NEWS RELEASE
For Release: January 26, 2005
Contact:John
McDowell, (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 05-04 ADVO
Press Kit
Chief Counsel Urges Virginia General Assembly To Give Small Business A Voice In The Regulatory Process
Testifies Before Senate In Favor Of Regulatory Flexibility
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Virgina small business needs a voice in the state regulatory process, according to Chief Counsel for Advocacy Thomas M. Sullivan. Sullivan’s testimony in favor of small business regulatory flexibility was before the Virginia Senate Committee on General Laws.
“Virginia’s small business owners deserve a seat at the table when regulatory decisions are made,” said Sullivan. “When their voice is heard, better decisions will be made, and that means more jobs and growth for Virginia.”
Regulatory flexibility in Virginia would implement 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 growth by requiring state agencies to consider their impact on small business before they issue final regulations.
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.
Similar legislation, endorsed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), is pending in several states. In the last two years twelve states implemented regulatory flexibility for small businesses through legislation or executive order. Several bills supporting regulatory flexibility are pending before the Virginia General Assembly. In meeting with the bill’s sponsors Sullivan urged them to work together to produce final legislation which will help attract entrepreneurs to Virginia.
The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the 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.
For more information on state level regulatory flexibility, visit 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 Counsel’s efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.