1.
(a)The following definitions apply
throughout this section:
(1)"Coordinator" refers to the small business regulatory
coordinator assigned to a rule by an agency under subsection (b).
(2)"Director" refers to the director or other administrative head
of an agency.
(3)"Small business" has the meaning set forth in IC 5-28-2-6.
(b)For each rulemaking action and rule finally adopted as a result
of a rulemaking action by an agency, the agency shall assign one (1)
staff person to serve as the agency's small business regulatory
coordinator with respect to the proposed or adopted rule. The agency
shall assign a staff person to a rule under this subsection based on the
person's knowledge of, or experience with, the subject matter of the
rule. A staff person may serve as the coordinator for mo
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1. (a) The following definitions apply
throughout this section:
(1) "Coordinator" refers to the small business regulatory
coordinator assigned to a rule by an agency under subsection (b).
(2) "Director" refers to the director or other administrative head
of an agency.
(3) "Small business" has the meaning set forth in IC 5-28-2-6.
(b) For each rulemaking action and rule finally adopted as a result
of a rulemaking action by an agency, the agency shall assign one (1)
staff person to serve as the agency's small business regulatory
coordinator with respect to the proposed or adopted rule. The agency
shall assign a staff person to a rule under this subsection based on the
person's knowledge of, or experience with, the subject matter of the
rule. A staff person may serve as the coordinator for more than one (1)
rule proposed or adopted by the agency if the person is qualified by
knowledge or experience with respect to each rule. The first public
comment period notice published under section 23 of this chapter must
include the name, address, telephone number, and electronic mail
address of the small business coordinator for the proposed rule, the
name, address, telephone number, and electronic mail address of the
small business ombudsman designated under IC 5-28-17-6, and a
statement of the resources available to regulated entities through the
small business ombudsman designated under IC 5-28-17-6. In the case
of a rule finally adopted, the final rule, as published in the Indiana
Register, must include the name, address, telephone number, and
electronic mail address of the coordinator.
(c) This subsection applies to a rule adopted by the department of
environmental management or the board listed in IC 13-14-9-1. In
addition to the information required by subsection (b), the department
and a board shall include in the notice provided under section 23 of this
chapter and in the publication of the final rule in the Indiana Register:
(1) a statement of the resources available to regulated entities
through the technical and compliance assistance program
established under IC 13-28-3;
(2) the name, address, telephone number, and electronic mail
address of the ombudsman designated under IC 13-28-3-2; and
(3) if applicable, a statement of:
(A) the resources available to small businesses through the
small business stationary source technical assistance program
established under IC 13-28-5; and
(B) the name, address, telephone number, and electronic mail
address of the ombudsman for small business designated under
IC 13-28-5-2(3).
The coordinator assigned to the rule shall work with the ombudsman
described in subdivision (2) and the office of voluntary compliance
established by IC 13-28-1-1 to coordinate the provision of services
required under subsection (d) and IC 13-28-3. If applicable, the
coordinator assigned to the rule shall work with the ombudsman
referred to in subdivision (3)(B) to coordinate the provision of services
required under this section and IC 13-28-5.
(d) The coordinator assigned to a rule shall serve as a liaison
between the agency and any small business subject to regulation under
the rule. The coordinator shall provide guidance to small businesses
affected by the rule on the following:
(1) Any requirements imposed by the rule, including any
reporting, record keeping, or accounting requirements.
(2) How the agency determines or measures compliance with the
rule, including any deadlines for action by regulated entities.
(3) Any penalties, sanctions, or fines imposed for noncompliance
with the rule.
(4) Any other concerns of small businesses with respect to the
rule, including the agency's application or enforcement of the rule
in particular situations. However, in the case of a rule adopted by
the department of environmental management or a board listed in
IC 13-14-9-1, the coordinator assigned to the rule may refer a
small business with concerns about the application or
enforcement of the rule in a particular situation to the ombudsman
designated under IC 13-28-3-2 or, if applicable, under IC 13-28-5-2(3).
(e) The coordinator assigned to a rule shall provide guidance under
this section in response to questions and concerns expressed by small
businesses affected by the rule. The coordinator may also issue general
guidelines or informational pamphlets to assist small businesses in
complying with the rule. Any guidelines or informational pamphlets
issued under this subsection shall be made available:
(1) for public inspection and copying at the offices of the agency
under IC 5-14-3; and
(2) electronically through electronic gateway access.
(f) The coordinator assigned to a rule shall keep a record of all
comments, questions, and complaints received from small businesses
with respect to the rule. The coordinator shall deliver the record, along
with any accompanying documents submitted by small businesses, to
the director:
(1) not later than ten (10) days after the date on which the rule is
submitted to the publisher under section 35 of this chapter; and
(2) before July 15 of each year during which the rule remains in
effect.
The coordinator and the director shall keep confidential any
information concerning a small business to the extent that the
information is exempt from public disclosure under IC 5-14-3-4.
(g) Not later than November 1 of each year, the director shall:
(1) compile the records received from all of the agency's
coordinators under subsection (f);
(2) prepare a report that sets forth:
(A) the number of comments, complaints, and questions
received by the agency from small businesses during the most
recent state fiscal year, categorized by the subject matter of the
rules involved;
(B) the number of complaints or questions reported under
clause (A) that were resolved to the satisfaction of the agency
and the small businesses involved;
(C) the total number of staff serving as coordinators under this
section during the most recent state fiscal year;
(D) the agency's costs in complying with this section during the
most recent state fiscal year; and
(E) the projected budget required by the agency to comply with
this section during the current state fiscal year; and
(3) deliver the report to the legislative council in an electronic
format under IC 5-14-6 and to the small business ombudsman
designated under IC 5-28-17-6.