Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that increases legislative oversight of the regulatory review process to ensure state agencies implement the law.

Highlights:

• Classifies "committee chairperson" as any of the following (Sec. 3):

• The Senator appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate to serve as a majority chairperson of the committee;

• The Senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate to serve as a minority chairperson of the committee;

• The Representative appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to serve as a majority chairperson of the committee; and

• The Representative appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives to serve as a minority chairperson of the committee.

• Requires an agency to submit to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, and the committee chairpersons a copy of the proposed regulation and a regulatory analysis form which includes, but is not limited to, the following (Sec. 2.a):

• The title of the agency and the names, office addresses and telephone numbers of the agency officials responsible for responding to questions regarding the regulation or for receiving comments relating to the regulation;

• A concise and, when possible, nontechnical explanation of the proposed regulation;

• A statement of the need for the regulation;

• Estimates of the direct and indirect costs to the Commonwealth, to its political subdivisions and to the private sector; and

• A statement of legal, accounting or consulting procedures and additional reporting, recordkeeping or other paperwork, including copies of forms or reports, which will be required for implementation of the regulation and an explanation of measures which have been taken to minimize these requirements.

• Requires an agency to consider, without limitation, each of the following methods of reducing the impact of the proposed regulation on small businesses (Sec. 2-12.1):

• The establishment of less stringent compliance or reporting requirements for small businesses;

• The establishment of less stringent schedules or deadlines for compliance or reporting requirements for small businesses;

• The consolidation or simplification of compliance or reporting requirements for small businesses;

• The establishment of performance standards for small businesses to replace design or operational standards required in the proposed regulation; and

• The exemption of small businesses from all or any part of the requirements contained in the proposed regulation.

• Authorizes the majority committee chairperson to convene a meeting of the committee to adopt any comment, recommendation or objection to the proposed regulations or conduct an informational hearing on the proposed regulations (Sec. 1-14.d).

• Requires the committee chairpersons to, within 5 business days of receipt, distribute the commission's comments, recommendations or objections to the proposed regulation to the committee members of the committee chairperson's caucus (Sec. 1-14.g).

• Specifies if notified by a committee that it disapproves or intends to further review a regulation, the commission may not approve or disapprove the regulation for a period of 30 days or until the commission's next scheduled meeting, whichever is longer (Sec. 5.1.e).

Full Bill Text