Bill Aims To Lift Small-Business Burden

City agencies would have to issue detailed reports on how their rule changes would impact small businesses and offer less burdensome alternatives under legislation being introduced by Council Member James Oddo of Staten Island.

The bill is modeled after the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which Congress passed in the 1980s. That law requires federal agencies to assess how small businesses would be affected by agency rule changes and list possible alternative rule changes that might prove less costly and intrusive. Many states have passed their own versions of the RFA.

"It's worked on a federal level, it just makes sense that you at least have a discussion about enacting it at the city level," Mr. Oddo said in a recent interview. He said that recent council legislation has convinced him that such changes are necessary.

"We had a bunch of bills like plastic bag recycling and electronics recycling that have been kicking around," Mr. Oddo said. "The question becomes: 'When is it too much for small businesses?'"