Colorado Extends Regulatory Flexibility for Small Business

Colorado Governor Bill Owens has extended help for Colorado’s over 493,000 small businesses by signing into law a bill that continues the requirement that state agencies prepare a cost-benefit analysis of proposed rules that may affect small businesses when requested by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
In Colorado, each state agency, its functions, and its boards are reviewed according to a statutory review schedule and statutory criteria. A sunset review discusses whether the agency, its functions, or board should be
continued without changes, continued with changes, or terminated. Provisions in the Colorado Administrative Procedure Act governing the preparation of a cost-benefit analysis were set to terminate on July 1, 2006, unless extended by legislative action. This bill extended the cost-benefit analysis requirement until July 1, 2013.
The small business community, led by the National Federation of Independent Business/Colorado (NFIB) and the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, supported the passage and signing of the bill.
“Duplicative, unnecessary and overly complicated regulations hit small business the hardest. By continuing these cost-benefit provisions state agencies can better see when they need to provide flexibility in their rules,” said Tony Gagliard, NFIB/Colorado State Director. “For small business, having the ability to participate and help shape the rules they have to comply with is important. The bill’s passage helps to maintain Colorado’s small business friendly environment.”