This report tells us that although there is a great deal of work yet to be done, Peter Barca, the National Ombudsman, and the 10 Regional Regulatory Fairness Boards have laid a strong foundation. I believe this effort will make a huge contribution to making government work more effectively for America's 22 million small businesses and their employees. In September 1996, the SBA named 50 small business owners from across the country to membership on 10 regional boards. Mr. Barca, SBA's Midwest Regional Administrator, was selected as the National Ombudsman. The regional boards review comments and concerns of small businesses about enforcement actions, and work closely with the Ombudsman.
Agencies disregard the economic consequences of their actions on small businesses.
Small business often are ensnared in conflicting regulatory requirements when the jurisdiction's of two or more agencies overlap. Small businesses fear agency retaliation if they complain about their encounters with the regulatory enforcement process. The report includes nine key policy recommendations for improving the fairness of the regulatory process. Agencies should develop an expedited review process in circumstances in which agency actions may have a severely negative impact on a small business' survival. Also, agencies should set time limits on how long they may take to review cases.