(The Center Square) – A bill that would ease small business regulations received a “do pass” recommendation by a Georgia Senate committee on Wednesday.
The “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025” requires committees and lawmakers to give greater scrutiny to rules.
Lawmakers could request a Small Business Impact Analysis on pending legislation.
Also part of the bill is an economic impact analysis of rules that would have a $1 million impact or greater in the first five years. Two-thirds of the General Assembly or a majority vote with the signature of the governor is required for rules that require an economic analysis.
State agencies would have to review rules every four years to determine if any are outdated or need changes, according to the bill.
“What we’re doing here is we’re trying to get agencies and rulemakers to think about the cost of complying with the rules and finding ways when possible to minimize that cost to follow the rules,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming.
About 80% of the bill was included in legislation last year that passed the Senate but failed the House, Dolezal said.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones compared the bill to the Department of Government Efficiency established by President Donald Trump.
“Our state initiative complements DOGE, President Donald Trump’s plan to create efficiency, while paring down unnecessary spending and eliminating bureaucratic red tape at the federal level,” Jones said previously.
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation, the Georgia Chapter of Americans for Prosperity and the Georgia Chapter of the Libre Initiative spoke in favor of the bill.
“It’s one thing to talk about cutting red tape and making the government more efficient – it’s another to summon the political will to pass serious legislation that restores legislative oversight, invites transparency into the regulatory process, and finds real savings for taxpayers and job-creators,” said Americans for Prosperity State Director Tony West.
The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.