North Carolina agencies would need legislative approval for any new regulation with an economic impact exceeding $1 million under bills introduced Friday in the state Senate and House of Representatives. The proposed legislation, known as the NC REINS Act, is part of a broader nationwide effort by conservative groups to prevent unelected agency officials from imposing costly regulations on businesses.
“The NC REINS Act is about giving the people of North Carolina a stronger voice in the rules that shape their lives,” state Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, said Tuesday. “Right now, unelected bureaucrats can impose regulations with major financial consequences without direct oversight from the General Assembly. The current process is not transparent. We can do better.”
Chesser sponsored House Bill 402, while the companion bill in the Senate, Senate Bill 290, is led by Sen. Benton Sawrey, R-Johnston. The legislation aims to enhance accountability and transparency by ensuring that major regulatory decisions receive direct approval from elected officials.
Dalton Clark, legislative liaison for Americans for Prosperity, noted that similar proposals have been debated multiple times in the General Assembly. However, he emphasized that bipartisan support for the measure is now “overwhelming,” citing a poll showing 80% of respondents favor the bill.
Donald Bryson, CEO of the Locke Foundation, said his organization has been advocating for such legislation for a decade. “This is about good governance overall and reinstating accountability and transparency to democratic governance,” Bryson said. “At what point does a rule or regulation that’s created become so large that it in fact should be a law?”
The legislation follows a broader national trend, with similar bills pending in at least a dozen states, including Georgia and South Carolina. Wyoming passed a version of the bill earlier this year, according to Jaimie Cavanaugh, legal policy counsel at the Pacific Legal Foundation.
The Center Square reached out to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s office for comment but received no response before publication. Some opponents of the bill argue that it could delay critical regulations designed to protect public health by adding an extra layer of approval.
