House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) today announced “Small Biz Reg Watch”, a new initiative of the Committee to help small businesses participate in the development of federal regulations. An online resource on the Committee’s website will highlight proposed regulations that could impact small companies and instruct business owners on how they can make comments to the federal agency considering the proposed regulation.
“Most small businesses don’t have lawyers or lobbyists who focus on regulatory compliance, like larger corporations may have,” said Chairman Graves. “Therefore, our Committee wants to help them participate in the federal government rule-making process. Not all regulations are bad, but many can be unnecessarily burdensome and it is important that small companies express their concerns before a rule is finalized. Because small businesses bear a regulatory cost that is much higher than the cost of compliance for large businesses, our Committee wants to help small companies make their voice heard as federal regulations are being considered.”
“Yesterday, we saw our economy contract and produce its worst quarter in 4 years. Exports are falling and small businesses are sputtering under harmful government regulations. It’s important that we communicate to Washington and its regulators that there are real negative impacts and consequences to over-regulating,” said Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), Chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations. “This new initiative will keep small businesses current with the goings on in the regulatory community and ensure they have the opportunity to contribute as new regulations are being formulated and applied.”
The Committee will regularly communicate with small businesses via email, social media, and through district events around America when new comment periods begin for select proposed rules that impact a wide array of small businesses. Since becoming the lead Republican on the Small Business Committee, Chairman Graves has built a large database of small businesses with which he communicates regularly. The September 2011 launch of an interactive web platform, called “Small Biz Open Mic”, has also expanded the Committee’s reach and dialogue with small businesses around the nation.
