Article 28This Act comes into effect as of the date of promulgation.

Article 29The Rules of Cannabis Control (No. 1 of Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of 1947) based on the Imperial Ordinance on Orders Issued Incidental to Acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration of 1945 are abolished.

Article 1This Act comes into effect as of the date provided for by a Cabinet Order not exceeding a period of six months since the date of promulgation.

Article 5With regard to the application of penal provisions to acts committed prior to the enforcement of this Act, the provisions then in force remain applicable.

Article 1This Act comes into effect as of April 1, 2000; provided, however, that the provisions listed in the following items come into effect as of the date specified in each of said items:

Article 69With regard to the procedures, jurisdiction, and authority (hereinafter the "procedures, etc." referred to as in this Article.) of prefectural governors pertaining to items that, pursuant to the provisions of Article 32, paragraph (1), Article 78, paragraph (1), and Article 87, paragraph (1) and paragraph (13) of supplementary provisions of the Act Partially Amending the National Pension Act, etc.(Act No. 34 of 1985), remain applicable in accordance with previous provisions, they are deemed to be procedures or authority of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or the commissioner of the social insurance agency, that had the procedures or authority equivalent to the said procedures or authority assigned to them pursuant to the provisions of the National Pension Act, the Employees' Pension Insurance Act and the Seamen's Insurance Act after amended by this Act or pursuant to orders based on these Acts, or of the director-general of a local social insurance bureau to whom it is delegated by these persons, or of directors of social insurance offices to whom it is delegated by the director-general of a local social insurance bureau.

Article 70With regard to local social insurance bureaus and social insurance offices in Article 14 of the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare after amendment by the provisions of Article 166, that are placed in the same position as prefectural organs (limited to those handling procedures related to social insurance) that were responsible for procedures in Article 8 of the supplementary provisions of the Old Local Autonomy Act (if a local social insurance bureau, limited to those placed in a cities (including special wards.) where prefectural government agencies are located.) when this Act comes into force, the provisions of Article 156, paragraph (4) of the New Local Autonomy Act is not applied.

Article 71A person who is currently an official (limited to persons appointed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or by a person delegated by the minister. In article 158 of the supplementary provisions, referred to as "local secretary related to social insurance") specified in Article 8 of the supplementary provisions to the Old Local Autonomy Act when this Act comes into force becomes an official of local social insurance bureaus or a social insurance offices unless a letter of appointment or dismissal is issued.

Article 72A local social insurance medical care council, its chairman, members and expert advisors under the provisions of the Social Insurance Council Act before its amendment by the provisions of Article 169 becomes the corresponding local social insurance medical council of regional social insurance bureaus, its chairman, members and expert advisors and exist in identity.

Article 73The designation under the provisions of Article 92-3, paragraph (1), item (ii) of the National Pension Act after its amendment by the provisions of Article 200, and the public announcement under the provisions of paragraph (2) of said Article may be performed even before the provisions of Article 200 comes into force.

Article 74With regard to requests for re-examination based on the provisions of Article 149 to Article 151, Article 157, Article 158, Article 165, Article 168, Article 170, Article 172, Article 173, Article 175, Article 176, Article 183, Article 188, Article 195, Article 201, Article 208, Article 214, Article 219 to Article 221, Article 59-4, paragraph (2) of the Child Welfare Act before its amendment by the provisions of Article 229 or Article 238, Article 12-4 of the Act on Anma, Massage and Shiatsu Practitioners, Acupuncture Practitioners and Moxibustion Practitioners, etc., Article 29-4 of Food Sanitation Act, Article 9-3 of the Inns and Hotels Act, Article 7-3 of Public Bath House Act, Article 71-3 of Medical Service Act, Article 43-2, paragraph (2) of the Act on the Welfare of Persons with Physical Disabilities, Article 51-12, paragraph (2) of the Act on the Mental Health and Welfare of the Persons with Mental Disorders, Article 14-2, paragraph (2) of the Laundry Business Act, Article 25-2 of the Rabies Prevention Act, Article 83-2, paragraph (2) of the Social Welfare Services Act, Article 69 of the Tuberculosis Prevention Act, Article 20 of Slaughterhouse Act, Article 27-2 of Dental Technicians Act, Article 20-8-2 of the Act on Medical Laboratory Technicians, Public Health Laboratory Technician, etc., Article 30, paragraph (2) of the Act on the Welfare of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Article 34, paragraph (2) of the Elderly Welfare Act, Article 26, paragraph (2) of Maternal and Child Health Act, Article 23 of the Judo Healing Practitioner Act, Article 14, paragraph (2) of Act on Maintenance of Sanitation in Buildings, Article 24 of Act Concerning Waste Disposal and Scavenging, Article 41, paragraph (3) of the Act on the Regulation of Poultry Processing and Poultry Inspection or Article 65 of the Act on Prevention of Infectious Disease and Medical Treatments of Infectious Disease Patients, pertaining to administrative dispositions prior to the date on which the Act comes into effect, the provisions in force before the amendment remain applicable.

Article 75The business suspension orders and other administrative dispositions implemented by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or a prefectural governor or other local government organs pursuant to the provisions of Article 46, paragraph (4), or Article 59, paragraph (1) or paragraph (3) of the Child Welfare Act before its amendment, Article 8, paragraph (1) of the Act on Anma, Massage and Shiatsu Practitioners, Acupuncture Practitioners and Moxibustion Practitioners, etc. (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis in Article 12-2, paragraph (2) in the same Act.), Article 22 of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 5, paragraph (2), or Article 25, paragraph (1) of the Medical Service Act, Article 17, paragraph (1) of the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis in Article 22, paragraphs (4) and (5) in the same Act.), Article 100, paragraph (1) of the Welfare Pension Insurance Act, Article 39, paragraph (1) of the Water Supply Act, Article 106, paragraph (1) of the National Pension Act, Article 18, paragraph (1) of the Judo Healing Practitioner Act before their amendment is deemed to be the business suspension orders and other dispositions implemented by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or a prefectural governors or other local government organs pursuant to the provisions of Article 46, paragraph (4), or Article 59, paragraph (1) or paragraph (3) of the Child Welfare Act after its amendment, Article 8, paragraph (1) of the Act on Anma, Massage and Shiatsu Practitioners, Acupuncture Practitioners and Moxibustion Practitioners, etc. (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis in Article 12-2, paragraph (2) in the same Act.), Article 22 of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 5, paragraph (2), or Article 25, paragraph (1) of the Medical Service Act, Article 17, paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis in Article 22, paragraphs (4) and (5) in the same Act.), Article 100, paragraph (1) of the Welfare Pension Insurance Act, Article 39, paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of the Water Supply Act, Article 106, paragraph (1) of the National Pension Act, Article 69, paragraph (1) or paragraph (2), or Article 72, paragraph (2) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, or Article 18, paragraph (1) of the Judo Healing Practitioner Act.

Article 159Beyond the provisions of each law before the amendment by this Act, before this Act comes into force, affairs of the State, other locals governments and other public organs that are executed or managed by local government organs pursuant to laws or Cabinet Orders based on these laws (referred to in Article 161 of supplementary provisions as "affairs of the State, etc.") are to be processed by local governments as affairs of said local government pursuant to laws or a Cabinet Orders based on these, after this Act comes into force.

Article 160(1)Dispositions such as authorizations and other acts (hereinafter, referred to as " dispositions and other acts" in this Article.) performed before the enforcement of this Act (with regard to the provisions set forth in each of the items of Article 1 of supplementary provisions, the respective provisions. The same applies hereinafter in this Article and in Article 163 of supplementary provisions.) pursuant to the provisions of each Act before their amendment or applications for permissions and other acts (hereinafter, referred to as "permissions and other acts" in this Article.) already performed at the time of the enforcement of this Act pursuant to the provisions of each Act before their amendment, that the person responsible for processing the administrative affairs pertaining to these acts differs from the day on which this Act comes into force, excluding what are provided for under the provisions concerning the transitional measures of the provisions of Article 2 to the preceding Article of supplementary provisions or each Act (including orders based on this.), with regard to the application of each Act after being amended after the date of enforcement of this Act, are deemed to have be dispositions and other acts and permissions and other acts performed pursuant to the respective provisions of each Act after their amendment,

(2)With regard to the matters that before the date of enforcement of this Act must be reported , notified, submitted to, or be filed with the State or a local government organ pursuant to the provisions of each Act before being amended and that the respective procedures has not been taken before the date of enforcement of this Act, beyond the cases where it is provided for by law or Cabinet Orders based on them, they are deemed to be matters for which a report, a notification, a submission and other procedures must be taken with the State or a local government organs pursuant to the equivalent provisions of each Act after being amended.

Article 161(1)With regard to an administrative disposition pertaining to national affairs, etc., before the date of enforcement that has been implemented by an administrative agency (hereinafter referred to as "administrative disposition agency" in this Article.) with an administrative agency higher than said agency (hereinafter referred to as "higher administrative agency" in this Article.") provided for by the Administrative Appeal Act and that has been appealed pursuant to the same Act before the date of enforcement, it is deemed that, even after the date of enforcement, there is a higher administrative agency to said administrative disposition agency, and the provisions of the Administrative Appeal Act is applied thereto. In this case, said administrative agency that is deemed to be the higher administrative agency of the said administrative disposition agency is the administrative agency that is the higher administrative agency of said administrative disposition agency before the date of the enforcement.

(2)In case of the preceding paragraph, when an administrative agency regarded as a higher administrative agency is an organ of a local public entity, the affairs said organ must process pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Appealing Act are the No. 1 statutory entrusted function provided for in Article 2, paragraph (9), item (i), of the New Local Autonomy Act.

Article 162The provisions then in force remain applicable to the fees that were to be paid before the date on which this Act comes into effect pursuant to the provisions of each Act (including orders based on these acts.) before their amendment by this Act, beyond the cases particularly provided for by this Act and Cabinet Orders based on it.

Article 163With regard to the application of penal provisions to acts committed prior to the enforcement of this Act, the provisions then in force remain applicable.

Article 164(1)Beyond the provisions in this supplementary provisions, other transitional measures (including transitional measures concerning punishment.) necessary to the enforcement of this Act are provided for by Cabinet Orders.

(2)The necessary matters concerning the application of the provisions of Article 18, Article 51 and Article 184 of supplementary provisions are provided for by Cabinet Order.

Article 250Adding new functions to No. 1 statutory entrusted function provided for in Article 2, paragraph (9), item (i) of the New Local Autonomy Act is to be avoided as much as possible, and functions listed in Attached Table No. 1 in the New Local Autonomy Act and the functions specified by Cabinet Orders based on the New Local Autonomy Act are to be reviewed in light of promoting the decentralization, and, when appropriate, properly changed.

Article 251The government, in order to allow local governments to execute their duties and procedures individually and independently, is to review policies concerning securing financial resources according to the division of roles between the national and local governments, taking into consideration changes in the economic situation, and, based on these results, take the necessary measures.

Article 252The government, following the reform of the medical insurance system, the Pension System, is to review the system of social insurance procedures, the situation of the workers employed, etc. in light of securing the convenience of the insured, etc. and rationalizing procedures, etc., and if it finds it necessary, take the required measures based on the results.

Article 1This Act comes into effect as of April 1, 2000.

Article 4With regard to the application of penal provisions to acts committed prior to the enforcement of this Act, the provisions then in force remain applicable.

Article 1This Act (excluding Article 2 and Article 3.) comes into effect as of January 6, 2001.