H. Res. 22
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
April 27, 2005.
Whereas more than 90 percent of all American employers are
small businesses;
Whereas small businesses generate approximately 70 percent
of the new jobs created in the United States each year;
Whereas small businesses are crucial to the American econ-
omy and account for a significant majority of new prod-
uct ideas and innovations;
Whereas small businesses, together with innovation and en-
trepreneurship, are central to the American dream of
self-improvement and individual achievement;
Whereas 60 percent of the 45,000,000 Americans without
health insurance are small business employees and their
families;
Whereas most small businesses do not provide health insur-
ance to their employees, primarily because of the surging
cost;
Whereas the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is exceedingly
complex, making it difficult for small businesses to un-
derstand it and comply with its requirements;
Whereas the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 discriminates, in
many instances, against small businesses and self-em-
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ployed persons by limiting the availability of certain tax
incentives to larger firms or corporations;
Whereas the death tax causes one-third of all family-owned
small businesses to liquidate after the death of the owner;
Whereas frivolous lawsuits and the rising costs of liability in-
surance represent serious threats to small business own-
ers;
Whereas burdensome regulations and paperwork cost small
businesses more than $5,500 per employee;
Whereas adequate, affordable, and reliable energy supplies
are essential to the success of small businesses, especially
small manufacturers;
Whereas lack of access to capital and credit stifles new busi-
ness growth and economic opportunity;
Whereas both unsound contract bundling or consolidation and
the failure of various Federal agencies to closely monitor
the small business goals and subcontracting plans of
large businesses have dried up many procurement oppor-
tunities for small businesses; and
Whereas Congress can help small businesses grow by estab-
lishing a climate to encourage small businesses to create
jobs and offer more affordable health insurance to em-
ployees: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Represent-
atives that American small businesses are entitled to the fol-
lowing Small Business Bill of Rights:
(1) The right to join together to purchase afford-
able health insurance for small business employees, who
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make up a large portion of the millions of Americans
without health care coverage.
(2) The right to simplified tax laws that allow fam-
ily-owned small businesses to survive over several gen-
erations and offer them incentives to grow.
(3) The right to be free from frivolous lawsuits
which harm law-abiding small businesses and prevent
them from creating new jobs.
(4) The right to be free of unnecessary, restrictive
regulations and paperwork which waste the time and en-
ergy of small businesses while hurting production and
preventing job creation.
(5) The right to relief from high energy costs, which
pose a real threat to the survival of small businesses, to
be accomplished by reducing the Nation’s reliance on im-
ported sources of energy and encouraging environ-
mentally-sound domestic production and conservation of
energy.
(6) The right to equal treatment, as compared to
large businesses, when seeking access to start-up and ex-
pansion capital and credit.
(7) The right to open access to the Government
procurement marketplace through the breaking up of
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large contracts to give small business owners a fair op-
portunity to compete for Federal contracts.
Attest:
Clerk.