A new bill seeks to streamline communication between business owners and agencies.
Red Tape Reduction Might Be on the Way for Oregon Small Businesses
SB 1583—which expands the role of the Office of Small Business Assistance to include local as well as state agencies—has passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature and now makes its way to Gov. Kate Brown’s desk for her signature. Prior to the start of the 2016 session, the Governor included this bill in a list of her top legislative priorities for this year’s short session.
The Office of Small Business Assistance, which was created during the 2013 regular session, acts as a sort of ombudsman for businesses in the state that have a problem with a state agency.
“Since then, the Office has helped hundreds of small businesses navigate difficult and sometimes frustrating interactions with state agencies,” said NFIB/Oregon State Director Anthony Smith in a statement.
“Ruth Miles, the Small Business Advocate for the office, is “oftentimes able to facilitate better communication and work with the business owner and the agency to come to a resolution,” Smith says. “However, the Office has been limited to helping with state agencies only.”
The bill has received broad bipartisan support and would allow for Miles and the Office of Small Business Assistance to not only serve as a liaison between small business and agencies at the state level, but also at the local level.
“Under the Office’s expanded authority, Ms. Miles will be able to identify duplicative and redundant regulations at the city, county and state level,” Smith says. “Her office is will now be able to make recommendations to try to streamline that red tape.”
NFIB strongly supports the bill, as it allows for someone in the government, who understands small business and who has the ear of the secretary of state and the governor, to work on behalf of small business from the inside. “This is clearly a bill that is going to help small business,” Smith says.
