On Wednesday, Gov. Ferguson signed an executive order that requires agencies to review existing rules and statutes to find requirements that could be simplified or eliminated. The review will also look for ways to reduce administrative burdens, streamline permitting, and improve coordination. Recommendations will be due by July 4, 2027, and annual reports on regulatory reform implementation will be due beginning July 1, 2028.

Additionally, the order imposes a six-month rulemaking pause. With some exceptions, agencies will not be allowed to initiate new rulemaking “that would impose new or additional regulatory requirements.” (This harks back to a previous executive order that suspended all non-critical rule development and adoption from November 2010 through December 2011.)

This effort is welcome. The problem of Washington’s regulatory environment is longstanding, and there have been many reform efforts over the years, as we wrote in 2011, 2012, and 2015.

Earlier this year, the Association of Washington Business found that Washington’s regulatory environment “has created measurable economic drag.” Moreover, the report found that “over 50% of Washington’s regulatory requirements can be classified as administrative ‘red tape.’”

Ultimately, “without regulatory recalibration, the cumulative effects of slower business formation, reduced competitiveness, and regressive cost burdens will constrain long-term economic growth, erode affordability for households, and weaken the state’s ability to sustain a dynamic and inclusive economy.”

Among the report’s recommendations: make existing cost-benefit analyses of regulations enforceable, adopt a binding regulatory budget, apply sunset reviews to major rules, adopt ex post reviews of rules, and enforce service standards (including statutory permit timelines).