NEWSRELEASE
For Release: December 6, 2007
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
SBA Number: 07-35 ADVO
Press Kit
Small Business Responds To Call For Nominations Of
Federal Rules In Need Of Review And Reform
December 31 Deadline For Nominations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Small businesses and their representatives have eagerly responded to the Office of Advocacy’s call for nominations of federal rules in need of review and reform. Nominations have been received from across the country since the announcement of the Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative.
“We are excited about the initial response to our r3 initiative,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “Clearly, small business owners are concerned about the burden placed on them by regulations that may be outdate or unwieldy. More importantly, they are doing more than complaining; the small business community is making constructive suggestions for how to improve current rules.”
Advocacy research shows that complying with all federal regulations now costs our economy $1.1 trillion per year - more per household than the cost of healthcare. The smallest of businesses bear the brunt of the business regulations. They annually pay 45 percent more per employee to comply with federal regulations than big businesses do.
The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is still seeking nominations of federal rules in need of review and reform. The “Top 10” rules nominated by small business owners, trade associations, and others will be transmitted to appropriate federal agencies for review and reform.
Nominate regulations needing review and reform by visiting the Office of Advocacy r3 website at
www.sba.gov/advo/r3, by sending an email to advocacy@sba.gov, or by calling Keith Holman at (202) 205-6936. Nominations are due by December 31, 2007.The r3 initiative addresses many of the issues raised in a recent GAO report, Reexamining Regulations: Opportunities Exist to Improve Effectiveness and Transparency of Retrospective Reviews. The report spotlighted implementation of section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which mandates that agencies periodically examine their existing regulations to measure changing impacts on small business.
The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the federal government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats, and it funds research into small business issues.
###
The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. The presidentially appointed Chief Counsel for Advocacy advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. For more information, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.