Palmetto State News

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has expressed approval following the South Carolina House of Representatives' passage of H. 3021, known as the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act. The legislation aims to reduce regulatory burdens and enhance government accountability.

NFIB State Director Ben Homeyer stated, “Small businesses invest a lot of time and resources into complying with the latest rules and regulations. H. 3021 would help change that by cutting unnecessary and outdated mandates and holding state agencies more accountable.”

The proposed measure mandates a 25% reduction in existing regulations and restricts agencies from implementing new rules unless explicitly permitted by state law. Additionally, it introduces a requirement for agencies to repeal two existing rules before imposing any new ones. New or renewed regulations would be subject to detailed reviews and face automatic expiration unless adequately justified by officials.

Furthermore, H. 3021 provides small businesses with the ability to contest unfair regulations in court while empowering judges to nullify improperly approved rules.

“This bill helps small businesses by making regulations clearer and more predictable and allowing them to focus on growth and job creation instead of dealing with government bureaucracy,” Homeyer commented. He added, “H.2031 puts ordinary people first by ensuring agencies follow the law instead of making their own rules."

Homeyer concluded his remarks by thanking the House for passing this significant piece of legislation and urging the Senate to follow suit.