01/29/2008
In addition to considering an economic stimulus package, Congress has a bevy of bills on its plate, many of interest to small business. NFIB is gearing up for another busy session, and will be keeping an eye on several pieces of legislation expected to be up for consideration this year.
Paid sick leave
Introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the "Healthy Families Act of 2007" (H.R. 1542/S.910) requires employers of 15 or more workers provide seven days of paid leave annually to employees working 30 or more hours a week. For employees working more than 20 hours per week, the bill requires employers provide a pro-rated annual amount.
The bill is expected to overwhelmingly pass the House in 2008, though its outcome in the Senate is not as predictable. If the legislation makes enough progress to proceed to a floor vote, it will most likely occur in the spring. We are currently working to filibuster the bill, and will keep members updated on our progress.
Immigration
In December, the House passed the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which unfortunately did not include language to temporarily exempt returning seasonal workers from the national cap on H-2B visas.
NFIB is disappointed with the outcome of this bill, as immigration issues are of concern for many small-business owners who depend on seasonal workers in the tourism, seafood, landscaping, resort, pool, carnival and other industries. We will continue to monitor Congress' immigration efforts and work toward a solution that will not unfairly burden small-business owners or hinder their right to own, operate and grow their businesses.
Health care
NFIB is closely watching four pieces of health-care legislation that may come to the House floor for a vote in the upcoming months, and strongly supports their passage as a step toward increasing the affordability and accessibility of health care to small business.
- The “Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007” (H.R. 380/S.242) allows for the safe and legal importation of prescription drugs from other countries, including Canada.
In 2008, NFIB's federal grassroots team will be involved in an intensive issue campaign in support of this bill. A 2007 NFIB member ballot indicated 78 percent of members support safe and legal importation of prescription drugs, and in August NFIB sent a letter of endorsement for this legislation to Sens. Olympia Snowe and Byron Dorgan.
-
The “Fair and Speedy Treatment of Medicare Prescription Drug Claims Act of 2007” (H.R. 1474/S.1954) ensures prompt government payment practices for the services community pharmacies provide related to the Medicare Part D prescription drug programs within a 30-day billing cycle.
-
The “National Health Information Incentive Act of 2007” (H.R. 1952) assists small physician practices with the adoption of health information technology such as electronic medical records.
-
The “Promoting Health for Future Generation Act of 2007” (H.R. 2639) allows individuals with a health savings account to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their taxes and permits individuals over the age of 50 to make contributions of up to $2,000 over the annual contribution limit.
In December, NFIB released its "Ten Principles for Health Care Reform" and revealed details about research projects to assist with the development of health care reform policies for small business. NFIB supports policy reforms to balance the competing goals of access to quality care, affordability, predictability and consumer choice. The resulting health care system would be based on 10 principles: universal, private, affordable, unbiased, competitive, portable, transparent, efficient, evidence-based, and realistic.
Alternative Minimum Tax
Congress has yet to pass permanent relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax, and NFIB continues to urge Congress to find a solution that does not include increasing taxes on small-business owners.
Death tax
In November, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing regarding permanent death-tax relief, and NFIB submitted a written statement to the committee detailing the burden the tax places on small business. Another hearing is expected early this year.
Legal reform
The "Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007" (S. 1843) was introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy in July of 2007, but remains in the Committee on Health, Education and Labor currently. The bill would impose significant and unforeseen costs on small-business owners by forcing them to defend employment decisions made years ago in cases that could be brought by employees relying on circumstantial evidence. The bill also contains a "pension annuity check rule," which allows charges to be filed against an employer as long as the employee is still receiving benefits, such as retirement benefits. Similar legislation, H.R. 2381, was already passed in the House.
NFIB will continue to fight this legislation, as it has the potential to harm not only small-business owners but their employees as well, since it would discourage employers from offering retirement benefits.
Stay tuned to NFIB.com for updates on these bills and other pieces of important legislation in the 110th Congress.
