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 [email protected]. 

IEN Connection Newsletter

The Office of Regulatory Flexibility offers a vehicle to communicate important information regarding changes in rulemakings to the business community.  This instrument is called The IEN Connection.  The IEN Connection is a monthly e-newsletter for business and industry groups, chambers of commerce, trade associations, or any individual who has an interest in small business issues.   The newsletter also includes information on proposed rules, who or what is impacted, dates and times of public hearings, and an overview of what the rule change means in plain language.   It also provides a means for you to submit comments on how the rule will impact your business during the first notice period while changes can still be made.  You will also receive information about upcoming conferences, workshops, permitting and licensing, tax information and recent legislation.  To subscribe to the IEN Connection, click here.

For Regulatory assistance, please contact the Office of Regulatory Flexibility at (800) 252-2923, or (217) 785-8020, or via email at [email protected]