Idaho Governor Brad Little says the state has cut and/or simplified 75 percent of the state’s regulatory rules in the past year.
Little says the moves have transformed the state’s administrative code into a set of regulations that are streamlined and easier for citizens and businesses to navigate. Since Little took office last January, he worked with the Idaho Legislature and agencies within his administration to eliminate 1,800 pages of the administrative code, and for every chapter added, 83 chapters were cut.
The reductions were enacted through two executive orders the governor issued in his first month in office, as well as through the “rules reauthorization process,” under which Idaho’s administrative code expires if it is not reauthorized.
One executive order requires all state agencies that have authority to issue administrative rules to identify at least two existing rules to be repealed or significantly simplified for every one rule they propose. The other order scales back, eliminates, or significantly simplifies Idaho’s occupational licensing rules.
The governor’s office says all proposed changes were vetted through the required public participation processes agencies must follow under Idaho law. The Legislature is expected to approve the changes during its 2020 session. (Idaho Gov. Brad Little)
