1. (a) An administratively complete petition shall be referred to the appropriate agency personnel for review and recommended action.
2. (b) Within 10 days of receiving a petition, agency personnel shall make a recommendation to the executive director to either deny the petition or initiate rulemaking, and shall include reasons for the recommendation.
3. (c) The executive director shall forward to each member of the commission a copy of the petition and the staff recommendation and shall verify that each commissioner has received a copy of the petition and the staff recommendation.
4. (d) If a member of the commission determines that further deliberations are warranted, the executive director shall place the petition on the agenda of the commission and notify the petitioner in writing of the date, time, and place of the commission meeting at which the petition will be deliberated.
5. (e) If, by the 50th day following the submission of the petition, no member of the commission has determined that further deliberations are warranted, the petition will be denied. The department shall notify the petitioner in writing of the staff recommendation and final disposition of the petition by no later than the 60th day after submission of the petition.
6. (f) In the event that rulemaking is to be initiated as a result of a petition involving any portion of Chapter 65, Subchapter A of this title (relating to Statewide Hunting and Fishing Proclamation), the department may defer the rulemaking activity until such time as it initiates other rulemaking activity involving Chapter 65, Subchapter A of this title.

Source Note:The provisions of this §51.3 adopted to be effective February 25, 2001, 26 TexReg 1749; amended to be effective October 13, 2003, 28 TexReg 8952; amended to be effective January 3, 2005, 29 TexReg 12225.