Business throughout Virginia, especially small and upstart businesses, face a heavy burden of state-imposed regulations, that brings with it numerous permit and paperwork requirements.
Attorney General McDonnell recognizes the burden this places on commerce and the citizens of Virginia and has pledged to lead a review of state regulations to find those that are out date, duplicative or can be improved. He is forming a Regulatory and Government Reform Task Force, made up of leaders in business and government, to review state regulations and the regulatory process and find places for improvement. This Task Force will make recommendations for removal of burdensome or outdated regulations and propose amendments to existing regulations to improve their effectiveness or eliminate adverse impacts on the Commonwealth. The Task Force will also recommend changes to the regulatory process to make sure the citizens of the Commonwealth are informed about new and proposed regulations and involved in the process if they so desire.
The past few years have brought improvements in this area. Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore convened a Task Force on Regulatory Reform and Economic Development. This group produced numerous recommendations on growing Virginia’s economy and proposed the Small Business Regulatory Reform and Flexibility Act. This legislation required that the state take into account the impact of proposed regulations on Virginia’s small businesses, looking for alternatives to achieve the desired goals without adversely impacting small businesses. It also requires the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget to review the impact of all proposed regulations on small businesses in Virginia.
You can read the full report of the Attorney General’s Task Force on Regulatory Reform and Economic Development here.