The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has sparked a national conversation on the effect of the administrative state, an issue that has persisted for decades. President Donald Trump established the initiative on his first day back in office to eliminate waste and fraud, which is rife in the federal government.
However, some state lawmakers are trying to introduce their own version of DOGE by pushing legislation similar to the REINS Act to curb bureaucratic excess and foster more oversight over agencies issuing useless and harmful rules.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones recently announced the “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025,” which aims to cut state regulations and boost the economy. State lawmakers seek to achieve these objectives by promoting oversight and accountability in the rule-making process for administrative agencies in the Peach State and allowing for more scrutiny of these measures.
Lt. Gov. Jones, in a press release, explained that “As a business owner, continuing our efforts to promote deregulation and free our businesses from harmful government red tape will continue to be a priority” and noted that the proposed legislation “complements DOGE, President Donald Trump’s plan to create efficiency, while paring down unnecessary spending and eliminating bureaucratic red tape at the federal level.”
The bill requires an analysis before proposed legislation is introduced or amended to ascertain the impact on small businesses in the state.
A small business impact analysis shall estimate the economic costs and benefits that such bill may have on small businesses in the state and shall include, if any, the estimated impacts on: (1) The costs of providing goods and services; (2) The availability and cost of workers; (3) Industry competition or consumer choice; and (4) Potential costs of compliance.
The bill strengthens the state legislature’s ability to reject proposed administrative rules. If an agency creates a rule that could cost more than $1 million to implement, it must include a notice outlining an “economic analysis of the impact of the proposed rule,” according to the bill.
The measure would also mandate a periodic review of each rule and an automatic repeal unless it is renewed.
“All rules of an agency that are scheduled for review under this Code section shall stand automatically repealed on December 31 of the review year unless the rules are continued or repromulgated pursuant to this Code section.”
Moreover, agencies must “solicit public input on the impact, cost, and effectiveness of its rules” before they go into effect. They will also be required to “conduct at least two public hearings to receive public comment on its rules.”
“Agencies that desire to continue their rules in effect shall not simply repromulgate the rules and regulations without critical review of the necessity, effectiveness, and cost of such rules.”
In the words of The Mandalorian, “This is the way.”
Georgia ranks as the 25th most regulated state in the nation. It currently has over 111,000 regulations on its books, according to the George Mason University Mercatus Center. These regulations have resulted in “increasing poverty rates, lost jobs, and higher inflation, among other effects,” the report adds.
It is abundantly obvious that The Peach State is in dire need of some oversight – especially when it comes to its administrative state. This legislation appears to be a step in the right direction.
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