NFIB Fights to Reduce Regulatory Burdens
The most frequently cited problem by small business when complying with federal regulations is unclear or confusing instructions. NFIB has consistently advocated for common sense approaches to ensure that rules are easier to read and understand. Overall small businesses need to be able to recognize what they must do to comply with a regulation. Simplicity can save small business and the federal government time, effort and money. NFIB has worked on regulatory and legislative solutions to ease the regulatory burden on small businesses.
NFIB has played an active role in seeing the regulatory agencies move away from "enforcement first" command-and-control modes of regulating, into a friendlier, more effective compliance-assistance model. NFIB has educated regulatory officials on the realities faced by small-business owners in figuring out what they have to do to comply, as well as the basic differences between small and large businesses, a nuance not often recognized by many in the regulatory community.
NFIB serves as a watchdog to ensure that, when new regulations are proposed, the impact on small business is considered. We are regularly called upon by federal agencies to comment on those impacts, and have been active in voicing your views even when not asked. On a number of occasions, NFIB has formally asked agency heads to re-do their Regulatory Flexibility Analyses, the required reports that measure small-business regulatory impacts.
We also maintain a close working relationship with the various agency "ombudsmen," the go-betweens for small businesses within the regulatory agencies, as well as the office of the National Ombudsman for Small Business. When members have concerns, we work closely with these offices to see that those concerns are resolved.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 requires agencies to consider the impact of their regulatory proposals on small entities, analyze effective alternatives that minimize small entity impacts, and make analysis available for public comment. The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 amended the RFA and provided additional tools to help achieve regulatory fairness for small business.
NFIB continues to press for the full enforcement of the RFA and SBREFA. Among other things, SBREFA requires agencies to develop better compliance-assistance strategies and undertake greater review of the impact of regulations on small businesses.
Download and read NFIB's letter of support of the Regulatory Equity Act of 2008 to Rep. Baron HillDownload and read NFIB's letter of support of the Independent Office of Advocacy and Small Business Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 to Sens. Snowe and Pryor
