State Agencies Complete Review in Record Time, More than 250 Changes Identified, Next Steps Recommend Statutory Reform
Providence, RI – Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced today the release of the Final Report for the accelerated regulatory project. The Office of Management and Budget's Office of Regulatory Reform (ORR) issued the report, which provides a snapshot of reform work to date, as well as next steps for the office. "I commend all of our state agencies on their regulatory reform efforts. I thank them for stepping up to meet the project's acceleration and completing this important initiative in a timely manner. Staff members for the Office of Regulatory Reform should be proud of this impressive body of work," Governor Chafee said. "This work demonstrates Rhode Island's commitment to making state government more efficient and reliable for small businesses." "ORR worked with agencies to cut 2½ years off of the original review timeline set by the General Assembly," Thomas Mullaney, State Budget Officer and Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget, said. "This progress puts Rhode Island in a great position to move from this comprehensive review to even more targeted reforms." During the review, ORR worked with agencies to identify more than 250 changes to improve the state's regulatory system. This work is outlined in four periodic reports. ORR's Final Report highlights the impact state laws have on the content of regulation. To capitalize on reform efforts, the report recommends a broader initiative to review and modify existing state laws. Additionally, ORR has published an annual small business survey to help lawmakers identify which laws small businesses find burdensome or problematic. The Office will focus its ongoing reform efforts in three areas. They are: • Pursuing substantive law and regulations changes. • Efficient processes. • Improved regulatory accessibility.
For more information on the report, please contact Allison Rogers at 401-222-2280 or Allison.Rogers@doa.ri.gov. Businesses which need assistance with regulatory or permitting matters may contact ORR staff at 401-574-8426.