Portage County Legal News

Senate GOP looks to 86 economy-stunting regs

KEITH ARNOLD
Special to the Legal News
Published: February 21, 2019

It's indisputable Senate Republicans at the Ohio Statehouse are serious about nixing unnecessary and cumbersome regulation - Senate Bill 1, the first legislation of the new session, aims at cutting existing red tape by about a third.

Napoleon Sen. Rob McColley revived Senate Bill 293, which failed to advance beyond a first hearing in the lower chamber during the 132nd General Assembly.

The legislation proposed the same 30 percent cut in agency regulations over a three-year period that SB 1 now seeks.

McColley's efforts to bolster economic growth are joined this session by freshman Sen. Kristina Roegner of Hudson, who recognized the issue as a priority for the Buckeye State.

"Unnecessary red tape and regulation stifles the potential of Ohio's small businesses, limiting job opportunities for Ohioans," said Roegner. "We have a responsibility to ensure that any rules or regulations set by state government have a specific purpose and intent and do not create needless barriers to growth for our economy."

SB 1 is targeted at eliminating outdated, unnecessary regulations and bringing Ohio's regulatory environment more in line with national averages.

"The problem is not regulation but rather unnecessary or excessive regulation," she said. "SB 1 provides a way for us to unshackle Ohio from the regulatory albatross and unleash economic potential in our state."

According to the bill, a state agency shall amend or rescind rules identified in its inventory of regulatory restrictions as necessary to reduce the total number of regulatory restrictions by 30 per cent - a 10 percent reduction by Dec. 31, 2020, a 20 percent reduction by the end of 2021 and a 30 percent reduction by the end of 2022.

"When a reduction of any percentage in regulatory restrictions, whether or not as specified in this section, has been achieved, the state agency may not adopt or maintain regulatory restrictions that would negate the reduction," SB 1 stipulated

If agencies are unable to meet the 30 percent requirement, a "2-for-1" strategy would be implemented by which two regulations must be eliminated for each new one created, lawmakers said.

The bill directs all state agencies to review existing rules by year's end and to compile an inventory of regulations indicating the following:

� The regulatory restriction;

� The rule number of the rule in which the regulatory restriction appears;

� The statute under which the regulatory restriction was adopted;

� Whether removing the regulatory restriction would require statutory change; and

� Any other information the joint committee on agency rule review considers necessary.

"As lawmakers, it is our duty to put in place ideal policies for economic success and job growth in our state," McColley said. "Overly burdensome regulations are a barrier to that end, and are clearly limiting opportunities for many of Ohio's businesses. This is why I am glad to see this legislation reintroduced as one of the Senate's top priorities for the 133rd General Assembly, and I hope to see swift consideration and passage."

SB 1 awaits committee referral for further consideration.

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