Idaho governor targets regulatory costs with two executive orders (2019)

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State governments have taken a variety of actions that impact the administrative state at the state level. These actions may address aspects of the regulatory process—such as rulemaking and regulatory review—or interactions between the administrative state and other branches of state government, including judicial deference.
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Idaho governor targets regulatory costs with two executive orders (2019)
Idaho Governor Brad Little signed two executive orders on January 31, 2019, aimed at reducing state regulations on businesses and individuals in Idaho. He said that the orders would “help simplify Idaho state government and make it more accountable to citizens.”[1]
The first executive order, the Licensing Freedom Act of 2019 (LFA), made changes to the way Idaho implements and maintains occupational licenses.[2] The LFA established a sunset rule that requires regular gubernatorial review of every licensure requirement to determine whether those requirements still serve the public interest.[2] The LFA also created a list of sunrise factors that the governor and executive departments must consider with the legislature in order to impose new regulations on businesses, professions, or occupations.[2]
The sunrise restrictions on professional regulations require agencies to consider the following:[2]
- Whether the unregulated business or practice of the profession or occupation will substantially harm or endanger the public health, safety or welfare and whether the potential for harm is recognizable, quantifiable and not remote
- Whether the practice of the profession or occupation requires specialized skill or training and whether that skill or training is readily available and measurable or quantifiable so that examination or training requirements would reasonably assure initial and continuing professional or occupational ability
- Whether the regulation will have an unreasonable effect on job creation or job retention in the state or will place unreasonable restrictions on the ability of individuals who seek to practice or who are practicing a given profession or occupation to continue to practice or to find employment
- Whether the public is or can be effectively protected by other less restrictive means
- Whether and how the occupation or profession is licensed in other states and the compatibility of the proposed regulation in Idaho with the reciprocity rules of other states
- Whether the proposed regulation considers and addresses the unique needs of military personnel, spouses, and veterans who are members of the occupation or profession addressed
- Whether the overall cost-effectiveness and economic impact of the proposed regulation, including the direct and indirect costs to consumers, will be outweighed by the benefits of regulation
- Whether the proposed regulation is the least restrictive effective regulatory framework capable of adequately protecting the public
The second executive order, called the Red Tape Reduction Act (RTRA), required the state Division of Financial Management to submit annual reports detailing efforts to eliminate regulations and to streamline state government.[3] In addition, the RTRA changed the procedures for proposing new rules through the 2021 fiscal year.[3] First, state agencies must submit a statement identifying the impact that a new rule would have on individuals and small businesses.[3] Second, agencies must name at least two existing rules to repeal or simplify or they must give reasons why existing rules cannot be simplified or removed.[3] This requirement is similar to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 13771, which requires federal agencies to eliminate two old regulations for every new regulation they issue.
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Idaho Office of the Governor, "Governor Little signs two new executive orders reducing regulatory burdens on Idahoans," January 31, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Executive Department of the State of Idaho, "Executive Order No. 2019-01, Licensing Freedom Act of 2019," accessed April 19, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Executive Department of the State of Idaho, "Executive Order No. 2019-02, Red Tape Reduction Act," accessed April 19, 2019