HOUSE MEMORIAL 55

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Carl Trujillo

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP REGULATORY POLICY GUIDELINES SIMILAR TO ITS TAX POLICY GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWING PROPOSALS TO ADOPT OR AMEND STATE REGULATORY PROGRAMS.

     WHEREAS, the speaker of the house of representatives and other legislators traveled to various areas of New Mexico on the job creation listening tour prior to the start of the 2017 legislative session to gather economic development ideas from various parts of the state; and

     WHEREAS, the listening tour was highly successful in attracting local participants from a variety of business interests and attracting legislators from both parties to participate in a discussion about barriers to job creation and retention; and

     WHEREAS, burdensome and inefficient regulations were most frequently mentioned as a barrier at the listening tour meetings; and

     WHEREAS, the listening tour participants urged that statutes creating regulatory programs be easily understood so that the state agency implementing the program and the average person subject to the program will know what is expected; and

     WHEREAS, participants at the listening tour stated that the burden of regulations, as well as the time spent to gain approval of certain actions, has made New Mexico less competitive than surrounding states for many commercial activities; and

     WHEREAS, participants stated that an effective regulatory program should have a clear purpose and a commercially reasonable approach for achieving that purpose; and

     WHEREAS, participants requested that new or amended regulatory programs consider the anticipated impact on jobs within New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the need for effective regulations was recognized by legislators participating in the listening tour; and

     WHEREAS, the legislature's role in addressing regulatory programs through creating and amending statutes is the first step in making certain that regulatory programs have specific purposes and do not unreasonably hinder economic growth; and

     WHEREAS, the legislative finance committee currently reviews every tax bill to see if it meets the legislative finance committee's tax policy principles, and the legislative finance committee could develop regulatory policy principles for reviewing bills proposing changes in statutes establishing regulatory programs;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative finance committee be requested to develop regulatory policy principles to review bills impacting the regulatory environment in New Mexico to ensure that the proposals do not unreasonably burden economic growth in the state; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the chair and the members of the legislative finance committee.

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