Fwd: Previous postings on the Regulatory Flexibility Act
sal (sals@rain.org)
Thu, 07 May 1998 08:55:32 -0700
>Reply-to: bdnow@igg.com
>Date: Thu, 7 May 1998 05:59:48 -0500
>To: bdnow@igg.com
>From: "Joanne Daschel" <jdaschel@wolfenet.com> (by way of BD NOW!)
>Subject: Previous postings on the Regulatory Flexibility Act
>
>Hello, I'm a BD list subscriber and also an employee of the Small Business
>Administration. Pasted below is an excerpt from SBA's homepage on the Act.
> For more info, visit: http://www.sba.gov/regfair
>
>Thanks-- JE Daschel, Seattle WA
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Overview of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996
>
>The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act was enacted into law
>March 29, 1996.
>
>The six key aspects of the legislation are as follows:
>
>1.Regulatory Compliance Simplification: Federal agencies are required to
>develop comprehensive guidelines and a well defined process to respond to
>small business inquiries on actions that businesses are required to take to
>comply with rules established by the agencies. These guidelines must be
>written in plain English.
>
>2.Equal Access To Justice Amendments: Small businesses are given expanded
>authority to go to court to be awarded attorney's fees and costs when an
>agency has been found to be excessive in its enforcement of federal
>regulations.
>
>3.Congressional Review: Congress is authorized to review each major rule
>promulgated before it can take effect.
>
>4.Regulatory Enforcement Reform of Penalties: Within one year each agency
>shall establish a policy to provide for the reduction and, in some
>circumstances, the waiver of civil penalties for violations of a
>regulation.
>
>The final two key aspects most directly affect the U.S. Small Business
>Administration (SBA) as follows:
>
>5.Small Business Advocacy Review Panels: Before proposed rules are
>published, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational
>Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are required to establish
>government panels that receive input from affected small businesses and
>make public the panel's report as part of the record.
>
>6.Oversight of Regulatory Enforcement: The SBA Administrator must appoint a
>Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman and 10
>Small Business Regulatory Fairness Boards to comment on the enforcement
>activities of federal regulatory agencies. Small businesses are provided
>with a procedure to comment on the enforcement activity conducted by
>federal regulatory agencies. The National Ombudsman must annually report to
>Congress on the findings.
>
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