Lawmakers Focus on Regulatory Process

A key legislative committee is making a renewed effort to strengthen Connecticut’s agency regulation review process.

The Government Oversight Committee advanced several concepts for drafting as bills at its first meeting of the 2026 legislative session Feb. 10.

Among the proposals unanimously approved was a measure, backed by the Lamont administration and featured in CBIA’s 2026 Policy Solutions, requiring more regular, detailed reviews of agency regulations.

Under current law, state agencies are required to review regulations every seven years.

However, those reviews are often not been reported consistently and sometimes lack the level of detail necessary to evaluate whether regulations should be updated, revised, or repealed.

According to the Mercatus Center, Connecticut’s Administrative Code—the compiled regulations of state agencies—contains roughly 100,000 regulatory restrictions spanning more than 5.2 million words.

Volume, Complexity

Business advocates argue that the volume and complexity of these rules underscores the need for a more structured and transparent review process.

The proposal builds on similar legislation introduced during the 2025 session that was approved by the Government Oversight Committee and overwhelmingly cleared the House, but was not acted on by the Senate.

HB 6073 have required agencies, at the request of the governor, to provide more comprehensive information about their existing regulations, including each rule’s purpose, impact, cost, and whether it duplicates requirements imposed by other agencies.

Supporters say revisiting the issue in 2026 reflects continued bipartisan interest in improving how the state evaluates its regulatory framework.

“A more frequent and transparent regulatory review process will ensure that Connecticut’s processes remain effective and timely.”

CBIA’s Paul Amarone

Connecticut’s business community has emphasized the importance of regulatory clarity and predictability, arguing that regulations play a central role in planning, hiring, expansion, and investment decisions.

“When regulations become outdated, duplicative, or unclear, they can slow innovation, increase costs, and discourage investment,” said CBIA senior policy director Paul Amarone.

“A more frequent and transparent regulatory review process will ensure that Connecticut’s processes remain effective, timely, and aligned with today’s economy.

“By requiring agencies to regularly evaluate their regulations and report back to the governor, the state can identify regulations that are obsolete, overly complex, or unnecessarily costly for both the private and public sector.”

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For more information, contact CBIA’s Paul Amarone (860.244.1978).