Changes how agencies estimate regulations' economic impact

The Administrative Procedure Act requires a state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal an administrative regulation to assess the potential for adverse economic impact on California business enterprises and individuals and avoid the imposition of unnecessary or unreasonable regulations or reporting, recordkeeping, or compliance requirements. The act requires a state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a major regulation to satisfy additional requirements, including by requiring the state agency to prepare a standardized regulatory impact analysis in the manner prescribed by the Department of Finance, as specified, and requires the analysis to address certain items, including the creation or elimination of jobs within the state and the competitive advantages or disadvantages for businesses currently doing business within the state. The act defines “major regulation” to mean a proposed adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation subject to review by the Office of Administrative Law, as specified, that will have an economic impact on California business enterprises and individuals in an amount exceeding $50,000,000, as estimated by the agency.

This bill would require an agency, in estimating the economic impact of adopting, amending, or repealing a regulation, to identify and calculate any offsetting benefits, impacts, or savings that might result directly or indirectly from that adoption, amendment, or repeal and factor those benefits, impacts, or savings into its economic impact estimate.