2009 Rhode Island Code
Title 42 - State Affairs and Government
CHAPTER 42-35.1 - Small Business Regulatory Fairness in Administrative Procedures
§ 42-35.1-5 - Small business enforcement ombudsman.

SECTION 42-35.1-5

   § 42-35.1-5  Small business enforcement ombudsman. – (a) The director of the economic development corporation shall designate an existing staff member as a "small business regulatory enforcement ombudsman", who shall report directly to the director.

   (b) The ombudsman shall:

   (1) Work with each agency with regulatory authority over small businesses to ensure that small business concerns that receive or are subject to an audit, on-site inspection, compliance assistance effort, or other enforcement related communication or contact by agency personnel are provided with a means to comment on the enforcement activity conducted by such personnel;

   (2) Establish means to receive comments from small business concerns regarding actions by agency employees conducting compliance or enforcement activities;

   (3) Within six (6) months of appointment, work with each regulating entity to develop and publish reporting policies;

   (4) Based on substantiated comments received from small business concerns the ombudsman shall annually report to the general assembly and affected agencies evaluating the enforcement activities of agency personnel including a rating of the responsiveness of the regulatory agencies policies;

   (5) Coordinate and report annually on the activities, findings and recommendations to the general assembly and the directors of affected agencies; and

   (6) Provide the affected agency with an opportunity to comment on reports prepared pursuant to this chapter, and include a section of the final report in which the affected agency may make such comments as are not addressed by the ombudsman.