Small business: California Small Business Regulatory Fairness Act.

Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and requires, among other things, that a state agency make available to the public facts, evidence, documents, testimony, or other evidence on which the state agency relies to support the agency's determination that the proposed action will not have a significant adverse impact on business. Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate, within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and establishes the duties and functions of the Director of the Office of Small Business Advocate including, among other duties, representing the views and interests of small businesses before other state agencies whose policies and activities may affect small businesses. Existing law requires each state agency that significantly regulates small business or that significantly impacts small business to designate at least one person who is required to serve as a small business liaison. This bill would require a state agency to assist a small business, as defined, in complying with all statutes and regulations administered by the state agency and in any enforcement action by the state agency. The bill would, not later than December 31, 2017, require a state agency to create a policy, as specified, that provides for the reduction, and under certain circumstances waiver, of civil penalties for a small business based upon mitigating factors including, but not limited to, that the violation by the small business did not pose an imminent health, safety, or environmental threat.