Madison (April
16, 2014) – Senate
Bill 497, signed into law today by Governor Scott Walker, will eliminate
confusing and sometimes contradictory guidelines used by agencies in the
enforcement of a rule or assessment of a penalty for minor violations by a
small business.
“Previously, agencies had discretion to reduce
fines or come up with an alternative enforcement mechanism,” said Bill G. Smith, NFIB Wisconsin State
Director, “The problem is that there was no consistency among the agencies,
and that created confusion for small businesses that often must deal with
multiple departments and agencies.”
The new law, which was approved by the
Legislature with bipartisan support, clarifies when agencies may or may not use
discretion when assessing penalties for minor violations.
“This new law is a very important reform of
the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Act,” said Smith, “we are pleased it
passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, and we are especially pleased
Governor Walker has made regulatory reform a top priority of his
administration. This new law will create
a more predictable regulatory environment favorable for creation and small
business growth – important objectives for moving our state forward.”
For more information about NFIB, please visit www.nfib.com.
