NEWSRELEASE
For Release: April 5, 2005
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 05-14 ADVO
Press Kit
Virginia Acts To Support Small Business
Gives Small Business A Voice In The State Regulatory Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Virginia small businesses will face a friendlier regulatory environment, thanks to a new law that gives Virginia’s small businesses a voice in the state’s regulatory process.
“Virginia’s small business owners now have a seat at the table when regulatory decisions are made,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “When their voice is heard, better decisions are made, and that means more jobs and growth for Virginia.”
The law, signed by Governor Mark Warner on March 23, 2005, was sponsored by chief patrons in the General Assembly Senators Bill Bolling, Mark Obenshain and Jay O’Brien, and Delegates John Cosgrove, Terry Kilgore and Christopher Saxman.”
Passage and signing of Virginia’s Small Business Regulatory Flexibility bill resulted from Virginia small business stakeholders working together in a coalition. Attorney General Jerry Kilgore was a key leader, establishing a task force and holding hearings on the issue. The coalition also included the Virginia National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the Virginia Manufacturers Association.
Virginia’s Small Business Regulatory Flexibility bill implements elements of small business friendly regulatory legislation put forward as a model by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Similar to the federal Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), it encourages entrepreneurial success by requiring state agencies to consider the impact of their policies on small business before they issue final regulations.
“Passing the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility bill reduces burdens on small businesses and enables them to focus more on growing their business and creating jobs. Virginia’s small business community will no longer be sidelined with burdensome regulations that give the advantage to large corporations. NFIB applauds legislators from both sides of the aisle who reached out to small business this year,” said Gordon Dixon, Virginia State Director for the NFIB.
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. 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.###
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.