New red tape report details changes for 7,500 state rules

DENVER — Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 — Gov. John Hickenlooper announced today the results of a statewide process to reduce red tape in state government. The report “Cutting Red Tape in Colorado State Government: Supplemental Report on Rule Review by State Agencies” details the review of more than 7,500 rules by executive agencies in response to the Executive Order D 2012-002 and recommendations in the earlier Omnibus Report, “Cutting Red Tape in Colorado State Government.”

“Red tape stymies innovation and economic growth,” Hickenlooper said. “That’s why government needs to know when to regulate, how to regulate and when to get of the way. This effort to reduce unnecessary burdens on business will help entrepreneurs and companies thrive in Colorado.”

Hickenlooper called for continued diligence in reducing the burden on local government and businesses in his 2013 State of the State address.

The Supplemental Report is a continuation of the 2011 Pits & Peeves Roundtables Initiative.

Hickenlooper charged Barbara Kelley, Executive Director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), to facilitate meetings across the state that were attended by business owners, local government officials, advocacy organizations and community groups. The roundtable discussions identified regulatory inefficiencies in state government, as well as suggestions to address red tape issues, culminating in The Omnibus Report, “Cutting Red Tape in Colorado State Government,” released in January 2012.

By eliminating outdated, irrelevant and unnecessary regulations and streamlining the remaining rules, state government helps to reduce the burdens and costs of compliance for businesses, which ultimately creates savings for the consuming public. The report also describes the steps state agencies have taken to embed rigorous rule review procedures as an integral part of ongoing regulatory processes, ensuring the sustainability of the gains made through the most recent review process.

Some examples of rules to be repealed include:

Rules for employee testing which related to outdated, inapplicable federal guidelines. (DORA Civil Rights Division)
Rules pertaining to the production of rapeseed (canola) which was limiting producer resources. (Department of Agriculture)
Rules for special events or civil functions on state highways which had not been modified since first adopted in 1973, and are no longer applicable under current law. (Colorado Department of Transportation)

Some examples of rules to be modified include:

Streamlining rules for Commercial Driving Schools and/or approved driver education courses, including the basic operator’s driving testing program and implementation of a program which will facilitate qualifying veterans to obtain their commercial driver’s license easier. (Department of Revenue)
Easing restrictions on small businesses, farmers and ranchers and local communities for harvesting in CDOT rights-of-way, expanding the areas available for harvesting, resulting in a financial “win-win” for adjacent landowners and the state. (CDOT)
Adoption of rules to allow securities exemptions to be filed using a new Electronic Filing System, which will streamline the process for a common type of filing in the capital formation realm. (DORA/Securities Division)

Visit www.dora.colorado.gov to read “Cutting Red Tape in Colorado State Government: Supplemental Report on Rule Review by State Agencies.”

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