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Burzichelli, Egan, Stender & Wisniewski Bill Cutting Red Tape to Help Save Businesses Money & Streamline State Services Signed into Law

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly Democrats John Burzichelli, Joseph Egan, Linda Stender and John Wisniewski sponsored to help cut bureaucratic red tape to help save businesses money, create jobs and streamline state services has been signed into law.
“If we’re going to get New Jersey back on its feet and get our economy humming again, we need to eliminate as many unnecessary hurdles as possible so businesses can get up and running more quickly,” said Burzichelli (D-Cumberland/Salem/Gloucester), who served on the state’s Red Tape Review Commission. “This will cut red tape, make New Jersey more business-friendly and help revive our economy.”
“Starting up a business is stressful enough to begin with,” said Egan (D-Middlesex/Somerset). “With lending still tight, the last thing a business owner needs is to be hit with red tape. This will help eliminate one more burden.”
The bill (A-3321) would require the state’s administrative agencies to employ various technologies, including the Internet, listserv technology and e-mail services in order to streamline the agencies’ rule-making notice and comment procedures and facilitate regulatory compliance.
“Even before Sandy hit, our biggest priority was finding ways to make New Jersey more business-friendly to help revitalize our economy,” said Stender (D-Middlesex/Somerset/Union). “Now more than ever, it’s important that we find ways to help businesses and residents, alike, navigate the often complex maze of government regulations.”
Among the bill’s provisions, agencies would be required to:
1) Make available for public inspection, through publication on the agency’s Internet website and in the New Jersey Register, all of the agency’s rule-making and public hearing notices, publicity documents, press releases, final and non-confidential agency reports, and rule-making petitions received thereby, as well as a complete list of the agency’s permits, fees, violations, penalties, deadlines, processing times, and appeals procedures;
2) Distribute notice of the agency’s intended action to interested persons, and publicize the same, through the use of an electronic mailing list or other similar type of subscription-based e-mail service;
3) Make any proposed rule available for public viewing through posting on the agency’s Internet website and through any other reasonable means, a statement summarizing the proposed rule, the potential impacts thereof, and the agency’s authority therefore; and
4) Accept and fully consider data, views, comments, or arguments on a proposed rule, which are submitted to the agency, in written form, through the agency’s e-mail systems or electronic mailing list.
“With our unemployment rate still high, anything we can do to help businesses establish and flourish is a must right now, especially in this post-Sandy environment,” said Wisniewski (D-Middlesex). “Helping them cut through red tape and get the information they need in one convenient online location will hopefully make the process easier for them.”