Chapter 1 – General Administration

15090.5 Regulation and Policy Management Branch

• The RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch facilitates and manages on behalf of the Secretary the policy and regulatory development process for the Adult Operations and Adult Programs of the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation by overseeing the revision, publication, distribution and archiving of regulations in the Title 15, Division 3, and the statewide operation policy in the DOMDepartment Operations Manual (see DOMDepartment Operations Manual Chapter 1, Article 6 Regulation and Policy Directives). The RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch partners with divisions, offices and programs to ensure that their policies and regulations are clear, consistent, concise, authoritative, current and flexible enough to serve the multifaceted operations of the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It assists the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation divisions, offices, and institution/facility staff in preparing policy directives that are consistent with applicable State laws and regulations. The branch also works with department programs to ensure that proposed regulation and DOMDepartment Operations Manual revisions are vetted with department stakeholders that may be impacted by the changes proposed. RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch staff also work with operating divisions to develop Administrative and Informational Bulletins.

• RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch staff evaluate all regulation and DOMDepartment Operations Manual proposals for potential conflicts with existing laws, regulations, or policies and manages the printing and distribution of the Notices of Change to Regulations and the DOMDepartment Operations Manual (NCRs and NCDOMs) to staff department-wide and all interested parties. Since all Title 15 regulations must meet Administrative Procedure Act (APAAdministrative Procedure Act) requirements, the RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch staff work with the Office of Administrative Law (OALOffice of Administrative Law) to file rulemaking packages, issue public notices regarding regulation changes published in the OALOffice of Administrative Law’s Notice Register, and manage the public phase of the department’s regulation adoption. Consistent with the APAAdministrative Procedure Act, staff schedule and hold public hearings regarding proposed regulation changes and coordinate with the responsible department program the drafting of responses to public comments generated by proposed regulatory changes. The RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch also maintains Intranet and Internet Homepages that features all pending and recently adopted changes to the regulations and DOMDepartment Operations Manual.

• The RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch is also the custodian of the Department’s most sensitive tactical and law enforcement policies. These are contained in the DOMDepartment Operations Manual, section 55000. All revisions and changes to these policies are managed through the Statewide Restricted DOMDepartment Operations Manual coordinator position that resides in RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch.

• The RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch manages the development and revisions of CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation forms to ensure compliance with applicable laws, (GCGovernment Code 14772), department regulations, and policies; maintains and distributes the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation forms catalog, and acts as the forms liaison with other State agencies; and arranges for and coordinates the printing of department forms. The department’s statewide Forms Coordinator resides in RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch.

• The RPMBRegulation and Policy Management Branch also maintains a Department rulemaking and policy library that consists of a reference collection and public records held in accordance with the APAAdministrative Procedure Act. The library contains branch, topical, historic, and background files for past regulation and DOMDepartment Operations Manual revisions, forms catalog, requests for determination of underground regulations, and administrative and informational bulletins.