Cal. Codes » Government Code / TITLE 2. GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA / DIVISION 3. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT / PART 1. STATE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES / CHAPTER 3.5. Administrative Regulations and Rulemaking / ARTICLE 5. Public Participation: Procedure for Adoption of Regulations
California Codes

Cal. Government Code § 11346.1 (2026)

Public Participation: Procedure for Adoption of Regulations

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a)(1)The adoption, amendment, or repeal of an emergency regulation is not subject to any provision of this article or Article 6 (commencing with Section 11349), except this section and Sections 11349.5 and 11349.6.

(2)At least five working days before submitting an emergency regulation to the office, the adopting agency shall, except as provided in paragraph (3), send a notice of the proposed emergency action to every person who has filed a request for notice of regulatory action with the agency. The notice shall include both of the following:

(A)The specific language proposed to be adopted.

(B)The finding of emergency required by subdivision (b).

(3)An agency is not required to provide notice pursuant to paragraph (2) if the emergency situation clearly poses such an immediate, serious harm that delaying action to allow public comment would be inconsistent with the public interest.

(b)(1)Except as provided in subdivision (c), if a state agency makes a finding that the adoption of a regulation or order of repeal is necessary to address an emergency, the regulation or order of repeal may be adopted as an emergency regulation or order of repeal.

(2)Any finding of an emergency shall include a written statement that contains the information required by paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 11346.5 and a description of the specific facts demonstrating the existence of an emergency and the need for immediate action, and demonstrating, by substantial evidence, the need for the proposed regulation to effectuate the statute being implemented, interpreted, or made specific and to address only the demonstrated emergency. The finding of emergency shall also identify each technical, theoretical, and empirical study, report, or similar document, if any, upon which the agency relies. The enactment of an urgency statute shall not, in and of itself, constitute a need for immediate action.

A finding of emergency based only upon expediency, convenience, best interest, general public need, or speculation, shall not be adequate to demonstrate the existence of an emergency. If the situation identified in the finding of emergency existed and was known by the agency adopting the emergency regulation in sufficient time to have been addressed through nonemergency regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346), the finding of emergency shall include facts explaining the failure to address the situation through nonemergency regulations.

(3)The statement and the regulation or order of repeal shall be filed immediately with the office.

(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no emergency regulation that is a building standard shall be filed, nor shall the building standard be effective, unless the building standard is submitted to the California Building Standards Commission, and is approved and filed pursuant to Sections 18937 and 18938 of the Health and Safety Code.

(d)The emergency regulation or order of repeal shall become effective upon filing or upon any later date specified by the state agency in a written instrument filed with, or as a part of, the regulation or order of repeal.

(e)No regulation, amendment, or order of repeal initially adopted as an emergency regulatory action shall remain in effect more than 180 days unless the adopting agency has complied with Sections 11346.2 to 11347.3, inclusive, either before adopting an emergency regulation or within the 180-day period. The adopting agency, prior to the expiration of the 180-day period, shall transmit to the office for filing with the Secretary of State the adopted regulation, amendment, or order of repeal, the rulemaking file, and a certification that Sections 11346.2 to 11347.3, inclusive, were complied with either before the emergency regulation was adopted or within the 180-day period.

(f)If an emergency amendment or order of repeal is filed and the adopting agency fails to comply with subdivision (e), the regulation as it existed prior to the emergency amendment or order of repeal shall thereupon become effective and after notice to the adopting agency by the office shall be reprinted in the California Code of Regulations.

(g)If a regulation is originally adopted and filed as an emergency and the adopting agency fails to comply with subdivision (e), this failure shall constitute a repeal of the regulation and after notice to the adopting agency by the office, shall be deleted.

(h)The office may approve not more than two readoptions, each for a period not to exceed 90 days, of an emergency regulation that is the same as or substantially equivalent to an emergency regulation previously adopted by that agency. Readoption shall be permitted only if the agency has made substantial progress and proceeded with diligence to comply with subdivision (e).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1981–2023 · leading case: People v. Contreras, 411 P.3d 445 (Cal. 2018).
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People v. Contreras, 411 P.3d 445 (Cal. 2018). “(a)(2), (b); Gov. Code, § 11346.1 [describing emergency regulations and the process through which they are adopted].”
In re Edwards, 237 Cal. Rptr. 3d 673 (Cal. Ct. App. 5th 2018). “(Gov. Code, § 11346.1, subd. (d) ; Pen. Code, § 5058.”
Tidewater Marine W., Inc. v. Bradshaw, 927 P.2d 296 (Cal. 1996). “(Gov. Code, §§ 11346.1, subd. (a), 11343, subds.”
Pub. Resources Prot. Ass'n v. California Dep't of Forestry & Fire Prot., 865 P.2d 728 (Cal. 1994). · cites it 2× “(Gov. Code, § 11346.1, subd. (b).) The contents of the rules, the date on which they were filed, and the fact that they went into effect immediately suggest that they were prompted by the July 23, 1990, addition of the northern spotted owl (strix occidentalis caurina) to the…”
California Licensed Foresters Ass'n v. State Bd. of Forestry, 30 Cal. App. 4th 562 (Cal. Ct. App. 1994). “” (Gov. Code, § 11346.1, subd. (b).) 3 On October 16, 1991, the Board invoked its emergency rulemaking powers and adopted temporary regulations (the emergency regulations) purportedly increasing the requirements of a THP and shifting the emphasis of the Forest Practice Act from…”
Salmon Trollers Mktg. Assn. v. Fullerton, 124 Cal. App. 3d 291 (Cal. Ct. App. 1981). · cites it 2× “) On May 28, 1980, Director responded to the federal regulations by filing emergency regulations prefaced by a statement of “specific facts constituting the need for immediate action” (Gov. Code, § 11346.1) which recited in part: “Drought conditions in 1976 and 1977 reduced the…”
Cnty. of San Diego v. Bowen, 166 Cal. App. 4th 501 (Cal. Ct. App. 2008). “” (Gov. Code, § 11346.1.) It is undisputed that in issuing the PEMT, the Secretary did not follow the requirements of the APA, or issue the tallying requirements as an emergency regulation.”
Faunce v. Denton, 167 Cal. App. 3d 191 (Cal. Ct. App. 1985). “) Such amendment is effective only for 120 days from that date (Gov. Code, § 11346.1, subd. (e)), but the Department is presently soliciting public comment on the amendment in accordance with the formal procedures for permanently adopting it.”
Sullivan v. State Dep't of State Hospitals CA5 (Cal. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 3× “(Gov. Code, § 11346.1, 12. subds. (a), (b)(2).”
In re Edwards (Cal. Ct. App. 2018). “(Gov. Code, § 11346.1, subd. (d); Pen. Code, § 5058.”
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