Hesse’s Landesregierung von Ministerpräsident Boris Rhein brachte das 2. Hessische Bürokratieabbaugesetz in den Landtag ein. Hessisches Bürokratieabbaugesetz (BAG II), to the state parliament on Tuesday evening, introducing 168 changed regulations across 70 laws. Spearheaded by Entbürokratisierungsminister Manfred Pentz, the legislative package aims to eliminate redundant reporting, streamline infrastructure projects, and remove broad technical references that state officials argue function as unlegislated rules.
Elimination of Technical Standards References
The core mechanism of the new legislation targets broad legal references to the “Stand der Technik” (state of the art). Entbürokratisierungsminister Manfred Pentz stated that removing these blanket references acts as a master key to free companies, authorities, and municipalities from sprawling rulebooks and unclear legal terms.
State officials explain that statutory references to technical standards—such as DIN provisions—frequently operate as de facto laws despite never being voted on by lawmakers. This mechanism historically bound operators to rigid, frequently tightening requirements in areas like IT security and wastewater management. Under BAG II, authorities can no longer rely on blanket references to such comprehensive rulebooks in their official requirements.
Accelerated Infrastructure and Administrative Relief
To speed up public works, the legislation streamlines administrative procedures. According to the state government’s overview of the bill, formal discussion hearings (“Erörterungstermine”) will generally no longer take place during infrastructure developments.
The package also addresses administrative liability by reinforcing the discretion of individual civil servants. Employees who properly exercise their official discretion face no risk of disciplinary measures. The legislation also introduces a statutory approval fiction for foreign professional and educational qualifications, meaning recognition is automatically granted three months after complete documents are submitted.
Sequence of Legislative Reforms in Hesse
The latest filing follows the implementation of the first bureaucratic relief act, which entered into force on January 1, 2026. The State Chancellery confirmed that a third legislative package is already in the pipeline.
State modernization efforts in Hesse build on the Federal Modernization Agenda agreed upon by state leaders and federal officials in December 2025. Previous regional adjustments include raising direct procurement thresholds for municipalities—allowing direct awards without competitive bidding up to 100,000 euros for service contracts and up to 750,000 euros for construction works—alongside state assumption of GEMA licensing costs for public events hosted by local clubs.
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