REGULATORY RUNDOWN | July 07 - 21

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The Regulatory Rundown: July 7-21

SBA, DOL sign MOU to support U.S. manufacturing. On July 16, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Labor (DOL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to support American manufacturing. The MOU will enhance collaboration and data-sharing across key programs and seeks “to cultivate a pipeline of skilled workers while also promoting capital and contracting opportunities for domestic producers,” with 98% of whom being small businesses.

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SBA updates DoD small business procurement scorecard. On July 14, SBA released an updated scorecard for Department of Defense (DoD) small business procurement reflecting that DoD “expanded the footprint of small business participation in the Defense Industrial Base in FY 2024.” DoD cited an increase of $49.9 billion in contract awards to small businesses, garnering an “A” rating overall for SBA’s FY24 agency small business scorecard.

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Advocacy submits comments on HHS deregulatory RFI. On July 14, SBA’s Office of Advocacy submitted comments on the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Request for Information (RFI) on its deregulatory efforts. The letter outlines concerns with the small business impact of certain rules within the jurisdiction of HHS’s subagencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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DOL, DOE announce workforce development partnership. On July 15, the departments of Labor (DOL) and Education (DOE) announced the implementation of a workforce development partnership “to create an integrated federal education and workforce system.” DOE signed an Interagency Agreement, under which the workforce development partnership was created, with DOL on May 21.

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DOL updates OSHA enforcement guidance. On July 14, DOL announced it had updated its guidance on penalty and debt collection procedures in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Field Operations Manual for purposes of minimizing the burden on small businesses.

The new policy increases penalty reductions for small employers, “making it easier for small businesses to invest resources in compliance and hazard abatement.” More information is available here.

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