Amended in Assembly March 20, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 703

Introduced by Assembly Member Hall

February 21, 2013

begin delete An act to amend Section 25256.1 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to hazardous materials. end delete begin insert An act to amend Section 11346.3 of the Government Code, relating to regulations. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 703, as amended, Hall. begin delete Hazardous materials: chemicals of concern: data evaluation. end delete begin insert Administrative Procedure Act: adverse economic impact assessment. end insert

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Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law requires an agency proposing to take specified regulatory actions relating to a regulation that is not a major regulation, as defined, or that is a major regulation proposed before November 1, 1993, to perform an economic impact assessment of that action on businesses and individuals, as specified.

end insert begin insert

This bill would require a state agency to include in its economic impact assessment whether and to what extent the regulatory action would affect the incentives for innovation in products, materials, or processes.

end insert begin delete

Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations that establish a process to identify and prioritize chemicals or chemical ingredients in consumer products, that may be considered a chemical of concern establish a process for evaluating chemicals of concern in consumer products and their potential alternatives for the purposes of limiting exposure or to reduce the level of hazard posed by chemicals of concern, and specify a range of regulatory responses that the department may take following the evaluation. Existing law requires to department to establish a Toxics Information Clearinghouse and requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to evaluate and specify the hazard traits, and environmental and toxicological end-point data to be included in the clearinghouse.

end delete begin delete

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision requiring the office to evaluate and specify data to be included in the Clearinghouse.

end delete

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION end insert begin insert 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 11346.3 of the end insert begin insert Government Code end insert begin insert is
amended to read: end insert

11346.3.  

(a) State agencies proposing to adopt, amend, or
repeal any administrative regulation shall assess the potential for
adverse economic impact on California business enterprises and
individuals, avoiding the imposition of unnecessary or unreasonable
regulations or reporting, recordkeeping, or compliance
requirements. For purposes of this subdivision, assessing the
potential for adverse economic impact shall require agencies, when
proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation, to adhere to the
following requirements, to the extent that these requirements do
not conflict with other state or federal laws:

(1) The proposed adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation
shall be based on adequate information concerning the need for,
and consequences of, proposed governmental action.

(2) The state agency, prior to submitting a proposal to adopt,
amend, or repeal a regulation to the office, shall consider the
proposal’s impact on business, with consideration of industries
affected including the ability of California businesses to compete
with businesses in other states. For purposes of evaluating the
impact on the ability of California businesses to compete with
businesses in other states, an agency shall consider, but not be
limited to, information supplied by interested parties.

(3) An economic assessment prepared pursuant to this
subdivision for a proposed regulation that is not a major regulation
or that is a major regulation proposed prior to November 1, 2013,
shall be prepared in accordance with subdivision (b). An economic
assessment prepared pursuant to this subdivision for a major
regulation proposed on or after November 1, 2013, shall be
prepared in accordance with subdivision (c), and shall be included
in the initial statement of reasons as required by Section 11346.2.

(b) (1) All state agencies proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal
a regulation that is not a major regulation or that is a major
regulation proposed prior to November 1, 2013, shall prepare an
economic impact assessment that assesses whether and to what
extent it will affect the following:

(A) The creation or elimination of jobs within the state.

(B) The creation of new businesses or the elimination of existing
businesses within the state.

(C) The expansion of businesses currently doing business within
the state.

(D) The benefits of the regulation to the health and welfare of
California residents, worker safety, and the state’s environment.

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(E) The incentives for innovation in products, materials, or
processes.

end insert

(2) This subdivision does not apply to the University of
California, the Hastings College of the Law, or the Fair Political
Practices Commission.

(3) Information required from state agencies for the purpose of
completing the assessment may come from existing state
publications.

(c) (1) Each state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal
a major regulation on or after November 1, 2013, shall prepare a
standardized regulatory impact analysis in the manner prescribed
by the Department of Finance pursuant to Section 11346.36. The
standardized regulatory impact analysis shall address all of the
following:

(A) The creation or elimination of jobs within the state.

(B) The creation of new businesses or the elimination of existing
businesses within the state.

(C) The competitive advantages or disadvantages for businesses
currently doing business within the state.

(D) The increase or decrease of investment in the state.

(E) The incentives for innovation in products, materials, or
processes.

(F) The benefits of the regulations, including, but not limited
to, benefits to the health, safety, and welfare of California residents,
worker safety, and the state’s environment and quality of life,
among any other benefits identified by the agency.

(2) This subdivision shall not apply to the University of
California, the Hastings College of the Law, or the Fair Political
Practices Commission.

(3) Information required from state agencies for the purpose of
completing the analysis may be derived from existing state, federal,
or academic publications.

(d) Any administrative regulation adopted on or after January
1, 1993, that requires a report shall not apply to businesses, unless
the state agency adopting the regulation makes a finding that it is
necessary for the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the
state that the regulation apply to businesses.

(e) Analyses conducted pursuant to this section are intended to
provide agencies and the public with tools to determine whether
the regulatory proposal is an efficient and effective means of
implementing the policy decisions enacted in statute or by other
provisions of law in the least burdensome manner. Regulatory
impact analyses shall inform the agencies and the public of the
economic consequences of regulatory choices, not reassess
statutory policy. The baseline for the regulatory analysis shall be
the most cost-effective set of regulatory measures that are equally
effective in achieving the purpose of the regulation in a manner
that ensures full compliance with the authorizing statute or other
law being implemented or made specific by the proposed
regulation.

(f) Each state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a
major regulation on or after November 1, 2013, and that has
prepared a standardized regulatory impact analysis pursuant to
subdivision (c), shall submit that analysis to the Department of
Finance upon completion. The department shall comment, within
30 days of receiving that analysis, on the extent to which the
analysis adheres to the regulations adopted pursuant to Section
11346.36. Upon receiving the comments from the department, the
agency may update its analysis to reflect any comments received
from the department and shall summarize the comments and the
response of the agency along with a statement of the results of the
updated analysis for the statement required by paragraph (10) of
subdivision (a) of Section 11346.5.

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SECTION 1.  

Section 25256.1 of the Health and Safety Code
is amended to read:

25256.1.  

On or before January 1, 2011, the office shall evaluate
and specify the hazard traits, the environmental and toxicological
end-points, and any other relevant data that shall be included in
the clearinghouse. The office shall conduct this evaluation in
consultation with the department and all appropriate state agencies,
after conducting one or more public workshops, and providing an
opportunity for all interested parties to comment. The office may
seek information from other states, the federal government, and
other nations in implementing this section.

end delete