(TRENTON) — Legislation Assembly Democrats John Burzichelli, Annette Quijano, Ralph Caputo and Linda Greenstein sponsored to revise rules and regulations that impair New Jersey’s business climate were unanimously approved Thursday by the Assembly.
Burzichelli served on the governor’s red tape review panel and is chairman of the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee that released the bills — and many other similar ones — and was created to help implement legislation to streamline burdensome business regulations.
“New Jerseyans have been waiting for too long for us to find ways to reduce the mountains of regulation affecting their daily lives, while still honoring our responsibility to protect the environment and citizens,” said Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem). “The Assembly has already taken steps to ease burdensome regulations, and these bills will help us get even more reform accomplished for the betterment of our state.”
“These reforms will go a long way toward less bureaucracy and more productivity for our businesses, boosting our economy and creating jobs,” said Quijano (D-Union).
“Streamlining these regulations is a key step toward creating jobs and a better business environment for our state,” said Caputo (D-Essex).
The bills would:
- Amend current law concerning state agency rule-making by changing the chapter expiration dates of rules from five years to seven years and establishing a new procedure for the re-adoption of rules without substantive changes (A-2721 sponsored by Burzichelli, Quijano, Caputo and Greenstein); and
- Modify the process for contested case hearings by the Office of Administrative Law with regard to telephone and video conferences, delegation of final decision authority, oral decisions, checklist decisions, electronic filings and settlements. (A-2722 sponsored by Burzichelli, Quijano and Caputo).
The two bills are among several advanced by the Assembly to cut red tape and improve New Jersey’s business environment, including bills to:
- Remove licensing requirements for recreational bingo games (A-1169), sponsored by Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen). It was approved by the Assembly in May;
- Require the state to consider the economic impact of new regulations (A-2129), sponsored by Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex). It was approved by the Assembly in September;
- Require all state agency rules be published in the state register and prohibit the use of regulatory guidance documents (A-2464), sponsored by Burzichelli and Quijano. It was approved by the Assembly in March;
- Prohibit the adoption of new rules that exceed federal standards (A-2486), sponsored by Burzichelli. It was released by committee in March;
- Establish new procedures for agency rulemaking (A-2720), sponsored by Burzichelli. It received final legislative approval in January;
- Require the Board of Public Utilities to post all orders on the Internet (A-2849), sponsored by Burzichelli and Quijano. It was approved by the Assembly in January;
- Eliminate numerous inactive boards and commission (A-2851), sponsored by Burzichelli. It was signed into law in November; and
- Streamline permit approval for economic development projects (A-2853), sponsored by Burzichelli and Matthew J. Milam (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). It received final legislative approval in January.