Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002
PL 107-198 (H.R.327), enacted 06/28/2002

PUBLIC LAW 107-198-^UNE 28, 2002 
116 STAT. 729 
Public Law 107-198 
107th Congress 
An Act 
June 28, 2002 
[H.R. 327] 
Small Business 
Paperwork Relief 
Act of 2002. 
44 u s e 101 note. 
To amend chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, for the purpose of facilitating 
compliance by small business concerns with certain Federal paperwork require-
ments, to establish a task force to examine information collection and dissemina-
tion, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Small Business Paperwork Relief 
Act of 2002". 
SEC. 2. FACILITATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL PAPERWORK 
REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE DIRECTOR OF O M B . — 
Section 3504(c) of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred 
to as the "Paperwork Reduction Act"), is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking "; and" and inserting 
a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period and inserting 
a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
"(6) publish in the Federal Register and make available 
on the Internet (in consultation with the Small Business 
Administration) on an annual basis a list of the compliance 
assistance resources available to small businesses, with the 
first such publication occurring not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of the Small Business Paperwork Relief 
Act of 2002.". 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF AGENCY POINT OF CONTACT.—Section 
3506 of title 44, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
"(i)(l) In addition to the requirements described in subsection 
(c), each agency shall, with respect to the collection of information 
and the control of paperwork, establish 1 point of contact in the 
agency to act as a liaison between the agency and small business 
concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632)). 
"(2) Each point of contact described under paragraph (1) shall Deadline, 
be established not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002.". 
(c) ADDITIONAL REDUCTION OF PAPERWORK FOR CERTAIN SMALL 
BUSINESSES.—Section 3506(c) of title 44, United States Code, is 
amended— 
Federal Register, 
publication. 
Internet. 
Deadline. 
116 STAT. 730 
PUBLIC LAW 107-198—JUNE 28, 2002 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking "; and" and inserting 
a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (3)(J), by striking the period and inserting 
"; and"; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
"(4) in addition to the requirements of this chapter 
regarding the reduction of information collection burdens for 
small business concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)), make efforts to further reduce 
the information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees.". 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE ON DEFORMATION COLLEC-
TION AND DISSEMINATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 3520 as section 3521; and 
(2) by inserting after section 3519 the following: 
*'§ 3520. Establishment of task force on information collection 
and dissemination 
"(a) There is established a task force to study the feasibility 
of streamlining requirements with respect to small business con-
cerns regarding collection of information and strengthening dissemi-
nation of information (in this section referred to as the 'task force'). 
"(b)(1) The Director shall determine— 
"(A) subject to the minimum requirements under paragraph 
(2), the number of representatives to be designated under each 
subparagraph of that paragraph; and 
"(B) the agencies to be represented under paragraph (2)(K). 
"(2) After all determinations are made under paragraph (1), 
the members of the task force shall be designated by the head 
of each applicable department or agency, and include— 
"(A) 1 representative of the Director, who shall convene 
and chair the task force; 
"(B) not less than 2 representatives of the Department 
of Labor, including 1 representative of the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics and 1 representative of the Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration; 
"(C) not less than 1 representative of the Environmental 
Protection Agency; 
"(D) not less than 1 representative of the Department of 
Transportation; 
"(E) not less than 1 representative of the Office of Advocacy 
of the Small Business Administration; 
"(F) not less than 1 representative of the Internal Revenue 
Service; 
"(G) not less than 2 representatives of the Department 
of Health and Human Services, including 1 representative of 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; 
"(H) not less than 1 representative of the Department 
of Agriculture; 
"(I) not less than 1 representative of the Department of 
the Interior; 
"(J) not less than 1 representative of the General Services 
Administration; and 
PUBLIC LAW 1 0 7 - 1 9 8 - ^ U N E 28, 2002 
116 STAT. 731 
"(K) not less than 1 representative of each of 2 agencies 
not represented by representatives described under subpara-
graphs (A) through (J). 
"(c) The task force shall— 
"(1) identify ways to integrate the collection of information 
across Federal agencies and programs and examine the feasi-
bility and desirability of requiring each agency to consolidate 
requirements regarding collections of information with respect 
to small business concerns within and across agencies, without 
negatively impacting the effectiveness of underlying laws and 
regulations regarding such collections of information, in order 
that each small business concern may submit all information 
required by the agency— 
"(A) to 1 point of contact in the agency; 
"(B) in a single format, such as a single electronic 
reporting system, with respect to the agency; and 
"(C) with synchronized 
reporting for 
information 
submissions having the same frequency, such as syn-
chronized quarterly, semiannual, and annual reporting 
dates; 
"(2) examine the feasibility and benefits to small businesses 
of publishing a list by the Director of the collections of informa-
tion applicable to small business concerns (as defined in section 
3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)), organized— 
"(A) by North American Industry Classification System 
code; 
"(B) by industrial sector description; or 
"(C) in another manner by which small business con-
cerns can more easily identify requirements with which 
those small business concerns are expected to comply; 
"(3) examine the savings, including cost savings, and 
develop recommendations for implementing— 
"(A) systems for electronic submissions of information 
to the Federal Government; and 
"(B) interactive reporting systems, including compo-
nents that provide immediate feedback to assure that data 
being submitted— 
"(i) meet requirements of format; and 
"(ii) are within the range of acceptable options 
for each data field; 
"(4) make recommendations to improve the electronic 
dissemination of information collected under Federal require-
ments; 
"(5) recommend a plan for the development of an interactive 
Govemmentwide system, available through the Internet, to 
allow each small business to— 
"(A) better understand which Federal requirements 
regarding collection of information (and, when possible, 
which other Federal regulatory requirements) apply to that 
particular business; and 
"(B) more easily comply with those Federal require-
ments; and 
"(6) in carr5dng out this section, consider opportunities 
for the coordination— 
"(A) of Federal and State reporting requirements; and 
"(B) among the points of contact described under sec-
tion 3506(i), such as to enable agencies to provide small 
116 STAT. 732 
PUBLIC LAW 107-198—JUNE 28, 2002 
Federal Register, 
publication. 
Notice. 
Deadline. 
Reports. 
Deadline. 
Reports. 
Termination 
date. 
business concerns with contacts for information collection 
requirements for other agencies. 
"(d) The task force shall— 
"(1) by publication in the Federal Register, provide notice 
and an opportunity for public comment on each report in draft 
form; and 
"(2) make provision in each report for the inclusion of— 
"(A) any additional or dissenting views of task force 
members; and 
"(B) a summary of significant public comments. 
"(e) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the task force shall 
submit a report of its findings under subsection (c) (1), (2), and 
(3)to— 
"(1) the Director; 
"(2) the chairpersons and ranking minority members of— 
"(A) the Committee on Governmental Affairs and the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 
the Senate; and 
"(B) the Committee on Government Reform and the 
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
"(3) the Small Business and Agriculture 
Regulatory 
Enforcement Ombudsman designated under section 30(b) of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657(b)). 
"(f) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the task force 
shall submit a report of its findings under subsection (c) (4) and 
(5)to— 
"(1) the Director; 
"(2) the chairpersons and ranking minority members of— 
"(A) the Committee on Governmental Affairs and the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 
the Senate; and 
"(B) the Committee on Government Reform and the 
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
"(3) the Small Business and Agriculture 
Regulatory 
Enforcement Ombudsman designated under section 30(b) of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657(b)). 
"(g) The task force shall terminate after completion of its work. 
"(h) In this section, the term 'small business concern' has the 
meaning given under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632).". 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—^The table of 
sections for chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, is amended 
by striking the item relating to section 3520 smd inserting the 
following: 
Deadlines. 
5 u s e 601 note. 
"3520. Establishment of task force on information collection and dissemination. 
"3521. Authorization of appropriations.". 
SEC. 
4
. 
REGULATORY 
ENFORCEMENT 
REPORTS. 
(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term "agency" has the 
meaning given that term imder section 551 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
(b) IN GENERAL.— 
PUBLIC LAW 107-198-^UNE 28, 2002 
116 STAT. 733 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 2003, 
each agency shall submit an initial report to— 
(A) the chairpersons and ranking minority members 
of— 
(i) the Committee on Governmental Affairs and 
the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneur-
ship of the Senate; and 
(ii) the Committee on Government Reform and 
the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives; and 
(B) the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory 
Enforcement Ombudsman designated under section 30(b) 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657(b)). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 2004, 
each agency shall submit a final report to the members and 
officer described under paragraph (1) (A) and (B). 
(3) CONTENT.—The initial report under paragraph (1) shall 
include information with respect to the 1-year period beginning 
on October 1, 2002, and the final report under paragraph 
(2) shall include information with respect to the 1-year period 
beginning on October 1, 2003, on each of the following: 
(A) The number of enforcement actions in which a 
civil penalty is assessed. 
(B) The number of enforcement actions in which a 
civil penalty is assessed against a small entity. 
(C) The number of enforcement actions described under 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) in which the civil penalty is 
reduced or waived. 
(D) The total monetary amount of the reductions or 
waivers referred to under subparagraph (C). 
(4) DEFINITIONS IN REPORTS.—Each report under this sub-
section shall include definitions selected at the discretion of 
the reporting agency of the terms "enforcement actions", "reduc-
tion or waiver", and "small entity" as used in the report. 
Approved June 28, 2002. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 327 (S. 1271): 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 107-153 accompanying S. 1271 (Comm. on Governmental 
Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 147 (2001): Mar. 14, considered and passed House. 
VoL 148 (2002): May 22, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
June 18, House concurred in Senate amendments. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 38 (2002): 
June 28, Presidential statement.