Florida follows DOGE’s lead with sweeping regulatory cuts

As the CEO of a regional chamber of commerce, I hear from business owners every day about the overwhelming burden of red tape that slows them down, saps their resources, and often discourages them from expanding or even starting in the first place. Simply put, we need a regulatory framework in government that allows businesses to thrive, not struggle under a mountain of ever-changing and inconsistent regulations. One of the most valuable business commodities is time — and time is money.

While Florida has built a reputation as one of the freest states in the nation, our regulatory framework still raises unnecessary barriers to economic growth. Florida ranks 13th in the Cicero Institute’s assessment of state administrative procedure laws, showing significant room for improvement in how we regulate businesses.

We can ensure that Florida remains a place where entrepreneurs can build, innovate, and succeed without the government standing in their way.

The numbers speak for themselves. With 170,321 regulatory restrictions, Florida is the 11th most burdened state in the nation — placing us alongside states notorious for overregulation, such as Massachusetts, Illinois, and California. These excessive rules don’t just create headaches for business owners; they slow innovation, reduce job opportunities, and drive up costs for everyday Floridians.

Florida House Bill 305 would modernize the state’s regulatory system, ensuring we deliver real relief for businesses while keeping necessary protections in place.

We’re at a turning point. President Trump’s victory came with a clear mandate to shrink the size of government. At the federal level, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency are diving deep into uncovering a trove of wasteful spending. We have always prided ourselves on being the free state of Florida, a place that no one could ever confuse for the incompetent and reckless federal government — or California and Illinois.

With President Trump and the DOGE leading the charge to make government leaner and more efficient, states like Florida have a prime opportunity to lead, cut waste, and give the people more opportunities to succeed.

HB 305 tackles these challenges head-on by setting clear limits on bureaucratic overreach. Government agencies will no longer be able to establish regulations without explicit statutory authority. This change prevents bureaucrats from expanding their power through vague interpretations of the law, ensuring that only the legislature — accountable to the people — sets the rules that businesses must follow.

The bill would also mandate cost-benefit analysis for all proposed regulations, ensuring that every rule must prove its benefits outweigh its costs. Arbitrary thresholds will no longer determine which regulations face scrutiny. Instead, agencies must conduct retrospective reviews four years later to confirm that their rules deliver as promised.

To prevent outdated and redundant regulations from piling up, HB 305 institutes automatic reviews and sunset provisions. Regulations will not remain on the books forever — they will expire after eight years unless reviewed and deemed necessary to ensure Florida’s regulatory code remains modern, relevant, and efficient.

Transparency is another key pillar of this legislation. All regulatory documents, data, and justifications will be available to the public online in machine-readable formats to empower businesses and citizens to access and easily understand the rules that impact their lives and livelihoods.

While we have necessary regulations on the books to guard public health and safety, HB 305 is designed to preserve essential protections while eliminating unnecessary and outdated red tape. By enacting these reforms, Florida can fully align its policies with our pro-freedom, pro-growth principles.

Florida has led the way in breaking free from heavy-handed government policies that stifle innovation and opportunity. Now is the time to take the next step by modernizing our regulatory system. With HB 305, we can ensure that Florida remains a place where entrepreneurs can build, innovate, and succeed without the government standing in their way.