Issue in Brief
 

 

 

                        May 2005 

Legislative Priorities Among Key Women’s
 

and Small Business Organizations
 

At the outset of every legislative session, issue priorities and positions are outlined by the Administration, Congressional committees, and private-sector 

interest groups. In this Issue in Brief, the National Women’s Business Council summarizes the issues of importance to women-owned and other 

small businesses that the 109th Congress will likely address. Issues are listed alphabetically, along with important aspects of the issue. The issue summary is followed by a matrix summarizing the positions and priorities of ten key women’s business and small business advocacy groups on these issues. 

The National Women’s Business Council hopes that this summary will be of value to the women’s business community. 

Access to Capital: Small business start-ups and those x Simplification of the federal tax code 

leading growing businesses need easier access to capital in x Permanency of the small-business tax provisions 

order to continue to contribute to the U.S. economy. Is- passed in the previous Congress as well as the personal 

sues addressing access to capital include: income-tax reductions 

x Standard home-office deduction, including updated x Funding and support for U.S. Small Business Admini- automobile expensing, increased deductions for busi- stration (SBA) loan programs, in particular the 7(a) ness meals, and expensing of business equipment and 7(m) programs (micro loans) x Payroll taxes and returning the unemployment system x Expanding and strengthening the Small Business In- to the states vestment Company (SBIC) program x Relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) x Capital-gains legislation that includes incentives to fos- x Estate tax (also called the death tax) ter investment in the small-business sector x Simplification of IRS rules for categorizing a worker as 

Organizations citing access to capital as a priority include: an employee or an independent contractor 

x Allowing banks to offer small-business customers in- x National Association of Women Business Owners 

terest-earning business checking accounts (NAWBO) x Business-owner participation in fringe-benefit plans x National Small Business Association (NSBA) 

x Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Organizations listing economic equity and tax relief issues 

Council) as a priority include: 

x Women Entrepreneurs Inc. (WE Inc.) x Business & Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA) 

Economic Equity and Tax Reform: Relief from tax x National Association for the Self Employed (NASE) 

burdens and equitable tax treatment is another small busi- x NAWBO 

ness community issue priority. A majority of organizations x National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) 

list relief from such burdens as a key legislative issue. The x NSBA 

NSBA proposes a Fair Tax Plan to repeal the 16th x SBE Council 

Amendment along with the entire Internal Revenue Code x U.S. Chamber of Commerce (U.S. Chamber) 

and replace it with a 23-percent inclusive national sales tax x U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) 

on the purchase of all new goods and services. Issues that x WE Inc. 

are the focus of major business associations and organiza- x Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) 

tions include: 

NWBC Legislative Priorities Among Key Women’s and Small Business Organizations 1 
Global Markets: Access to international marketplaces and 

expansion of trade are priorities for several small business 

organizations. 

Issues related to global markets include: 

x Reducing barriers to trade 

x Market opportunities throughout the world for women 

entrepreneurs 

x Presidential trade promotion authority 

x China’s compliance with World Trade Organization 

obligations 

x Free-trade agreements 

The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also cites the 

guest-worker issue as a legislative priority. 

Organizations that list global markets and international 

trade as priority issues include: 

x SBE Council 

x U.S. Chamber 

x USHCC 

x WE Inc. 

Government Procurement: In 1994, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act set a goal for federal agencies to 

award at least five percent of all prime and subcontract 

dollars to women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). Despite continued growth in the number and economic impact of women-owned firms, that goal has never been 

achieved on a government-wide basis. Key initiatives in 

this issue include: 

x Reports from all federal agencies on enforcement of 

the Talent Amendment and monitoring of the program at the regional level 

x Oversight hearings on SBA’s size standards regulation 

x Support for the October 2002 OMB contract-bundling 

procurement policy initiative and other anti-bundling 

initiatives 

x Reduction of federal paperwork requirements, including ensuring that regulations are less costly and complicated for small business 

x Federal small business programs focusing on womenowned small businesses 

x Federal procurement opportunities for women entrepreneurs 

x Reauthorization of restricted competition for WOSBs 

Organizations listing government procurement as a key 

issue include: 

x BPW/USA 

x NAWBO 

x NASE 

x NFIB 

x NSBA 

x SBE Council 

x USHCC 

x WE Inc. 

x WIPP 

Health Care: Affordable health care for employees is at or 

near the top of every business association’s list of issue 

priorities. Within that issue, Association Health Plans 

(AHP) are included on the list of legislative priorities for 

the majority of women’s and small business organizations. 

Except for the NSBA, all list the passage of legislation 

providing for AHPs as a top priority. The NSBA, while 

also concerned with the rising cost of health insurance, 

opposes AHPs on the grounds that it would circumvent 

existing state rules. Other health care issues cited by business organizations include: 

x Affordable health care and health-care insurance for 

small business owners and their employees 

x National insurance risk pools such as association 

health plans (AHPs) 

x Options for individuals who buy their own health insurance 

x Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) 

x Tax credits to small business employers who pay a 

portion of the cost of employee health insurance premiums or employee HSA contributions 

x Health insurance deductibility 

x Individual deductions of qualified long-term care insurance premiums 

x Tax equity for sole proprietors and S corporations 

with respect to deductions of the cost of health insurance from business income 

x Medical liability reform 

x IT revolution in the health care sector 

Organizations naming health care issues as a priority include: 

x BPW/USA 

x NASE 

x NAWBO 

x NFIB 

x NSBA 

x SBE Council 

x U.S. Chamber 

x USHCC 

x WE Inc. 

x WIPP 

NWBC Legislative Priorities Among Key Women’s and Small Business Organizations 2 
Legal and Regulatory Reform: Issues identified that 

relate to initiatives for legal reform and litigation management include: 

x Class-action reform 

x Tort reform 

x Asbestos litigation crisis 

x Small business liability limits 

x Legal environment in states and problem jurisdictions 

x Curbing frivolous lawsuits and financial damages limitations for lawsuits 

x Limiting damages in medical liability lawsuits 

x Strengthening the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) 

x Compliance with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (1996) and the Small Business 

Paperwork Relief Act (2002) 

x Product standards to protect sellers 

x Principles of sound science and quality data in regulations 

Organizations listing legal reform as a key initiative include: 

x NASE 

x NFIB 

x NSBA 

x SBE Council 

x U.S. Chamber 

x WE Inc. 

x WIPP 

Retirement and Pensions: In addition to issues involving 

the nation’s Social Security program, many organizations 

cite the need to take a closer look at the nation’s private 

and public pension systems and their impact on small 

businesses. The following are issues of concern: 

x Private pension plans in all forms 

x Continuation of the temporary 30-year Treasury rate 

replacement for calculating pension-plan contributions 

x Incentives to purchase retirement vehicles that offer a 

steady stream of income for life 

x Simplification of current pension system 

Organizations citing retirement and pension as priority 

initiatives include: 

x BPW/USA 

x NAWBO 

x NSBA 

x U.S. Chamber 

Social Security Reform: Almost all groups support Social 

Security reform. WIPP further supports representation by 

the WOSB community in discussions on Social Security 

reform. 

x BPW/USA 

x NASE 

x NAWBO 

x WE Inc. 

x SBE Council 

x U.S. Chamber 

x USHCC 

x WIPP 

Technology and Telecommunications: A commitment 

to scientific research and technological entrepreneurship— 

spurred by small businesses—is a priority for several business organizations. These priorities include: 

x Small business research and development 

x Research and experimentation tax credit 

x Overhaul of telecom regulations 

x SBA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, including mentoring opportunities for SBIR 

companies 

x Federal legislation that would close Internet-based 

markets and technology to small business (opposed) 

x Tax-free Internet 

x Solutions to allow the technology sector to flourish 

and innovate 

Organizations identifying technology and telecommunications as a priority include: 

x NASE 

x NAWBO 

x SBE Council 

x U.S. Chamber 

x WE Inc. 

x WIPP 

Other Issues: The following items do not fall into any of the above 

categories but were cited as a priority by one or more small business 

organizations: 

x Support and associated funding for the Workforce Investment Act 

x Reaffirming America’s preeminence in science, technology, and basic research 

x Continuation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise language in the final version of Transportation 

Equity Act–A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU) 

x Reauthorization of TEA-21 to increase investment in 

infrastructure 

x Commercial aviation issues 

x Promotion of travel and tourism 

NWBC Legislative Priorities Among Key Women’s and Small Business Organizations 3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x Giving business a voice in all homeland-security decisions 

x Renewal of the federal Terror Risk Insurance Act 

(TRIA) 

x Global initiative created to prevent intellectual property theft, counterfeiting and piracy 

x Workplace rules adjustment to meet the modern-day 

needs of workers and employers 

x Immigration issues 

x Reforming the Occupational Safety and Health Act 

that governs OSHA 

x Expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act 

(FMLA) 

x Superfund liability 

x ERA and the Violence Against Women Act 

x Energy policy; development of alternative energy 

sources 

Organization 

Health 

Care 

Tax 

Reform 

Gov’t 

Procurement Soc 

Sec 

Tech 

Telcom 

Legal & 

Regulatory 

Reform 

Pension 

Reform 

Global 

Mkts 

Access 

To 

Capital 

BPW/USA x x x x x 

NASE x x x x x x x 

NAWBO x x x x x x x 

NFIB x x x x 

NSBA x x x x x x 

SBE Council x x x x x x x x 

U.S. Chamber x x x x x x x 

USHCC x x x x x 

WE Inc. x x x x x x x x x 

WIPP x x x x x x 

Issues listed in descending order of priority (left to right) 

The National Women’s Business Council is a bi-partisan federal advisory body created to serve as an independent source of 

advice to the President, Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women 

business owners. 

The Council’s mission is to promote bold initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women’s business enterprises 

at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces—from start-up to success to significance. 

For more information about the Council, contact: National Women’s Business Council, 409 3rd Street, SW, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20024; phone 202-205-3850; fax: 202-205-6825; e-mail: info@nwbc.gov ; Web site: www.nwbc.gov. 

Organization Acronyms Used in this Brief 

Acronym Organization 

BPW/USA Business & Professional 

Women/USA 

NASE National Association for the Self 

Employed 

NAWBO National Association of Women 

Business Owners 

NFIB National Federation of Independent Business 

NSBA National Small Business Association 

Acronym Organization 

SBE Council Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council 

U.S. Chamber U.S. Chamber of Commerce 

USHCC U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 

WE Inc. Women Entrepreneurs Inc. 

WIPP Women Impacting Public Policy 

NWBC Legislative Priorities Among Key Women’s and Small Business Organizations 4