New York wants your help in its war against regulatory red tape

Gov. Kathy Hochul is recruiting help from everyday New Yorkers in the war she is waging against the overly burdensome regulatory state.

The governor on Friday announced the launch of a new statewide initiative seeking input on regulations that need amending or repealing. Dubbed EXPRESS NY – short for Expediting Processes and Regulations to Enable Streamlined Services – the effort is meant to help government operate smoother and more efficiently.

“I’ve charged my team to slash excessive red tape, and by asking the people who interact with bureaucracy every day for their ideas, we can deliver a more responsive and effective government that supports the dreams and ambitions of New Yorkers and takes this state to the next level,” Hochul said in a statement shared with City & State. Never one to pass up an opportunity to go after President Donald Trump and the congressional GOP, Hochul contrasted her administration’s work with “Washington Republicans (who) seek to gut government at every opportunity they get.”

The state is focusing on getting input on regulatory changes that can speed up housing and other infrastructure development, help small businesses better navigate the bureaucracy to operate and make it easier to access services. “To deliver for New York, we need the expertise and perspectives of the individuals, communities, localities, non-profits, and businesses that are subject to state regulations and must navigate bureaucratic processes regularly,” Jackie Bray, director of state operations, wrote in an open letter to stakeholders who may wish to participate. She described it as the continuation of Hochul’s promise in her State of the State “to cut excessive red tape and speed up government.” An online portal for submissions will remain open until April 3.

In October, the governor previously directed state agencies to conduct a review of regulations under their purview. In response to that directive, the administration has identified nearly 100 rules that could be eliminated or updated. Although the full list is not yet available, some of the regulations in question related to outdated pandemic-era rules, potential roadblocks to integrating newer technology and digitization, licensure renewal for workers like barbers and outdated rules from the 1970s the state no longer enforces, including gender-based working restrictions.

To help with EXPRESS NY and Hochul’s overall goal of reducing governmental red tape, she also created the new position of associate director of regulatory reform. Her administration has hired Zoe Jacobs, a former Biden White House official who worked on developing and implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

In addition to the call for regulatory changes, Hochul has sought reforms to the state’s nearly 50-year-old environmental review law, which developers and pro-development advocates have frequently cited as presenting roadblocks that have nothing to do with protecting the environment but that can cause years of delays for crucial projects. She dubbed that effort the “Let Them Build” Agenda, which she has touted in the weeks since unveiling her executive budget proposal. Unlike agency regulations, changes to that law will require action from state lawmakers.