How Would New Regulations Impact Jobs, Economy?

A good way to help Connecticut’s economy grow is to fully understand how proposed regulations would impact businesses, cities, and towns, before adopting new standards.
A measure in the Government Administration and Elections Committee would help achieve that goal and presumably help root out poorly thought out regulations before their adoption.
SB 845 modifies two aspects of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act regarding the adoption of regulations.
The proposal:

• Expands existing requirements for cost impacts on small businesses to include such impacts on businesses of any size.
• Requires the Regulations Review Committee to hold public hearings on any regulations with a potential cost to municipalities or businesses. Currently, the committee has the discretion to hold a hearing on any proposed regulations that come before it.

CBIA applauds the proposals in SB 845 and the committee’s continued focus on improving Connecticut’s regulatory climate.
Regulations and the regulatory process are aspects of doing business in Connecticut that that often create challenges for employers and impact the state’s competitive rankings.
Too often, proposed regulations fail to recognize or consider the potential consequences on our businesses and economy.
SB 845 seeks to make sure, through agency analyses and public scrutiny within the legislative review process, that fiscal and other impacts of proposed regulations are fully explored and subject to public input prior to final adoption.
It’s an issue that Gov. Malloy addressed through his Executive Order No. 37 which included several reforms, including evaluating the cost impacts of proposed regulations.
There are many other important components of the governor’s executive order, but there’s not enough evidence that state agencies are fully embracing and implementing the rule.
That’s why CBIA believes SB 845 should be expanded to include a process for determining whether, and to what extent, state agencies are implementing the executive order.
This would help lawmakers determine, if the provisions are not being fully embraced and implemented with some rigor, whether the legislature should take action itself to require such procedures.
CBIA also supports amending SB 845 to provide some procedural protections for the issuance of general permits by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Many general permits now are indistinguishable on their face and effect from a traditional regulation.
Yet, DEEP has sole authority for developing and issuing these documents which can have far-reaching impacts on businesses and municipalities–as seen in the current debate over DEEP’s proposed municipal storm water general permit.
We would enthusiastically welcome the opportunity to work with lawmakers and other stakeholders on this important issue, as well.
For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Brown at 860.244.1926 | eric.brown@cbia.com | @CBIAericb