Governor Doug Ducey today signed an Executive Order renewing a moratorium on all new regulatory rulemaking by state agencies, limiting government regulations that inhibit job growth.
“Arizona is a pro-business state — and we continue to welcome more job opportunities and new businesses,” said Governor Ducey. “Government should not be getting in the way of opportunities, jobs and business growth — we should support it. Today’s order will help foster economic growth as Arizona overcomes the effects of the pandemic and businesses continue to safely operate and serve patrons.”
The Executive Order directs state agencies to recommend at least three existing rules to eliminate for every additional rule requested by the agency. Additionally, agencies are directed to conduct a comprehensive review of any rules that were suspended during the COVID-19 public health emergency to determine if those rules should be permanently suspended. The agencies must provide a report on their findings by June 1, 2021.
According to the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, 462 rules were eliminated or improved across 26 agencies in 2020 — resulting in nearly $14.7 million in annual savings for the state’s economy. The elimination and improvement of agency rules has resulted in more than $148.9 million in savings since 2015.
Governor Ducey has issued the moratorium for the seventh year in a row. His first action in office was issuing the initial moratorium, which aimed to expand the state’s economy by creating a stable regulatory environment and reducing the burden on small businesses. The Governor has reissued the order every year since.
View the Executive Order here.
