SBA’s Red Tape Hotline—Office of Advocacy Assistance for Small Businesses with Other Agencies and SBA

Small businesses are often frustrated with over-regulation written in legal speak or intertwined with multiple cross-references—leading to a circle of frustration and harmful impacts. The Office of Advocacy (Advocacy), a separate but related and independent statutory pillar within the SBA, acts as an independent voice for small businesses, and entities within the federal government. Advocacy can and does go to agencies and advocate for lowering the impact regulations have on small businesses. It is known as the Watchdog for Small Business Interests.

Here’s how it works: Despite the name, Advocacy is independent of the SBA. It does not take part in SBA’s work on loans, disaster relief, or procurement. Instead, Advocacy represents small business interests in the federal regulatory process and produces data for policymakers to craft smarter laws.

How does Advocacy help my small business in the regulatory process?

·       Advocacy’s attorneys and advocates gather your concerns and take them directly to regulators in several different ways.

·       Advocacy regional advocates travel the country to talk with small businesses like yours, relaying concerns about rules to our Washington team.

·       Advocacy attorneys review new federal rules, allowing them to express your concerns to regulators as they are developed. Advocacy also supervises a series of procedures related to the Regulatory Flexibility Act. These procedures require federal agencies to consider small business impacts when writing rules.

·       Advocacy economists prepare economic analyses to determine the likely financial impacts of proposed regulations.

 Here is the contact information for assistance with regulations impacting small businesses: Email: RedTape@sba.gov
📞 Call: 800-827-5722 and choose option 3
https://advocacy.sba.gov/hotline/

Advocacy and its Statutory Authority to Assist Small Businesses in Lowering the Impact of Federal Regulations on Small Businesses—The Regulatory Flexibility Act

What is the Regulatory Flexibility Act?

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) was passed in 1980 to require federal agencies to consider the impact of their regulatory proposals on small businesses, analyze those proposals for equally effective alternatives, and make their analyses of alternatives public.

The goal of the RFA was to ensure that small businesses would not be harmed by “one-size-fits-all” regulation, while also allowing agencies to accomplish the goals of their rulemaking process.

Advocacy was tasked as the watchdog of the RFA, ensuring agencies comply with the law. Advocacy talks with agencies through their analyses, making sure they do not neglect small businesses that could be impacted by their new regulations.