107-23
June 26, 2002

House Passes H.R. 327 "Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002"

On June 18, 2002, the House of Representatives agreed to the Senate amendment and passed H.R. 327, the "Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002," by a vote of 418-0. The bill had passed the Senate on May 22, 2002 by unanimous consent. The President is expected to sign the legislation.

The legislation contains the following provisions:

Facilitation of Compliance with Federal Paperwork Requirements

  • Would require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to publish annually in the Federal Register, and make available on the internet, a list of regulatory compliance assistance resources available to small businesses.
  • Would require Federal agencies to establish one agency point of contact to act as a liaison with small businesses with respect to collection of information and control of paperwork.
  • Would require Federal agencies to make efforts to further reduce the information collection burden for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees.

Establishment of Task Force on Information Collection and Dissemination

  • Would establish a task force made up of representatives of designated agencies and headed by the designee of the OMB Director to:
    • Identify ways to integrate the collection of information across Federal agencies and programs;
    • Examine the feasibility and benefits of publishing a list of the collections of information applicable to small businesses;
    • Recommend a plan for the development of an interactive Government-wide system regarding the collection of information as it applies to small business; and
    • Report on its findings and recommendations

Regulatory Enforcement Reports

  • Would require each agency with Federal regulatory authority to submit an initial and final report on:
    • The number of enforcement actions in which a civil penalty is assessed;
    • The number of such actions against a small entity;
    • The number of actions in which the penalty is reduced or waived; and
    • The total monetary amount of the reductions/waivers.