Committees Consider Bills to Improve Regulatory Climate

To their credit, several legislative committees are embracing their role in reversing the perception that Connecticut is an overly aggressive regulatory state.
Addressing the problem means looking at the substance of our regulations—such as their clarity and stringency relative to other states—as well as how state agencies interpret and enforce them.
At this stage of the 2017 General Assembly session, bills under consideration by several committees are designed to address one or both of these elements.

Environment Committee

• HB 5502 requires the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to either issue a decision or provide a status report on commercial permit applications within 90 days of receipt.
• HB 6327 addresses DEEP’s authority to adopt general permits, which can impact the rights and obligations of hundreds of businesses by requiring some of these permits to be adopted as regulations.
• The committee is also expected to consider a bill that would create a process for DEEP to annually solicit from the business community a list of three high-priority regulatory concerns with timelines for addressing them.

Government Administrations and Elections Committee

• SB 194 establishes permit application response times for state agencies.
• HB 5087 suspends penalties for first-time minor regulatory violations that are quickly corrected.
• HB 6151 allows businesses that believe a state agency is overstepping its legal authority in administering a regulation to ask the attorney general for a ruling.

Commerce Committee

• SB 128 gives small startup companies a two-year exemption from state regulations.
• The committee will also consider a bill designed to clarify the purpose and the universe of businesses impacted by proposed regulations.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Brown (860.244.1926) | @CBIAericb