SB 444 — An Act amending the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act, further providing for definitions and for existing regulations.

PRINTER'S NO.    391

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 444
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, MARTIN, PHILLIPS-HILL, DUSH, ROTHMAN,
        HUTCHINSON, BROWN AND STEFANO, MARCH 17, 2025

     REFERRED TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, MARCH 17, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), entitled
 2      "An act providing for independent oversight and review of
 3      regulations, creating an Independent Regulatory Review
 4      Commission, providing for its powers and duties and making
 5      repeals," further providing for definitions and for existing
 6      regulations.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    Section 3 of the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633,
10   No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act, is amended by
11   adding a definition to read:
12   Section 3.   Definitions.
13      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
14   have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
15   meanings given to them in this section:
16      * * *
17      "Economically significant regulation."    A regulation that, if
18   promulgated and implemented, may reasonably be expected to
19   result in direct or indirect cost to the Commonwealth, to its
20   political subdivisions and to the private sector in excess of
 1   $1,000,000 on an annual basis.
 2      * * *
 3      Section 2.    Section 8.1 of the act is amended to read:
 4   Section 8.1.    Existing regulations.
 5      (a)   The commission, on its motion or at the request of any
 6   person or member of the General Assembly, may review any
 7   existing regulation which has been in effect for at least three
 8   years. If a committee of the Senate or the House of
 9   Representatives requests a review of an existing regulation, the
10   commission shall perform the review and shall assign it high
11   priority. The commission may submit recommendations to an agency
12   recommending changes in existing regulations if it finds the
13   existing regulations to be contrary to the public interest under
14   the criteria established in section 5.2. The commission may also
15   make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor
16   for statutory changes if the commission finds that any existing
17   regulation may be contrary to the public interest.
18      (b)   After an economically significant regulation has been in
19   effect for three years, the agency shall report to the
20   commission the status of the regulation, the impact of the
21   regulation on the regulated community and the direct and
22   indirect cost to the Commonwealth of the regulation.
23      (c)   The agency's report under subsection (b) shall include:
24            (1)   The status of implementation of the regulation.
25            (2)   The nature of complaints or comments received from
26      the public concerning the regulation.
27            (3)   Whether the regulation has had the intended effect.
28            (4)   The estimated direct and indirect cost to the
29      regulated community and the economy of the regulation and
30      whether the estimated anticipated fiscal impact was

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 1      underestimated or overestimated on the fiscal note under
 2      section 5(a)(4).
 3            (5)   What the agency has done to implement the regulation
 4      in the most efficient manner to reduce paperwork and decrease
 5      costs to government and the private sector.
 6            (6)   Whether subsequent changes in the law or related
 7      laws require the regulation to be repealed or amended.
 8            (7)   Whether there is a continued need for the regulation
 9      and whether the agency is considering promulgating changes to
10      the regulation.
11      (d)   On the same day that the agency submits the report under
12   subsection (b) to the commission, the agency shall submit a copy
13   of the report to the committees and transmit notice of the
14   report to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in
15   the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The
16   commission shall collect comments from the public on the
17   regulation during a public comment period which shall commence
18   with the publication of the notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin
19   of the report and shall continue for not less than 30 days.
20   Within 30 days of the close of public comments, the commission
21   shall report to the agency and committees, after consideration
22   of the agency's report and public comments, whether the
23   regulation continues to meet the criteria for remaining in the
24   public interest as provided by section 5.2 and whether statutory
25   changes should be considered.
26      Section 3.    The amendment or addition of the following
27   provisions shall apply to regulations promulgated on or after
28   the effective date of this section:
29            (1)   The definition of "economically significant
30      regulation" in section 3 of the act.

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1         (2)   Section 8.1 of the act.
2     Section 4.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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