New Regulatory Relief Helps—Structural Reform Matters More

If you were one of the nearly 4,000 New Yorkers who submitted ideas to the state’s new EXPRESS NY program, you likely welcomed the governor’s announcement this week outlining 50 actions aimed at cutting red tape and reducing fees.

Parents, workers, community leaders and small business owners all weighed in on the bureaucratic obstacles that perpetually waste time and money. And the administration says more actions will follow as agencies continue reviewing the thousands of public recommendations received since February.

Whether you view the timing as election?year politics or not, any effort to reduce the burden of government bureaucracy is good news. Many of the announced changes are common sense: simplifying license renewals for barbers, cosmetologists, real estate professionals, notaries and security guards; eliminating duplicate Medicaid paperwork; and digitizing outdated reporting requirements. Others remove unnecessary costs, such as repealing fees for commercial measuring devices, manufactured home transport permits and hunting dog licenses. Some rules were simply obsolete, including pandemic?era vaccine mandates for Office of Mental Health staff and Y2K?era software regulations that no longer serve any purpose.

Nursing homes will no longer need to meet a 25% equity requirement for construction projects, making it easier to modernize facilities. Adult-care homes will be allowed to use telehealth for routine appointments after an initial in?person visit, sparing elderly residents unnecessary travel. And clearing 15 outdated labor regulations from the books will reduce confusion for employers trying to comply with state mandates.

These improvements matter, though they reveal a more fundamental challenge. New York’s regulatory system has grown so large and unwieldy that even small fixes require major announcements. I have long argued that New York needs permanent, independent oversight of its regulatory and administrative structure in place of occasional clean?up efforts.

My bill, A.4464, would establish the New York State Legislative Sunset Advisory Commission to conduct ongoing reviews of every executive agency by examining overlap, program performance, rulemaking practices, responsiveness to the public and whether statutory responsibilities are still necessary. It would recommend whether agencies should be continued, reorganized, consolidated or—when appropriate—ended.

I have also introduced A.5582, which creates the Division of Regulatory Review and Economic Growth (DRREG). This independent office would evaluate regulations and permit requirements and issue binding recommendations to eliminate those that are outdated, duplicative or harmful to economic growth. The bill also implements a two?for?one rule reduction requirement, meaning for every new regulation imposed, agencies must identify two existing rules to repeal. Since the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform was eliminated in 2011, New York has lacked a watchdog to ensure agencies do not impose costly mandates on local governments, school districts and small businesses.

The governor’s recent actions are a welcome acknowledgment that New York’s regulatory system needs attention. But real reform requires consistent, structural oversight. My legislation would ensure state agencies operate efficiently and serve the public well. New Yorkers deserve a government that works for them rather than slows them down.

If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at [email protected]. You may also find me, Assemblyman Will Barclay, on Facebook or X at @WillABarclay.