NEWSRELEASE
For Release: March 5, 2004
Contact: John McDowell (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 04-08 ADVO
South Dakota Supports Small Business
Gives Voice To Small Business In State Regulatory Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. South Dakota small business will face a friendlier regulatory environment, thanks to new legislation signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds. The new law gives South Dakotas small businesses a voice in the states regulatory process.
"Governor Rounds has worked closely with the legislature to bring small business issues to the forefront of the legislative session," said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. "This law gives small businesses a seat at the table when regulatory decisions are made. Without the hard work of Governor Rounds, and the bills sponsors, Senator Eric Bogue and Representative Bill Peterson, it never would have happened," he said.
Senate Bill 112 implements elements of small business friendly regulatory legislation put forward as a model by the Office of Advocacy of the SBA. Similar to the federal Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), it encourages entrepreneurial success by requiring state agencies to consider their impact on small business before they issue final regulations.
Jerry Wheeler, executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association and several other small business groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business, and the South Dakota and Sioux Falls Chambers of Commerce, led private sector support for the bill.
"The Office of Advocacy saved small business owners over $6 billion in foregone regulatory compliance costs last year alone," said Sullivan. "We did that by bringing the voice of small business to federal agencies early in the regulatory process. The same thing can happen in the states when they adopt small business friendly regulations," he said.
By listening to small business, state agencies can ensure that small business resources spent on overly burdensome new regulations are instead available for hiring new employees and making new investments. At the same time, agencies still meet their regulatory goals, such as higher environmental quality, greater travel safety, better workplace conditions, and increased family financial security.
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. For more information, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsels efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.