WASHINGTON, D.C. – Governor Huntsman and the Utah state legislature have acted to support Utah’s 236,000 small businesses with the recent passage and signing of House Bill 53, Impact of Administrative Rules on Small Businesses. Representative Steve Clark and Senator Mark Madsen co-sponsored the bill.

“Governor Huntsman and the Utah legislature have taken a positive step toward minimizing the regulatory burden on the state’s small businesses,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy.

The new law requires state agencies to analyze the economic impact of proposed rules on small business and to consider less burdensome alternatives that still accomplish the regulatory goal.

“This law will absolutely help Utah,” said Rep. Clark. “It will protect small businesses from costly mandates, and they are at the core of Utah's economy.”

The passage and signing of H.B. 53 is a result of Utah’s small business stakeholders, led by the Utah National Federation of Independent Business, working together to promote small business. Utah’s new law is based on model legislation developed by the SBA Office of Advocacy. Similar to the federal Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), the model encourages entrepreneurial success by requiring state agencies to consider the impact of their regulations on small business before those regulations become final.

“We are pleased that H.B. 53 was passed and signed, because it requires government entities to take into consideration the time and cost that new regulations might have on small business,” said Candace Daly, NFIB/Utah State Director. “Then hopefully they’ll draft the rules so they won’t be so burdensome.”