July 28, 2008
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading small business advocacy group, I am writing to urge your support of the Paperwork Assistance Act (H.R. 6113), legislation requiring federal agencies to include a contact telephone number in all government paperwork. This legislation will be considered an NFIB Key Vote for the 110th Congress.
In our June/July 2007 Member Ballot, 85 percent of NFIB members surveyed supported a Congressional requirement that all federal paperwork include contact information of the agency issuing the paperwork. The Paperwork Assistance Act would provide small business owners with easy access to federal agencies for assistance and guidance with government paperwork. The less time small businesses spend with "government overhead," the more they can spend improving their business, employing more people and growing America's economy.
According to NFIB's Research Foundation, it costs small businesses on average $48.72 per hour to deal with the paperwork, record-keeping and mandates imposed by federal, state and local governments. Due to the sheer volume and complexity of federal regulations, even the most diligent small business-owner may inadvertently make an error or miss deadlines associated with government paperwork. By including contact information with government paperwork requirements, this legislation will help in limiting the amount of unproductive time small business owners spend on government paperwork.
H.R. 6113 will help to simplify and reduce government paperwork, and will be an NFIB Key Vote for the 110th Congress.
Sincerely,
Dan Danner
Executive Vice President
Public Policy and Political
