JEFFERSON CITY — Senator Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, announced that Missouri has begun the first phase of its periodic rule review, launching a five-year rolling review of all state regulations. This month, six titles of the State Code of Regulations will be opened for review and a 60-day public comment period, with agencies reporting the results of the review to the state Legislature for action. 

“Over and over, I hear the same appeal from small business owners and entrepreneurs. They want to spend less time interacting with government and more time creating jobs or growing their business,” said Sen. Dixon. “That’s why I introduced Senate Bill 469—to give Missourians a greater voice defending their livelihoods, to cut burdensome red tape, and to require an unelected bureaucracy to keep its house in order.” 

Senate Bill 469 passed the General Assembly with overwhelming support, and it was signed into law in July 2012. All state regulations are now subject to a periodic review every five years, with the initial reviews beginning in 2015. The law establishes a process to identify regulations that are obsolete, redundant, or have limited value. In addition to increasing legislative oversight, other provisions strengthen the process for individual Missourians to challenge regulations and further empower the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board. 

“We want to help businesses open, expand and thrive, and allow them to create jobs and foster economic growth,” pointed out Sen. Dixon. “Tearing down barriers that divert valuable time and resources from these goals is common sense.”

In the Legislature, Sen. Dixon has served as a leading voice for regulatory reform. In 2013, he also served as Senate sponsor of legislation to create Missouri’s ePermitting program through the Department of Natural Resources. This nationally recognized program streamlines a needlessly complex and expensive process, reducing the time involved and saving time and money for small business owners.

In 2012, the House handler of SB 469 was then-State Rep. Jason Smith. Now representing Missouri’s 8th Congressional District in Washington, D.C., Cong. Smith has gone on to introduce the SCRUB Act (Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome), with Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introducing companion legislation in the United States Senate. 

This month, the rolling review process will begin with the following six state agencies:

• Office of Administration
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Conservation
• Department of Economic Development
• Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Department of Higher Education

For additional information about the periodic review process, including agency contacts and the timeline for public comment, see the current edition of the Missouri Register, under “Periodic Rule Review,” or visit Sen. Dixon’s website at www.senate.mo.gov/dixon.