NEWSRELEASE
For Release: March 28, 2007
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
SBA Number: 07-10 ADVO
Press Kit
State Regulatory Flexibility Movement Given Boost
Guide To Flexibility For Small Business Published
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today’s publication of a “best practices” guide gives a boost to the already strong state regulatory flexibility movement. The guide, published by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will help states that are implementing regulatory flexibility programs for small business. Regulatory flexibility addresses the disproportionate impact regulations have on small business by requiring agencies to analyze the impact of their proposed regulations and to evaluate less burdensome alternatives.
“This guide will serve as a tool to help states effectively implement their regulatory flexibility laws,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “Now that states have recognized the importance of small business input in the regulatory process, their agencies need to put systems in place to make it happen. This guide promotes the best state practices for doing that.”
State Guide to Regulatory Flexibility for Small Businesses details the key elements of implementing a regulatory flexibility program. According to the guide, once a regulatory flexibility law is in place the focus should be on making sure that regulatory officials understand the law, that small business stakeholders become a resource for agencies’ analysis efforts, and that there is strong executive leadership from the top ensuring compliance with the law or executive order.
Since the introduction of the Office of Advocacy’s state model legislation in 2002, the movement for state regulatory flexibility has swept the country. Already this year Arkansas joined the growing list of states with active regulatory statues or executive orders. During the past five years, thirty-seven state legislatures have considered regulatory flexibility legislation and nineteen states have implemented legislation or an executive order.
Federal and state policy makers attending the Building a Better Small Business Climate: State Regulatory Flexibility Best Practices conference, held at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO received the guide. The Office of Advocacy, the Kauffman Foundation, and the Public Forum Institute co-sponsored the conference.
For more information on state regulatory flexibility for small business and a complete copy of the guide, visit the Office of Advocacy web site at www.sba.gov/advo/laws/law_modeleg.html.
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The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. The presidentially appointed Chief Counsel for Advocacy advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. For more information, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.