+ Office of Advocacy What's New +

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Last Update: Mon Jun 9 13:22:16 2008

+ Regulatory Alerts Item - Contractor Compliance Program and Integrity Reporting + On May 16, 2008, the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council (FAR) published a proposed regulation seeking comments on changes to an [...] timely report such violations would become an additional cause for debarment or suspension. Comments are due on July 15, 2008.

+ Entrepreneurship and the Barrier to Exit: How Does an Entrepreneur-Friendly Bankruptcy Law Affect Entrepreneurship Development at a Societal Level? + Two professors and a doctoral student today received the Office of Advocacy’s “Best Paper” award at the Babson College [...] the Barrier to Exit: How Does an Entrepreneur-Friendly Bankruptcy Law Affect Entrepreneurship Development at a Societal Level?

+ "Best Paper" Awarded By Advocacy At The Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference + Two professors and a doctoral student today received the Office of Advocacy’s “Best Paper” award at the Babson College [...] the Barrier to Exit: How Does an Entrepreneur-Friendly Bankruptcy Law Affect Entrepreneurship Development at a Societal Level?

+ Advocacy Writes Letter Supporting H.R. 5839 Designed to Take Small Secondary and Independent Pharmaceutical Distributors Concerns into Consideration in Drug Pedigree Legislation + On June 4, 2008, the Office of Advocacy sent a letter, co-signed by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Ombudsman, to [...] and independent pharmaceutical distributors as they relate to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug pedigree rule.

+ The June Small Business Advocate + The June issue of The Small Business Advocate examines progress toward regulatory flexibility in Texas and Louisiana. ...

+ Regulatory Alerts Item - Proposed Revision of Distilled Spirits Plant Regulations + On May 8, 2008, the Department of Treasury Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a proposed rule that would amend its [...] States regarding a proposed rule published by TTB in November 1998. Comments on the proposed rule are due by August 6, 2008.

+ Advocacy Submits Comment on the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Universal Service Reform + On May 19, 2008, The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (“Advocacy”) filed a letter with the Federal [...] or “Commission”) in response to the Commission’s request for comment on the proposed rule for Universal Service Fund Reform.

+ What Do We Know About the Capital Structure of Privately Held Firms? Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finance + The capital structure decision—a fundamental issue faced by financial managers—is, simply put, how a firm finances its assets [...] Business Finance, addresses the question whether—and which—theories address the capital structure of small privately held firms.

+ Borrowing Costs Predominate In The Debt Choices Of Small Privately Held Firms + The capital structure decision—a fundamental issue faced by financial managers—is, simply put, how a firm finances its assets [...] Business Finance, addresses the question whether—and which—theories address the capital structure of small privately held firms.

+ Advocacy Recommends That FMCSA Re-Assess Proposed "Driver Training" Rule + On May 19, 2008, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) submitted comments on the Federal Motor [...] Proposed Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators Rule (Driver Training Rule).

+ The Small Business Advocate + The May issue of The Small Business Advocate reports on the Chief Counsel’s visit to the People’s Republic of China and gives ...

+ Advocacy Commends the FCC’s Consideration of Regulatory Relief for Small Cable Operators + On April 25, 2008, The Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration ("Advocacy") sent a letter to the Federal Communications ...

+ Regulatory Alerts Item - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act + On March 14, 2008, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a proposed rule on the Real Estate Settlement [...] Estimate (GFE) form to make it easier to use for shopping among settlement service providers. Comments are due on June 12, 2008.

+ Human Capital and Women’s Business Ownership + Self-employed women differ from their wage and salary earning counterparts in several human capital areas, according to a report, [...] self-employed women tend to be older, are better educated, and have more managerial experience than wage and salary earners.

+ Self-Employed Women Differ From Their Wage And Salary Earning Counterparts + Self-employed women differ from their wage and salary earning counterparts in several human capital areas, according to a report, [...] self-employed women tend to be older, are better educated, and have more managerial experience than wage and salary earners.

+ Advocacy Recommends That DHS Adopt Small-Business Friendly Approach to “No-Match” Rule + On April 25, 2008, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) submitted comments to the Department of [...] letter recommends that DHS consider alternatives that will reduce the costs and impacts of the rule on small entities.

+ Chief Counsel Strongly Supports The “Independent Office of Advocacy and Small Business Regulatory Reform Act of 2008” + Chief Counsel for Advocacy Thomas M. Sullivan today announced his strong support for the recently introduced “Independent Office of ...

+ Advocacy Recommends that DOT Provide Additional Small Business Impact Information on Passenger Vessel ADA Rule + On April 23, 2008, the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) filed a comment letter with the Department of Transportation (DOT) on their ...

+ Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) Top 10 Rules, 2008 + On February, 28, 2008, Advocacy announced the 2008 Top 10 Rules for Review and Reform. The Top 10 are drawn from over 80 rules [...] The 2008 Top 10 Rules for Review and Reform are listed in the Report on the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), FY 2007.

+ Annual Report on the Regulatory Flexibility Act (FRA), FY 2007 + The FY 2007 annual report to the Congress and the President on implementation of the RFA and Executive Order 13272 features a special [...] rulemakings helped secure $2.6 billion in first-year cost savings and $285 million in recurring annual savings for small entities

+ Advocacy Announces The Top 10 Rules For Review And Reform + The Office of Advocacy today announced the 2008 Top 10 Rules for Review and Reform. The Top 10 are drawn from over 80 rules nominated [...] Review and Reform (r3) initiative. The recommendations have been transmitted to the appropriate federal agencies for their action.

+ Advocacy Supports the SEC’s Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Relief and Cost Benefit-Study on Section 404 for Smaller Public Companies + On February 25, 2008, the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) sent a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission applauding its [...] Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for smaller public companies and is commencing a study on the impact of Section 404 on these entities.

+ Evaluation of Barrier Removal Costs Associated with the 2004 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines + On November 29, 2007, the Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, submitted the report Evaluation of Barrier Removal [...] Guidelines, prepared by E. H. Pechan and Associates, Inc., to the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

+ EPA TRI Reform Rewards Environmental Stewards + The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reform will reward the nation’s small business [...] burdensome analysis would encourage small businesses to recycle hazardous chemicals, rather than discharge them into the environment.

+ Review and Analysis of the Effect of EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Phase II Burden Reduction Proposal on Tri Data Uses + The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 requires certain facilities to report the quantities of routine and [...] given the specific limited changes, the December 2006 burden reduction rule had no significant effect on the use of TRI data.

+ SEC Should Reconsider Sarbanes-Oxley Extensions For Small Business + On May 25, 2007, the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration (SBA) sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange [...] of the SEC’s decision not to grant postponement of deadlines for public firms with less than $75 million in market value.