On Wednesday, April 27, 2016, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBC), will hold a hearing entitled, “Drowning in Regulations: The Waters of the U.S. Rule and the Case for Reforming the RFA.” In conjunction with Wednesday’s hearing, the Committee will also hold a business meeting to examine various legislative items.

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) is intended to ensure that federal agencies take small businesses into considering when developing new rules and regulations. The Committee will examine ways to update and reform the RFA to prevent federal agencies from taking advantage of loopholes and misinterpretation to circumvent the law.

Specifically, Wednesday’s hearing will examine how small businesses were left out of the rulemaking process for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) controversial “Waters of the United States” rule. The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy and industry experts will discuss solutions to strengthen the RFA in light of the failures of federal agencies to comply with the law.

Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee
Hearing & Business Meeting
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. EST
428A Russell Senate Office Building

Invited witnesses to the hearing include:

  • The Honorable Darryl L. DePriest, Chief Counsel of the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration
  • Ms. Elizabeth Milito, Senior Executive Counsel at the National Federation of Independent Business
  • Mr. Frank Knapp, Jr., President and CEO at the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
  • Mr. Rosario Palmieri, Vice President, Labor, Legal, and Regulatory Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers

In conjunction with Wednesday’s hearing, the Committee will also consider the following legislative items:

  • S. 2812, SBIR and STTR Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2016
  • S. 2831, A bill to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to provide priority for applicants for a license to operate as a small business investment company that are located in a disaster area
  • S. 2838, Small Business Transforming America’s Regions Act of 2016
  • S. ____, Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2016
  • S. ____, Microloan Program Modernization Act of 2016
  • S. ____, Prove It Act of 2016

*Subject to change by order of the Chairman.

The hearing and business meeting will be livestreamed here.

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