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State Agencies Complete Accelerated Regulatory Review

Providence, RI – Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced today the release of the Period Four Regulatory Look Back Report, issued by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Regulatory Reform.

"I commend all of our state agencies on their work toward regulatory reform and I want to thank the Office of Regulatory Reform on its management of this important initiative," said Governor Chafee. "These reports demonstrate Rhode Island's commitment to make state government more efficient and create a clear, predictable and reliable regulatory system for business. This has been a great start, and we still have more work ahead of us."

In June 2012, the General Assembly passed a bill, which was signed into law by Governor Chafee and required each state agency to review 25 percent of its regulations each year over the course of four years until all existing regulations were evaluated for any adverse effects on small businesses. In September 2012, Governor Chafee challenged state agencies to move at the "speed of business" and complete the four-year regulatory review required by the General Assembly in just a year-and-a-half. He encouraged agencies to streamline processes and regulations to make Rhode Island more business-friendly. Agencies reviewed more than 26,000 pages contained within the state's more than 1,600 regulations in just less than 17 months. During the course of this review, agencies have identified over 250 changes to improve the state's regulatory system. These changes include:

- 45 repeals of outdated, unnecessary, or obsolete regulations;

-75 amendments to improve the regulatory system; and

-133 consolidations of rules and regulations.

Two-thirds of these identified changes are already complete. The Office of Regulatory Reform is currently working with state agencies on the implementation of the final identified changes.

"Rhode Island is taking the lead on the challenging work of regulatory reform," said Director of Administration Steven Hartford. "I am very pleased with our team's work to date, especially with meeting Governor Chafee's request for an accelerated review."

"For the first time Rhode Island has a comprehensive picture of its state regulations," added Thomas Mullaney, State Budget Officer and Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget. "This groundwork will serve as an excellent platform for continued and targeted reform."

"Some of the best examples of reform came from instances where lawmakers and agencies worked together to repeal outdated laws and regulations," said Derrick Pelletier, Senior Management and Methods Analyst at the Office of Regulatory Reform. "Addressing regulations with direct business impact will remain at the forefront of our efforts as we continue to work with agencies, legislators, and businesses."

A copy of this report, as well as past reports, is located on the Office of Management and Budget's website at www.omb.ri.gov/reform. For more information, contact Allison Rogers at 401-222-2280 or email: Allison.Rogers@doa.ri.gov.

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