Businesses in highly regulated industries already understand the importance of regulatory consultants in Pennsylvania, but Pugliese Associates believes that all businesses should be aware of policies and regulations that may impact their employees, their goods or services, and, most importantly, their bottom line.
Every session in Harrisburg, members of Pennsylvania’s full-time Legislature introduce thousands of individual bills. While only a fraction of these bills pass into law, staying on top or even ahead of policy changes can mean saving thousands of dollars in compliance costs and penalties.
Every Sector Needs Monitoring
It’s not just the energy, medical, and agriculture sectors that need help navigating the regulatory obstacles. Industries like construction, transportation, food, environmental, and technology are all finding themselves targets of new regulations, overhauled laws, and/or major policy changes
Additionally, small revisions of policy are often imbedded in legislative packages. Often overlooked as insignificant, these small changes can still have a major impact on certain industries. The implications of an amended or updated regulation hashed out in a meeting room can be just as profound as a massive new bill being debated on the floor of the General Assembly. Likewise, changes to a process or system at one of the Commonwealth’s many departments or agencies can adversely affect the bottom line.
Businesses that are proactively monitoring policy initiatives and proposed regulations from the very beginning of the discussions, will be better prepared to express concerns over those policies and regulations that may negatively affect their industry; or to initiate the action items required to comply with them.
Where Legislative and Regulatory Consulting Converge
When onerous regulatory or policy changes do occur, businesses may find it necessary to pivot by appealing directly to the lawmakers in the best position to ease the strain through legislative means.
Consultants who are also registered lobbyists can move from monitoring to action in the blink of an eye. In cases where organizations have an in-house lobbyist who may only need assistance navigating the state system; a contract lobbying firm can supply that extra level of regulatory and/or legislative expertise.
Missed Opportunities
Having a team of people who understand your industry and are on the lookout for new regulations and policy changes isn’t just helpful in avoiding problems; it can also help you discover business opportunities you may have otherwise missed.
Lobbying firms that offer regulatory or compliance services tend to have a big advantage over in-house or industry-specific consultants. Contract lobbyists are in the trenches every day; they not only advocate for and against legislation, they also monitor the glut of bills working their way through the Commonwealth’s complex legislative process. They’re in a unique position to keep a watch out for state grant programs, upcoming hearings, or open meetings.
Because contract lobbyists understand business, they also know what will impact the bottom line. Because they understand the appropriations process, the procurement process, and the legislative process, they can identify proposals, issues, and ideas that directly affect clients’ businesses – positively or negatively, and advise accordingly. Whether it’s an upcoming bid, a proposed regulation, or some other emerging issue or opportunity, lobbyists will likely know about it first.
Eyes on the Inside
Pennsylvania’s state government is the second largest in the nation, which means the Commonwealth’s codes, regulations, and policies are constantly changing. By anticipating and helping clients plan for trouble and identifying and alerting them to fresh opportunities, regulatory and legislative consultants who lobby can more than pay for themselves in savings and new business.
No matter what your industry, it’s good to have a lifeline into the system - and the Pugliese Associates team is anchored and ready to help.