Earlier this month, the North Carolina Legislature passed the Business and Agency Regulatory Reform Act of 2017, which aims to streamline and simplify the state’s rule-making processes.
The measure (Senate Bill 16) passed with bipartisan support and combines recommendations from the Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee and the Department of Labor, as well as other legislative proposals and suggestions.
As outlined by a press release from Speaker of the House Tim Moore, SB 16:
- Ensures that all objections to agency rules are recorded as public comment
- Expands public notice requirements for proposed rule changes, giving residents more time to submit comments and input on the process
- Removes the requirement that a citizen petition an agency through the rules review process before seeking judicial review of regulations
- Helps agencies prioritize critical reports to give highest scrutiny to the most impactful regulations
- Reforms regulations that oversee state agencies, bed and breakfasts, alarm system salespeople, and businesses that provide critical solid waste disposal services
- Clarifies stormwater laws to remove duplicate requirements
- Removes an outdated requirement that pipelines and mains originate in North Carolina for eminent domain to be exercised to expand construction
- Adds requirement that vehicle backup lights be working in order to pass annual safety inspections
“These reforms enhance transparency and improve public input on the state’s rule-making process, empowering North Carolina taxpayers with a louder voice in the government process,” Moore said.
