03/31/2008
CONTACT: Derrick Sontag, 785-354-9374 or Todd Pack, 615-872-5897
Gov. Sebelius signs bill requiring agencies to consider impact of rules on small businesses
TOPEKA, Kansas -- Derrick Sontag, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business/Kansas, issued the following statement after Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed Senate Bill 579:
"Senate Bill 579 means a lot to small business owners. It will require state agencies to consider the impact of proposed regulations on businesses with 50 or fewer employees.
"Before, state law required agencies to create only an economic impact statement describing how a proposed rule or regulation would affect the general public. It didn't distinguish between a company with five employees and one with 500.
"Sometimes, people think all businesses are the same, but that simply isn't the case. Small businesses aren't the same as big businesses. They don't always have the same problems or same needs. A regulation that might mean little to a big company could be devastating to a small business.
"Small business is the heart and soul of the state's economy. Small business accounts for about 97 percent of the state's employer firms and employ almost 55 percent of the state's non-farm workforce.
"NFIB is the state's leading small business association. Our mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their small businesses. We're grateful to the Legislature for passing SB 579 and to Senator Julia Lynn for introducing it. We're also grateful to Governor Sebelius for signing this piece of legislation.
"SB 579 is going to help small business owners plan ahead. It's going to help them grow their companies and create jobs. It's going to make a world of difference to small business owners, their employees and their families."
