you,
Julie Hartzell
Rules Unit Administrator
Ohio Legislative Service Commission

---

Posted to the Rule Filers Mailing List on April 30, 2003