The bill establishes a new "Commission on Efficiency and Regulatory Review" within the Office of Administrative Law in New Jersey, which will be responsible for regularly reviewing Executive Orders and agency regulations to assess their economic impacts and promote efficiency. The commission will consist of one public member appointed by the Governor and 12 ex officio members from various state departments and legislative leadership, with the chairperson having the authority to appoint additional members for diverse expertise. The commission is mandated to meet at least biannually and hold public hearings to gather stakeholder input on regulatory issues.

In addition, the bill amends the "Administrative Procedure Act" to enhance the rule-making process for state agencies. It requires agencies to conduct detailed socio-economic impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses for proposed rules, as well as to allow public comments and conduct hearings when there is sufficient interest. The bill also mandates that the Department of Environmental Protection provide annual reports to the Legislature on permit applications and issuances. Furthermore, it stipulates that any substantive changes to rule proposals must be a logical outgrowth of the original proposal, or a new rule must be adopted, while allowing for expedited extensions of existing rules without changes if there are no adverse public comments.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13:1D-109, 52:14B-3, 52:14B-4, 52:14B-4.10, 52:14B-5.1