Snyder Continues Effort to Reduce Regulatory Burden on Small Businesses to Spur Job Growth

Press Release

The Department of Environmental Quality will be required to ensure permit applications are processed in a timely manner under legislation signed by Gov. Rick Snyder today, a change the governor said will make it easier for small businesses to move forward with expansion plans and grow while maintaining environmental standards.

The governor also authorized a number of administrative rule changes aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on small businesses in order to help spur job growth.

"We cannot let bureaucratic inefficiencies cause delays that stand in the way of expansion and economic growth," Snyder said. "The goal of this legislation is to ensure the department does a quality review and then renders a decision so plans can move forward."

Senate Bill 275, sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson, requires the DEQ to, upon request, provide a list specifying in detail the information that is required to complete a permit application. The department will also have to commit extra resources to the review process to clear application backlogs. The legislation is now Public Act 246 of 2011.

S.B. 271, sponsored by state Sen. Jack Brandenburg, requires the Office of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR) to publish a small-business impact statement. It is now P.A. 242.

S.B. 272, sponsored by state Sen. Mike Kowall, requires agencies to consider exempting small businesses from rules and regulations. It is now P.A. 243.

S.B. 273, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Robertson, excludes lawmakers from being considered a party to a contested case or any other administrative proceeding for acts committed while performing their official duties. It is now P.A. 244.

S.B. 274, sponsored by state Sen. John Pappageorge, allows the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to hold a hearing on rules filed with the Secretary of State or any appropriate matter. It is now P.A. 245.

S.B. 276, also sponsored by Robertson, requires the ORR to post information regarding proposed rules on the ORR website. It is now P.A. 247.

S.B. 277, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, requires the review of at least two DEQ programs each year to evaluate efficiency and impact. Each division within the DEQ will have to conduct customer service surveys and post results on its website. The legislation is now P.A. 248.

The governor today also signed S.B. 502, which allows accredited culinary arts and hospitality programs at a college or university to obtain a liquor license to sell alcoholic liquor for consumption at the program's location. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Mike Nofs, is now P.A. 249.

Detailed descriptions of the bills may be found online at www.legislature.mi.gov.

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