CO SB236

Department of Regulatory Agencies must presume consumers are sufficiently protected by market competition and private remedies when reviewing occupational regulation proposals.

Department may only recommend regulation if it finds credible evidence of present, significant, and substantiated harm to consumers that warrants government protection.

When harm is found, department must recommend only the least restrictive occupational regulation necessary to address that harm, ranked from market competition to occupational licenses.

Bill provides specific guidelines for regulatory recommendations based on harm type, including private civil causes of action for contractual disputes, deceptive trade practices enforcement for fraud, registration and inspection for facility safety, and professional/occupational licenses only for systematic information shortfalls.

Effective date is November 1, 2018, unless subject to referendum petition requiring voter approval at November 2018 general election.