Board works with state agencies on small-business issues

The board was created in 2005 to give feedback to state agencies regarding rules that adversely affect small businesses. It also collects comments from small businesses and state agencies about proposed rules and provides evaluations and recommendations to the governor and General Assembly.

In its report, the board recommends state agencies should:

• Designate a regulatory fairness program representative as the primary contact between the board and the agencies. The representative would investigate comments from small businesses and ensure review and response;

• Provide formal training for all enforcement and compliance staff on the regulatory rights of small businesses;

• Have a small-business impact statement for every proposed rule that would affect small businesses;

• Respond within 60 days to all comments generated through the regulatory fairness program; and

• Consider the size of businesses when imposing appropriate fines.

The board plans to confirm that state agencies have complied with the recommendations this year and will include those evaluations in its 2007 report.

Also in the report, the board detailed all eight of the small-business comments the board received through December and how the appropriate state agencies responded.

Additionally, the report calls for state agencies to submit by June 13 a list of rules that affect small businesses to the board and the General Assembly. Agencies also will submit reports on the purpose for each of its rules.