<p class=ldtitle>Directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to update its 2016 study of the impact of regulations on Virginia's manufacturing sector. Report.</p>
House Joint Resolution 19 directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to update its 2016 study on the impact of regulations on Virginia’s manufacturing sector. The resolution is based on earlier JLARC work from 2006 and 2016 that estimated the costs manufacturers incurred to comply with state and federal regulations and examined manufacturing job trends in Virginia. HJ19 asks JLARC to produce updated estimates of current compliance costs, explain how those costs have changed since 2016, and assess whether Virginia regulations go beyond federal requirements.
The study would also review major state agency actions since 2016 that may have increased or reduced compliance costs, compare regulatory burdens across Virginia industry sectors, and, where data is available, compare Virginia manufacturers’ costs with those in other Mid-Atlantic and Southern states. The resolution requires state agencies to assist JLARC and sets deadlines for JLARC meetings and annual reporting to the General Assembly and Governor.
HJ19 does not directly change substantive law or impose new regulations on manufacturers. Instead, it creates a legislative study directive for JLARC and requires state agencies to cooperate with the review. Its practical effect would be to generate updated data and policy analysis that could inform future legislation, especially on environmental, workplace, tax, and economic regulations affecting manufacturing and other industries.
The resolution appears generally favorable toward reviewing regulatory burdens on manufacturers and is framed as a fact-finding measure to support economic competitiveness and informed policymaking. The bill’s recitals emphasize the importance of keeping Virginia’s regulations from exceeding federal requirements and highlight manufacturing job losses and compliance costs. No recorded votes or committee debate are available, and the measure was left in Rules, so there is no documented opposition or support beyond the resolution’s stated policy rationale.
The main policy tension underlying HJ19 is between reducing regulatory compliance costs for manufacturers and preserving state regulatory protections. Supporters would likely view the study as a necessary update to understand whether Virginia’s rules are hindering manufacturing growth or competitiveness, while potential critics could argue that the resolution presumes regulation is a burden and may be aimed at justifying deregulation. Because there are no committee transcripts or votes, specific points of disagreement or named opponents are not available.