FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1178

C 149 L 11

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Addressing the office of regulatory assistance.

Sponsors: Representatives Appleton and Miloscia; by request of Office of Regulatory Assistance.

House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs

House Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Committee on Economic Development, Trade & Innovation

Background:

Originally created as the Permit Assistance Center in 1995, the Office of Regulatory Assistance (ORA) has evolved from its original mission of providing the public with information on environmental permitting and regulatory laws to a primary point of contact for information on and assistance in navigating the state's environmental and business regulatory systems.

Specifically, the ORA:

• provides information regarding permits;

• maintains a website that provides extensive information on permit laws, including relevant local, state, federal, and tribal laws;

• acts as a service center;

• provides project scoping services;

• offers, under agreement, coordinated permit processes for certain projects; and

• participates in multiagency permitting teams.

In 2010 the ORA was subject to a sunset review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC). The following recommendations were made by the JLARC:

• the Legislature should continue the ORA without further sunset reviews;

• the ORA should include in its biennial reports information on tasks that are and are not working; and

• the ORA should improve its reports to the Legislature for purposes of tracking previous performance targets.

Summary:

The termination date for the ORA is repealed. The ORA is required to provide additional information in its biennial report to the Governor and the Legislature:  (1) specific information on any difficulty encountered in provision of services, implementation of programs or processes, or use of tools; (2) trend reporting that allows comparisons between statements of goals and performance targets and the achievement of those goals and targets; and (3) recommendations on changes needed to make cost reimbursement, a fully coordinated permit process, multiagency permitting teams, and other processes effective.   The duty of reporting the effects of rulemaking on the regulatory system to the Governor and the Legislature are transferred from the Office of Financial Management to the ORA.

Votes on Final Passage: