Recently, State Director Chad Heinrich joined a Home Builders Association meeting featuring an update from the Goldwater Institute on two policy measures that NFIB helped champion through the legislative process. Jon Riches, Vice President of Litigation at the Goldwater Institute, walked attendees through how both laws are now being used to protect business owners and property rights across the state.

Permit Freedom Act (2023). This reform tackles a problem every small business owner knows too well: permitting agencies that move the goalposts, apply vague standards, or simply sit on applications indefinitely. The Act requires that permitting decisions be made under clear and objective criteria and that permits be issued within 60 days of an administratively complete submission. Riches shared a recent example involving a Prescott property owner whose plans for a small boutique hotel on Whiskey Row had been denied based on subjective standards like “scaling and mass.” After being presented with the Permit Freedom Act, the Prescott City Council overrode the denial. The law remains underutilized, and Riches encouraged businesses facing shifting requirements or stalled permits to take a closer look at the protections it offers.

Universal Recognition of Occupational Licensing (2017). Arizona was the first state in the nation to enact universal licensing recognition, and nearly half the states have since followed Arizona’s lead — a testament to the strength of the model. The law requires Arizona licensing boards to recognize valid out-of-state occupational licenses for professionals in good standing who relocate to Arizona, removing a significant barrier to growing the state’s skilled workforce. Riches described representing an experienced psychologist who moved to Sedona and was initially blocked by the Arizona board because her doctoral degree came from a state-recognized rather than regionally-recognized institution, despite 20 years of practice. A letter citing the universal recognition statute resolved the matter quickly. For small businesses that depend on licensed labor — from the trades to professional services — this law continues to ease hiring and relocation.

Both reforms reflect NFIB’s ongoing work to cut regulatory burdens and expand economic freedom for Arizona’s small business community.