Dear Members of Congress:
As business Leaders we urge you to support a bill introduced by
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Congressman Andy Kim (D-NJ).
The legislation, Small Business Regulatory Relief Act, would
expand the assistance provided by the Small Business
Administration’s (SBA) Office of the National Ombudsman (ONO),
which works with federal agencies across the government to review
complaints made by small businesses, reduce or waive penalties,
and reverse unfair agency decisions. The United States has about
30 million small businesses.
The bill empowers SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman
to:
-
Enhance outreach to small businesses. Most
small businesses are unaware of the Ombudsman’s services. The
legislation directs the Ombudsman to develop outreach
initiatives to promote awareness and increase the office’s
visibility.
-
Develop best practice guidelines for agencies to
address small business regulatory concerns. Although
federal agencies are required to provide compliance assistance
programs for small businesses, the quality of these programs
vary significantly. The legislation directs the Ombudsman to
collaborate with federal agencies to develop best practice
guidelines for federal agencies to help small businesses comply
with rules through training webinars, compliance guides, and
improved customer service.
-
Increase the visibility of the Ombudsman and enhance
collaboration at federal agencies. The legislation
establishes a single point of public contact at each federal
agency to work with the Ombudsman to find fair regulatory
solutions for small businesses.
-
Expand the ability of the Ombudsman to help small
businesses selling to the federal government. To sell
to the federal government, small businesses must navigate
complex regulations established by each agency. The legislation
ensures the Ombudsman can advocate on behalf of more small
businesses by clarifying the office also covers federal
contracting regulations.
Sincerely,
