New rules and regulations issued by the Department of Natural Resources and its related commissions will soon have to be defended before implemented. State lawmakers approved legislation this year requiring DNR address small business concerns about growing regulations. DNR will be required to state the reason for any new regulations and how those regulations will impact business. Josh Campbell with DNR says the law won’t require a big change for the agency when it goes into effect at the end of this month, because DNR has already been making such assessments internally. Campbell says the legislature’s action simply puts into law what already takes place. Campbell says DNR already asks 18 questions addressing small business concerns before implementing new rules to make sure a rule is needed and to explain its validity.
