S.B. 3

128th General Assembly

(H. State Government)

Replaces S.B. 3 with H.B. 230, which does the following:

· Requires rule-making agencies, in the course of developing a rule for proposal and adoption on or after July 1, 2010, to evaluate the rule in light of certain considerations and to prepare a rule evaluation report and file it with the Director of Administrative Services.

· Requires the rule summary and fiscal analysis form (RSFA) that is filed with proposed rules to include a box an agency is to check to indicate that the proposed rule has been reviewed in light of the considerations.

· Specifies that an agency's failure to check the box on the RSFA is grounds for JCARR to (1) recommend invalidation of the proposed rule described in the RSFA or (2) order the agency to revise the RSFA.

· Requires the Director of Administrative Services, not later than July 1, 2010, to establish a centralized electronic system for regulatory notification ("e‑notification system") that enables:  (1) interested persons to register to receive notices from state agencies concerning development and drafting of rules, (2) the Director to publish on the system summaries of rule evaluation reports, and (3) interested persons to register to receive notices of meetings regarding agency regulatory processes that impede the operation of small businesses.

· Requires the Director to hold semiannual meetings at which interested persons may comment on state agency regulatory processes that are causing unreasonable impediments to the efficient and successful operation of small businesses, and to prepare a priority schedule for state agencies that identifies processes causing those impediments.

· Requires each director of certain state agencies to appoint an ombudsperson to serve as a problem-solving liaison between the state agency and those who are affected by its rules and regulatory processes when normal state agency processes do not produce a satisfactory result.

· Renames the Office of Small Business in the Department of Development and its office manager the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division and the Small Business Advocate, respectively, and expands their duties.

· Requires each state department, not later than January 1, 2011, to adopt customer service principles identifying the best practices to be used to provide improved customer service.

· Requires each state department to develop a customer service training program that emphasizes those principles and that employees designated by the department can complete.

· Requires employees who participate in a training program to sign a written statement acknowledging that the employee understands and will follow the department's customer service principles.

· Creates the nine-member Ohio Small Business Panel to meet semiannually to discuss issues relevant to small businesses.

· Requires the Director of Environmental Protection to establish a program that provides environmental regulatory compliance assistance, educational materials regarding environmental rule compliance, and compliance training to small businesses, with confidentiality requirements and no-enforcement provisions applying to information obtained under the program.

· Encourages a rule-making agency, when completing a rule summary and fiscal analysis, to identify and estimate the number of businesses subject to a proposed rule.

S0003-128.docx/ss

05/12/10