HARRISBURG—Today the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee advanced legislation authored by State Senator John DiSanto (Dauphin/Perry) which would streamline and reduce the state’s regulatory burden.
SB 119 seeks to count, cap and cut the number of regulations in Pennsylvania. Under the bill, all state agencies must complete a comprehensive review of all regulatory requirements and cite the appropriate state and federal law authorizing the regulation. The state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission will maintain this information on an online searchable database.
The bill also institutes a “one-in, two-out” regulatory model. For every new requirement in a Pennsylvania regulation, two must be eliminated. After six years, this would be replaced by “one-in, one-out.” Both Canada and the United Kingdom have enjoyed success from similar policies and evidence demonstrates it is an effective way to control bureaucracy and kick start the economy.
“Pennsylvania’s regulatory burden has steadily grown year after year and my constituents and employers have repeatedly told me it has a direct, adverse impact on investing in their businesses and creating jobs,” said DiSanto. “Now that COVID-19 has disrupted all aspects of our economy, it is more important than ever we reduce the complexity and cost of compliance for the countless small businesses struggling to stay afloat.”
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business have expressed their support for this legislation. With committee passage, Senate Bill 119 moves to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT: Chuck Erdman 717-787-6801 cerdman@pasen.gov