An act to amend Section 11346.3 of the Government Code, relating to state agency regulations.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.
Section 11346.3 of the Government Code is amended to read:
11346.3.
(a) A state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal any administrative regulation shall assess the potential for adverse economic impact on California business enterprises and individuals, avoiding the imposition of unnecessary or unreasonable regulations or reporting, recordkeeping, or compliance requirements. For purposes of this subdivision, assessing the potential for adverse economic impact shall require agencies, when proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation, to adhere to the following requirements, to the extent that these requirements do not conflict with other state or federal laws:
(1) The proposed adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation shall be based on adequate information concerning the need for, and consequences of, proposed governmental action.
(2) The state agency, prior to submitting a proposal to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation to the office, shall consider the proposal’s impact on business, with consideration of industries affected including the ability of California businesses to compete with businesses in other states. For purposes of evaluating the impact on the ability of California businesses to compete with businesses in other states, an agency shall consider, but not be limited to, information supplied by interested parties.
(3) An economic impact assessment prepared pursuant to this subdivision for a proposed regulation that is not a major regulation or that is a major regulation proposed prior to November 1, 2013, shall be prepared in accordance with subdivision (b), and shall be included in the initial statement of reasons as required by Section 11346.2. An economic assessment prepared pursuant to this subdivision for a major regulation proposed on or after November 1, 2013, shall be prepared in accordance with subdivision (c), and shall be included in the initial statement of reasons as required by Section 11346.2.
(b) (1) A state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation that is not a major regulation or that is a major regulation proposed prior to November 1, 2013, shall prepare an economic impact assessment that assesses whether and to what extent it will affect the following:
(A) The creation or elimination of jobs within the state.
(B) The creation of new businesses or the elimination of existing businesses within the state.
(C) The expansion of businesses currently doing business within the state.
(D) The benefits of the regulation to the health and welfare of California residents, worker safety, and the state’s environment.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to the University of California, the Hastings College of the Law, or the Fair Political Practices Commission.
(3) Information required from a state agency for the purpose of completing the assessment may come from existing state publications.
(4) (A) For purposes of conducting the economic impact assessment pursuant to this subdivision, a state agency may use the consolidated definition of small business in subparagraph (B) in order to determine the number of small businesses within the economy, a specific industry sector, or geographic region. The state agency shall clearly identify the use of the consolidated small business definition in its rulemaking package.
(B) For the exclusive purpose of undertaking the economic impact assessment, a “small business” means a business that is all of the following:
(i) Independently owned and operated.
(ii) Not dominant in its field of operation.
(iii) Has fewer than 100 employees.
(C) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a regulation adopted by the Department of Insurance that applies to an insurance company.
(c) (1) Each state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a major regulation on or after November 1, 2013, shall prepare a standardized regulatory impact analysis in the manner prescribed by the Department of Finance pursuant to Section 11346.36. The standardized regulatory impact analysis shall address all of the following:
(A) The creation or elimination of jobs within the state.
(B) The creation of new businesses or the elimination of existing businesses within the state.
(C) The competitive advantages or disadvantages for businesses currently doing business within the state.
(D) The increase or decrease of investment in the state.
(E) The incentives for innovation in products, materials, or processes.
(F) The benefits of the regulations, including, but not limited to, benefits to the health, safety, and welfare of California residents, worker safety, and the state’s environment and quality of life, among any other benefits identified by the agency.
(2) This subdivision shall not apply to the University of California, the Hastings College of the Law, or the Fair Political Practices Commission.
(3) Information required from state agencies for the purpose of completing the analysis may be derived from existing state, federal, or academic publications.
(d) Any administrative regulation adopted on or after January 1, 1993, that requires a report shall not apply to businesses, unless the state agency adopting the regulation makes a finding that it is necessary for the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the state that the regulation apply to businesses.
(e) Analyses conducted pursuant to this section are intended to provide agencies and the public with tools to determine whether the regulatory proposal is an efficient and effective means of implementing the policy decisions enacted in statute or by other provisions of law in the least burdensome manner. Regulatory impact analyses shall inform the agencies and the public of the economic consequences of regulatory choices, not reassess statutory policy. The baseline for the regulatory analysis shall be the most cost-effective set of regulatory measures that are equally effective in achieving the purpose of the regulation in a manner that ensures full compliance with the authorizing statute or other law being implemented or made specific by the proposed regulation.
(f) Each state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a major regulation on or after November 1, 2013, and that has prepared a standardized regulatory impact analysis pursuant to subdivision (c), shall submit that analysis to the Department of Finance upon completion. The department shall comment, within 30 days of receiving that analysis, on the extent to which the analysis adheres to the regulations adopted pursuant to Section 11346.36. Upon receiving the comments from the department, the agency may update its analysis to reflect any comments received from the department and shall summarize the comments and the response of the agency along with a statement of the results of the updated analysis for the statement required by paragraph (10) of subdivision (a) of Section 11346.5.

Summary: Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs, among other things, the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law requires a state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal specific administrative regulations to assess the potential for adverse economic impact on California business enterprises and individuals and to prepare an economic impact assessment, as specified, that addresses, among other things, the creation or elimination of jobs within the state.
This bill would, with certain exceptions, authorize a state agency, when preparing the economic impact assessment, to use a consolidated definition of small business to determine the number of small businesses within the economy, a specific industry sector, or geographic region, and would define “small business” for that purpose as a business that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field of operation, and has fewer than 100 employees.