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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 10, 2023 11:46 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Kate A. Klunk |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Independent Office of the Repealer |
| Our Commonwealth has thousands of regulations on the books. Many of these acts and regulations were enacted several decades ago and have yet to be re-examined and evaluated in the intervening years as to their relevance, appropriateness, and cost. It’s not only taxes that place a burden on the Commonwealth, its businesses and its citizens, it’s also excessive regulation. The Commonwealth does not undertake a regular and systematic independent review of existing regulations, nor possess an organized system to receive recommendations from the public, educators, business, government entities and others on recommendations for repeal, modification or revision of existing statutes and regulations. Therefore, in the near future I will be re-introducing House Bill 939, which was passed out of the House last session, establishing the Independent Office of the Repealer within the Joint State Government Commission to undertake such an ongoing review, receive and process recommendations, evaluate the merits of recommendations in accordance with decision rules and quantitative and qualitative criteria, and make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor and Executive agencies for repeal, modification or revision. Additionally, the legislation would establish a system to track actions taken on recommendations. Further, the legislation would require an annual report to be distributed to the Governor and General Assembly, which identifies recommended changes to statutes and regulations, recommended changes to increase government efficiency and the progress of efforts to revise or repeal statutes and regulations. Presently there is no legislative authority providing for an independent, regular and systematic review of existing statutes and regulations to a) reduce or eliminate unreasonable, unduly burdensome, duplicative, onerous, outdated or conflicting statutes that hinder efficiency, understanding, liberty or are detrimental to economic well-being; b) bring statutes up to date to be in harmony with modern conditions; c) foster a more business friendly climate; d) make laws easier to read and understand by a layman. Whereas proposed new regulations are already addressed by legislation and an executive order, this bill will begin to address the tremendous body of existing acts and regulations which have accumulated since the founding of our Commonwealth. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation to help foster effective, efficient and responsive government. |