Tell Gov’t What Rules Should Be Modified or Removed to Help Small Businesses
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy (SBA/Advocacy) is hosting a series of “Regulatory Roundtables” across the country to identify, through first-hand testimony, specific regulatory barriers to small business growth. SBA will use the information gathered at these roundtables to assist federal agencies in complying with President Trump’s directive to eliminate burdensome regulations.
SBA/Advocacy advances the views, concerns, and interests of small businesses before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. SBA wants to hear directly from company owners/operators about what regulations concern them the most so it can:
- Assist federal agencies with regulatory reform and reduction in accordance with –
- Executive Order 13771 - Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs that establishes a “one-in, two-out” framework for “economically significant” regulatory actions (rules with annual compliance costs of $100 million per year), with a condition that for the remainder of this fiscal year, new regulatory costs must be fully offset (must not exceed zero) and
- Executive Order 13777 - Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda that directs federal agency heads to designate Regulatory Reform Officers and Task Forces and to identify rules for repeal, replacement or modification.
- Executive Order 13771 - Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs that establishes a “one-in, two-out” framework for “economically significant” regulatory actions (rules with annual compliance costs of $100 million per year), with a condition that for the remainder of this fiscal year, new regulatory costs must be fully offset (must not exceed zero) and
- Compile first-hand information for Advocacy’s new report on existing small business regulatory burdens and recommended reforms.
For more details and to find out about future SBA roundtable meetings in various locations across the country, visit SBA’s Regulatory Reform webpage. (Locations will be posted as they are scheduled.) Coming up on July 11 and 13, SBA will hold regulatory reform roundtables in Idaho:
- Boise, Idaho – Tues., July 11 – 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Riverside Hotel. More information on this event: click here.
- Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – July 13 – 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Best Western Plus Coeur D’Alene Inn. More information on this event: click here.
If you have regulatory concerns you want to share with SBA, but are not able to attend a roundtable meeting in person, use this online form: https://www.sba.gov/advocacy/regulatory-reform-input.
AGC Review of Existing Regulations
AGC testified before Congress in March 2017 on how to reduce environmental permitting paperwork. AGC also has met and shared its regulatory reduction suggestions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, among others. In addition, the association submitted detailed proposals at the request of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which was covered in the Washington Post. And, the House Natural Resources Committee sought and received AGC’s advice on reforming the Endangered Species Act.
Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration
During the rulemaking process, SBA/Advocacy reviews draft regulations to assess their cost and impact on small businesses. Advocacy works together with the regulatory agencies and the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to ensure proper cost-benefit and regulatory alternatives analyses are accomplished. (Advocacy submitted more than 50 comment letters to EPA between 2009 and 2016.) In addition, Advocacy is frequently asked by members and committees of Congress for its views on legislation and policy issues of importance to small business. AGC of America keeps in close communication with Advocacy’s attorneys on environmental, safety and labor issues and regularly provides input during outreach discussions. It’s made a positive difference in recent federal environmental rulemakings on stormwater, oil spill prevention/control (SPCC), lead-paint dust – for example.
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Looking back over the last decade, EPA has issued the most and the costliest regulations by a wide margin, when compared to other federal agencies -- see March 2017 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report. A May 2017 report by the Competitive Enterprise Institute estimates the burden of federal regulations on the American public reached a record $1.9 trillion in 2016.
Let us help you stay in compliance: Take advantage of AGC’s “in person” 2017 Construction Environmental Conference (Sept. 13-14 in Crystal City, VA) and the “online” AGC-supported Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center.
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For more information, contact AGC’s Leah Pilconis at pilconisl@agc.org.