PROVIDENCE – Two years ago, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee announced an initiative to accelerate a four-year regulatory review process, directing state agencies to make government more efficient, streamline processes and reduce the regulatory impact on small businesses.
The final report of the accelerated regulatory project was issued on Tuesday by the R.I. Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Regulatory Reform. It provides a snapshot of reform work to date, as well as next steps for the office.
Agencies reviewed in 17 months about 26,000 pages in more than 1,600 regulations, slicing 2½ years off the timeline set by the General Assembly.
The agencies identified more than 250 potential changes to the state’s regulatory system through the review, and nearly 75 percent of those reforms are complete, with the remainder set to take place next year.
“I commend all of our state agencies on their regulatory reform efforts. I thank them for stepping up to meet the project’s acceleration and completing this important initiative in a timely manner. Staff members for the Office of Regulatory Reform should be proud of this impressive body of work,” Chafee said in a statement. “This work demonstrates Rhode Island’s commitment to making state government more efficient and reliable for small businesses.”
The final report highlights the impact state laws have on the content of regulation. To capitalize on reform efforts, the report recommends a broader initiative to review and modify existing state laws.
Additionally, ORR has published an annual small business survey to help lawmakers identify which laws small businesses find burdensome or problematic.
The office will focus ongoing reform efforts to pursue substantive law and regulations changes, improve regulatory accessibility and make processes more efficient.
Here are some examples of reforms designed to make the Ocean State a better place to do business as a result of this effort:
- The Coastal Resources Management Council amended its regulations to authorize the restoration of tidal water views to existing hospitality businesses that meet certain criteria, and incorporate a public access plan and conservation easement. The views have been lost over time by the growth of forested wetland vegetation.
- The Department of Children, Youth, and Families drafted legislation to remove a redundant reporting requirement for health care facilities.
- The Department of Health repealed two duplicative state regulations covered by federal rules: poison prevention rules related to product packaging and quality standards for mammograms. DOH specifically cited an interest in not adopting more stringent standards. The original rules predated the federal standards.
- The Division of Motor Vehicles will remove a requirement for inspection stations to use a dynamometer, a large device for testing emissions in older vehicles. This change is scheduled to occur after the expiration of DMV’s current service contract in 2017.
- After hearing from small businesses, ORR’s small business ombudsman joined with the Department of Labor and Training to streamline the application for biweekly pay and make suggested updates to the hazardous substance right-to-know annual renewal registration form. Both forms were placed online to increase ease of access for business.
- In October 2014, the Department of Environment Management established its new Permit Application Center. A result of DEM’s lean efforts, the PAC is aimed at streamlining business permitting processes and providing better customer service.
A copy of this report, as well as past reports, is on the Office of Management and Budget’s website at omb.ri.gov/reform.
