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Congressman Kim and Senator Shaheen Introduce Bill to Help Small Businesses Overcome Red Tape

May 10, 2019

Congressman Kim and Senator Shaheen Introduce Bill to
Help Small Businesses Overcome Red Tape

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) introduced the Small Business Regulatory Relief Act, a bill that will help small businesses navigate excessive red tape and help them grow and create jobs.

"Small business owners face enough challenges every day, it's up to Congress to help clear their path so they can grow and create jobs," said Congressman Kim. "The Ombudsman's office is a great resource to small business owners looking to navigate their way through a sea of red tape. By making it more efficient, we can make it more effective and we can help empower our small business owners in New Jersey and throughout the country."

The bills would give the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of the National Ombudsman the authority to work with federal agencies to provide meaningful compliance assistance and improve its outreach to help small businesses. The bill also establishes a single point of contact at each federal agency to work with the Ombudsman, which will improve efforts to help small business owners navigate federal regulations.

"Small businesses serve as the engine of the New Hampshire economy and should be able to focus on expansion and growth rather than hurdles and obstacles when dealing with the federal government," said Senator Shaheen. "By empowering the SBA to work with other federal agencies to address the immediate needs of small businesses, we will make it easier for Granite State entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive. This is a common-sense proposal and I look forward to rallying support for it in this Congress."

The SBA's Office of the National Ombudsman was created in 1996 to help small businesses overcome excessive or unfair regulatory enforcement actions by federal agencies. These actions include repetitive audits, investigations or excessive fines. In Fiscal Year 2017, the Office of the National Ombudsman advocated on behalf of 460 small businesses and conducted more than 130 outreach events across the country.

"As a small business owner, I'll take any help I can get navigating red tape," said John Earp from Bubbys Beanery in Toms River. "Congressman Kim's bill will help clear the way so small business owners like myself can focus on what we do best: serve our customers, grow our economy and create jobs."

"As we hear often on the House Small Business Committee, America's small business owners wear many hats to keep the doors open and meet payroll, including being the one tasked with navigating complex regulations," said House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY). "By acknowledging this reality, the Small Business Regulatory Relief Act takes commonsense steps to expand compliance assistance and better utilize SBA's Ombudsman to benefit hardworking small business men and women. I'm proud to co-sponsor this legislation and thank Congressman Kim and Senator Shaheen for their leadership on this bill."

Congressman Kim is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access. Senator Shaheen is a former small business owner and a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.