Relates to consideration of the potential impacts of a proposed rule on small businesses and local governments; requires additional efforts to notify interested small businesses or local governments and/or organizations representing their interests of proposed rules.
Summary
A07711 amends the State Administrative Procedure Act’s regulatory flexibility analysis requirements for agency rulemaking. The bill expands what agencies must include when proposing rules or emergency rules that may affect small businesses and local governments, requiring more detailed analysis of compliance burdens, costs, feasibility, and the ways a rule is designed to minimize adverse economic impacts. It also requires agencies to explain whether alternative approaches were considered and incorporated, or why they were not.
The bill further strengthens outreach obligations during rulemaking. Agencies would have to show that they actively solicited participation from affected small businesses and local governments through additional methods beyond the State Register and agency website, such as notices in relevant publications, social media or online resources, direct notification, webinars or open conferences, and procedural changes to make participation easier. The measure takes effect 120 days after becoming law.
Impact
The bill would amend section 202-b of the State Administrative Procedure Act, increasing procedural and disclosure obligations for state agencies when rules are expected to affect small businesses or local governments. It would not directly change substantive regulatory standards, but it would require agencies to produce more robust regulatory flexibility analyses and to document outreach efforts, potentially affecting the timing, drafting, and administrative workload of rulemaking across state agencies.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the available context, the measure appears to be framed as a pro-small-business and pro-local-government transparency bill, with an emphasis on making rulemaking more accessible and responsive to affected entities. There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided material, so no formal opposition or support is documented here. The overall tone of the proposal suggests a policy goal of improving notice, participation, and burden reduction in agency rulemaking.
Contention
The main points of contention likely concern the added administrative burden on agencies and whether the expanded outreach and documentation requirements could slow rulemaking or create compliance costs for the state. Supporters would likely emphasize better notice, more meaningful participation, and reduced regulatory impacts on small businesses and local governments. The bill also appears to shift agencies toward more proactive engagement, which could be viewed as beneficial by affected stakeholders but potentially resource-intensive for agencies.
Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025This bill expands the primary functions and additional duties of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration to include (1) examining the role of small businesses in the international economy, and (2) representing the views and interests of small businesses before foreign governments and international entities to contribute to regulatory and trade initiatives that may affect small businesses.
Relating to requiring certain governmental entities to allow interested persons to comment on the proposed adoption or revision of certain emergency management plans.
Relating to requiring certain governmental entities to allow interested persons to comment on the proposed adoption or revision of certain emergency management plans.
Cost-benefit analysis required for proposed administrative rules, adoption of certain rules prohibited, and notice to legislature upon adoption of exempt rules required.
Requires agencies preparing economic impact statements for small businesses contain findings that the anticipated compliance costs of a proposed rule scale proportionally with the business size, and do not impose fixed costs that favor larger businesses.
Requires agencies preparing economic impact statements for small businesses contain findings that the anticipated compliance costs of a proposed rule scale proportionally with the business size, and do not impose fixed costs that favor larger businesses.
Proposed Administrative rules cost-benefit analysis requirement provision, certain rules adoption prohibition provision, and requiring notice to the legislature upon the adoption of certain rules
Recognizing November 29, 2025, as "Small Business Saturday" and supporting efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses.
Substitute for SB 66 by Committee on Local Government, Transparency and Ethics - Requiring annual filing of the statement of substantial interests by elected or appointed city or county officials, providing that officials of governmental subdivisions other than cities or counties file statements of substantial interests if any change in substantial interests occurred and requiring governmental officials with a substantial interest in a real estate development project to verbally disclose such interest prior to participating in any discussion, review or action on a proposed zoning change or permit.