Office of Regulatory Flexibility

The Office of Regulatory Flexibility is housed within the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network Business Information Center and serves as an ombudsman for small businesses.  The Office reviews each and every rule that state agencies propose and gets information about these rules out to the small business community.  The feedback from the small business community is then prepared and sent for consideration to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), a bi-partisan legislative oversight committee that is authorized to conduct systematic reviews of administrative rules promulgated by state agencies.
The Office of Regulatory Flexibility works with business organizations and groups to determine ways to make rules more flexible, cost effective or less restrictive.  In some instances, small businesses may be exempted from compliance completely.
Are you a small business owner concerned about how a regulatory proposal might affect your business?    The Office of Regulatory Flexibility works with state agencies to determine the impact of their rules on small entities and to consider alternatives that minimize small entity impacts.  The Office of Regulatory Flexibility gives small business owners opportunities to make their voices heard about rules that affect their interests.  Our Regulatory and Information Alert highlights proposed rules that may affect small businesses.

Register Your Complaint

The Office of Regulatory Flexibility wants to assist with issues involving any state rule or regulation.
Please contact us to submit your concerns regarding any "unnecessarily burdensome" administrative rule or regulation.  
Be sure to provide as much information as possible.  Please provide the name of the state administrative rule or guideline, and the name of the administering agency.  Please address your complaint regarding the existing state administrative rule. 
    The continued need for the rule or guideline.
     The complexity of the rule or guideline.
  The extent to which the rule or guideline overlaps, duplicates, or conflicts with federal regulations, other state rules, or local ordinances.
   The length of time since the rule has been evaluated.
   The degree to which technology, economic conditions or other factors have changed in the subject area affected by the rule or guideline since the rule was promulgated.
Specific questions regarding rules and regulations can be addressed to Katy Khayyat, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity at (217) 785-8020 or Katy.Khayyat@Illinois.gov. 

Regulatory and Information Alert

The Office of Regulatory Flexibility has developed a vehicle to efficiently and effectively communicate important information to the business community and it is entitled Regulatory and Information Alert.  “Regulatory and Information Alert” is emailed each Monday to business and industry groups, chambers of commerce, trade associations, and any individual who has an interest in small business issues.  Regulatory and Information Alert contains info on rules, who or what is impacted, dates and times of public hearings, and an overview of what the rule means in plain language.  It also includes info on upcoming conferences, workshops, permitting and licensing, tax information and recent legislation.  Regulatory and Information Alert has become a model for other states.  The weekly alert informs businesses how to make comments on the rules while they are still in First Notice period, and while changes can still be made.    To subscribe to Regulatory and Information Alert, email Katy Khayyat at Katy.Khayyat@Illinois.gov.   
For regulatory assistance, please contact the Office of Regulatory Flexibility at (800) 252-2923, or (217) 785-8020, or via email at Katy.Khayayt@Illinois.gov.