Small business owners can breathe a sigh of relief.
50-Plus Anti-Business Bills Defeated in Session
A variety of mandates were proposed this session that would have increased costs, administrative burden, or liability for small businesses, but NFIB efforts helped defeat them.
Some of the bills on the table included:
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A dozen labor mandates, such as equal pay, minimum wage increase, and paid sick leave
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A proposal to ban arbitration in commercial transaction disputes
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A bill that would have required advertising of goods and services to include all mandatory fees
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A proposal that would have established a new “reasonable accommodation” definition—going beyond the federal definition—for disability discrimination claims
NFIB is also continuing the fight against licensing bills that unnecessarily hamper individuals’ and business owners’ ability to earn a living. In the 109th session, NFIB helped defeat many overreaching licensing bills, including HB 2111/SB 1976, which would have required people doing HVAC work under $25,000 to obtain a license and would have made practicing without a license a Class A misdemeanor. HB 927/SB 901 would have required anyone repairing or replacing a roof system costing between $3,000 and $25,000 to be licensed as a home improvement contractor.
At the end of session, the Legislature passed the Right to Earn a Living Act, SB 2469/HB 2201 by Sen. Mark Green (Clarksville) and Rep. Martin Daniel (Knoxville). The new law will increase legislative and executive oversight of entry regulations to ensure they are:
•Required by state or federal law
•Necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare or to protect the public against fraud or economic harm
•Do not unnecessarily inhibit competition or arbitrarily deny entry into a market, business, trade profession or occupation.
