Business Groups Urge Approval Of Regulatory Relief Bills

August 12th, 2019

More than two dozen local and statewide business groups on Monday will urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a letter to sign a pair of bills meant to spur regulatory relief in New York.

One bill, sponsored by Assemblyman John McDonald and Sen. Anna Kaplan, would provide a grace period for small businesses to correct and address first-time violations rather than face a fine. The bill would not cover violations for regulations that cover protections for public safety, health, the environment or civil rights laws.

The groups are also pushing for the approval of a bill that would require state agencies to assess how a proposed regulation would affect small businesses. The measure would require the consideration of how long it would take a business to comply with new regulations.

And state agencies would be required to consider the financial and legal impact for small businesses if the measure is approved.

The letter, backed by the New York chapter of the National Federation fo Independent Business, was signed by 25 business advocacy groups.

“New York’s tax burden is well known, but just as challenging for small, independent businesses that drive New York’s economy and define its communities is the state’s archaic, cumbersome, and often punitive regulatory environment. Small businesses consistently cite aggressive and arbitrary enforcement of newly enacted or poorly communicated regulations as a serious problem,” said Greg Biryla, NFIB’s New York state director.

“These bills are a positive step in a better direction that will encourage the state’s enforcement agencies to work with small businesses on compliance issues and give them some reprieve from onerous fines imposed for minor infractions.”