Section 202-A - Regulatory impact1. In developing a rule, an agency shall, to the extent consistent with the objectives of applicable statutes, consider utilizing approaches which are designed to avoid undue deleterious economic effects or overly burdensome impacts of the rule upon persons, including persons residing in New York state's rural areas, directly or indirectly affected by it or upon the economy or administration of state or local governmental agencies. Such approaches shall include, but not be limited to, the specification of performance standards rather than design standards.2. Each agency shall, except as provided in subdivision five of this section, issue a regulatory impact statement for a rule proposed for adoption or a rule adopted on an emergency basis.3. Each regulatory impact statement shall contain:(a) Statutory authority. A statement analyzing the statutory authority for the rule, including but not limited to the agency's interpretation of the legislative objectives of such authority;(b) Needs and benefits. A statement setting forth the purpose of, necessity for, and benefits derived from the rule, a citation for and summary, not to exceed five hundred words, of each scientific or statistical study, report or analysis that served as the basis for the rule, an explanation of how it was used to determine the necessity for and benefits derived from the rule, and the name of the person that produced each study, report or analysis;(c) Costs. A statement detailing the projected costs of the rule, which shall indicate: (i) the costs for the implementation of, and continuing compliance with, the rule to regulated persons;(ii) the costs for the implementation of, and continued administration of, the rule to the agency and to the state and its local governments; and(iii) the information, including the source or sources of such information, and methodology upon which the cost analysis is based; or(iv) where an agency finds that it cannot fully provide a statement of such costs, a statement setting forth its best estimate, which shall indicate the information and methodology upon which such best estimate is based and the reason or reasons why a complete cost statement cannot be provided;(d) Paperwork. A statement describing the need for any reporting requirements, including forms and other paperwork, which would be required as a result of the rule;(e) Local government mandates. A statement describing any program, service, duty or responsibility imposed by the rule upon any county, city, town, village, school district, fire district or other special district;(f) Duplication. A statement identifying relevant rules and other legal requirements of the state and federal governments, including those which may duplicate, overlap or conflict with the rule. If the statement indicates that the rule would duplicate, overlap or conflict with any other relevant rule or legal requirement, the statement should also identify all efforts which the agency has or will undertake to resolve, or minimize the impact of, such duplication, overlap or conflict on regulated persons, including, but not limited to, seeking waivers of or exemptions from such other rules or legal requirements, seeking amendment of such other rules or legal requirements, or entering into a memorandum of understanding or other agreement concerning such other rules or legal requirements;(g) Alternative approaches. A statement indicating whether any significant alternatives to the rule were considered by the agency, including a discussion of such alternatives and the reasons why they were not incorporated into the rule;(h) Federal standards. A statement identifying whether the rule exceeds any minimum standards of the federal government for the same or similar subject areas and, if so, an explanation of why the rule exceeds such standards; and(i) Compliance schedule. A statement indicating the estimated period of time necessary to enable regulated persons to achieve compliance with the rule.4. To reduce paperwork on the agencies, an agency may:(a) Consider a series of closely related and simultaneously proposed rules as one rule for the purpose of submitting a consolidated regulatory impact statement; and(b) Submit a consolidated regulatory impact statement for any series of virtually identical rules proposed in the same year.5.(a) An agency may claim an exemption from the requirements of this section for a rule that involves only a technical amendment, provided, however, the agency shall state in the notice, prepared pursuant to section two hundred two of this chapter, the reason or reasons for claiming such exemption.(b) A rule defined in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section one hundred two of this chapter shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.(c) A rule determined by an agency to be a consensus rule and proposed pursuant to subparagraph (i) of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section two hundred two of this article shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.6. Each agency shall issue a revised regulatory impact statement when: (a) the information presented in the statement is inadequate or incomplete, provided, however, such revised statement shall be submitted as soon as practicable to the secretary of state for publication in the state register, provided, further, if such statement exceeds two thousand words, the notice shall include only a summary of such statement in less than two thousand words;(b) a proposed rule contains any substantial revisions and such revisions necessitate that such statement be modified. A revised statement shall describe the reasons for such changes and shall include any modifications in the regulatory impact statement that are necessary as a result of such changes; or(c) there are no substantial revisions in the proposed rule but there are changes in the text of the rule as adopted when compared with the text of the latest published version of the proposed rule and such changes would necessitate that such statement be modified. A revised statement shall describe the reasons for such changes and shall include any modifications in the regulatory impact statement that are necessary as a result of such changes.Amended by New York Laws 2016, ch. 304,Sec. 7, eff. 1/1/2017.