HB 1260/ SB 2790: Provide oversight on existing regulations

House Bill 1260, sponsored by Rep. Randy Boyd, and Senate Bill 2790, sponsored by Sen. John Polk, would allow the Occupational Licensing Review Commission to review the substance of any existing regulations. 

Mississippi’s Occupational Licensing Review Commission, adopted in 2016, is a great step to reigning in the regulatory arm of the state, but is limited to new regulations only. This would give the Commission – which is made up of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state – the ability to review any existing regulation and to act upon it if it does not:

• Increase economic opportunities for all of its citizens by promoting competition and thereby encouraging innovation and job growth.
• Use the least restrictive regulation necessary to protect consumers from present, significant and substantiated harms that threaten public health and safety.

Today, Mississippi has more than 117,000 regulations, which numerous empirical studies show to have a detrimental effect on economic growth. Mississippi also licenses 66 low-and-middle income occupations. According to a recent report from the Institute for Justice, Mississippi has lost 13,000 jobs because of occupational licensing and the state has suffered an economic value loss of $37 million.

This change would help the state continue the stated goals of decreasing our regulatory burden and increasing economic opportunities. 

MCPP has reviewed this legislation and finds that it is aligned with our principles and therefore should be supported. 

Read SB 2790 and HB 1260. 

Track the status of this and all bills in our legislative tracker.