BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 356|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 356
          Author:   Wright (D), et al
          Amended:  1/12/10
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE BUSINESS, PROF.& ECON. DEVELOP. COMM. :  6-2, 4/27/09
          AYES:  Negrete McLeod, Wyland, Aanestad, Correa, Walters,  
            Yee
          NOES:  Florez, Romero
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Corbett, Oropeza


           SUBJECT  :    Regulations:  small businesses

           SOURCE  :     California Small Business Association
                      National Federation of Independent Business


           DIGEST  :    This bill permits any person, including but not  
          limited to, a small business or organization or trade  
          association whose members are affected by the regulation,  
          to obtain a judicial declaration as to the validity of any  
          regulation or order of repeal by bringing action for  
          declaratory relief in Superior Court.  

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law establishes, through the  
          Administrative Procedures Act (APA), the requirements for  
          the adoption, publication, review and implementation of  
          regulations promulgated by state agencies and does the  
          following:

          1. Authorizes an agency considering the adoption of a new  
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             regulation or amending or repealing an existing one to  
             consult with interested parties before initiating the  
             regulatory action.

          2. Requires an agency to involve parties who would be  
             subject to the regulation before publishing a notice of  
             proposed action, if the proposed regulations involve  
             complex proposals or a large number of proposals.

          3. Requires state agencies to assess the potential of a  
             proposal to adopt, amend or repeal a regulation to  
             adversely affect business enterprises and individuals.

          4. In the event an agency makes an initial determination  
             that the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation  
             will not have a significant statewide adverse economic  
             impact on business, requires the agency to make a  
             declaration of that determination in the notice of  
             proposed action.

          This bill permits any person, including but not limited to,  
          a small business or organization or trade association whose  
          members are affected by the regulation, to obtain a  
          judicial declaration as to the validity of any regulation  
          or order of repeal by bringing action for declaratory  
          relief in Superior Court.  

           Related Legislation
           
          AB 2854 (Mendoza, 2008) would have required, upon available  
          funding, the Office of the Small Business Advocate  
          (Advocate) to create a one-stop website for small  
          business-related announcements and funding opportunities  
          offered by state agencies.  The measure was vetoed by the  
          Governor.

          AB 2330 (Arambula, Chapter 232, Statutes of 2006) required  
          the Office of the Small Business Advocate to examine,  
          October 1, 2007, the costs of state regulations on small  
          businesses, as specified.  

          AB 3058 (Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development,  
          and the Economy, Chapter 233, Statutes of 2006) required  
          the Office of the Small Business Advocate, in cooperation  







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          with the Office of Emergency Services and the Department of  
          Industrial Relations, to develop a web-based handbook for  
          small businesses on emergency preparedness, emergency  
          response, and recovery strategies. 

          SB 1436 (Figueroa, Chapter 234, Statutes of 2006) enhanced  
          the state's technical assistance to small businesses by  
          improving the state's Internet information for small  
          businesses and requiring the designation of agency-level  
          small business liaisons.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  1/14/10)

          California Small Business Association (co-source) 
          National Federation of Independent Business (co-source) 
          Acclamation Insurance Management Services
          American Council of Engineering Companies- California
          Apex Envirotech, Inc.
          California Association of Competitive Telecommunications  
          Companies
          California Association of Health Facilities
          California Automotive Business Coalition 
          California Black Chambers of Commerce
          California Chamber of Commerce
          California Chapter of the American Fence Contractors'  
          Association
          California Construction Industry Materials Association
          California Council American Society of Landscape Architects
          California Dump Truck Owners Association
          California Farm Bureau Federation
          California Fence Contractors' Association
          California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
          California Hospital Association
          California Hotel & Lodging Association
          California Independent Grocers Association
          California Independent Oil Marketers Association
          California Manufacturers' & Technology Association
          California Metals Coalition
          California Restaurant Association
          California Service Station and Automotive Repair  
          Association







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          Engineering Contractors' Association
          Flasher/Barricade Association
          Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce
          Independent Waste Oil Collectors
          Marin Builders' Association
          Metal Finishing Association of Southern California
          National Association of Women Business Owners- California
          Small Business Action Committee
          Small Business California
          TechAmerica
          Valley Industry Commerce Association 
          Western Growers Association


          JA:nl  1/14/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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