|
Home
Bibliography
Calendar
Columns
Dorothy Brizill
Bonnie Cain
Jim Dougherty
Gary Imhoff
Phil Mendelson
Mark David Richards
Sandra Seegars
DCPSWatch
DCWatch
Archives
Council Period 12
Council Period 13
Council Period 14
Election 1998
Election 2000
Election 2002
Elections
Election
2004
Election 2006
Government and People
ANC’s
Anacostia Waterfront Corporation
Auditor
Boards and Com
BusRegRefCom
Campaign Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Management Officer
City Council
Congress
Control Board
Corporation Counsel
Courts
DC2000
DC Agenda
Elections and Ethics
Fire Department
FOI Officers
Inspector General
Health
Housing and Community Dev.
Human Services
Legislation
Mayor’s Office
Mental Health
Motor Vehicles
Neighborhood Action
National
Capital Revitalization Corp.
Planning and Econ. Dev.
Planning, Office of
Police Department
Property Management
Public Advocate
Public Libraries
Public Schools
Public Service Commission
Public Works
Regional Mobility Panel
Sports and Entertainment Com.
Taxi Commission
Telephone Directory
University of DC
Water and Sewer Administration
Youth Rehabilitation Services
Zoning Commission
Issues in DC Politics
Budget issues
DC Flag
DC General, PBC
Gun issues
Health issues
Housing initiatives
Mayorâs mansion
Public Benefit Corporation
Regional Mobility
Reservation 13
Tax Rev Comm
Term limits repeal
Voting rights, statehood
Williamsâs Fundraising Scandals
Links
Organizations
Appleseed Center
Cardozo Shaw Neigh.Assoc.
Committee of 100
Fed of Citizens Assocs
League of Women Voters
Parents United
Shaw Coalition
Photos
Search
What Is DCWatch?
themail
archives |
The Business Regulatory
Reform Commission (BRRC) was established to
"identify and recommend legislation to eliminate or
modify obsolete, inconsistent, or duplicative business
regulations in the District; recommend legislation to
assume timely disposition of permit and license
applications and/or objections to them; and recommend
administrative changes to improve governmental processing
of applications.
The BRRC was established by DC Law
10-212 on March 16, 1995, but its members were not sworn
in until August 21, 1996. It submitted its final report
on September 3, 1997, and will be officially disbanded on
November 3, 1997. Its members represented business,
industry, and government. The twelve industry members
were selected by the DC Chamber of Commerce, the Greater
Washington Board of Trade, the Apartment and Office
Building Association of Metropolitan Washington, the DC
Association of Realtors, and the Board of Governors of
the District of Columbia Bar; they were nominated by the
Mayor and approved by the City Council. The seven ex
officio government members were the Mayor, the
Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia, the
Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory
Affairs, the Administrator of the Building and Land
Regulation Administration of DCRA, the Administrator of
the Business Regulation Administration of DCRA, the
Chairman of the City Council, and the Chairman of the
Council’s Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
The report is basically a "wish list" of the
business community. While some recommendations would
improve how regulatory affairs are managed, many others
would entirely eliminate regulations that protect the
public interest — gutting historic preservation,
building and environmental regulation, and rent control.
For several decades in the District of Columbia, both
regulations and the management of the Department of
Consumer and Regulatory Affairs have been markedly
anti-business; some of the "reforms" suggested
by the BRRC would tip the scale completely to the other
side.
Many of the Commission’s recommendations can be
implemented by the Mayor without Council or Control Board
approval. The City Council can pass legislation based on
many of the other recommendations of the Commission.
However, the DC Financial Responsibility and Management
Assistance Authority (the Control Board) is
simultaneously doing its own independent review of
regulatory reform. While the Control Board may take the
Commission’s recommendations into account, it is not
bound by them. However, federal legislation on regulatory
reform in the District of Columbia requires the Control
Board to take the BRRC recommendations into account.
(National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government
Improvement Act of 1997, Sec. 11701(a)(1): "To the
greatest extent possible, such review shall take into
account the work and recommendations of the Business
Regulatory Reform Commission . . . and other existing and
ongoing public and private regulatory reform
efforts.")
To get a copy of the BRRC Report, "Creating A
Competitive Edge: The Time Is Now," On this
site, consult:
|
