
NSBA | Search our Site
Results found for ""
- NEWS | NSBA Sends Letter to Congress Urging Action to Avoid a Shutdown
Shutdowns harm Small Business. NSBA is continuing to urge Congress to choose compromise for a spending plan ahead of expiration Dec. 20. 19 DEC. 2024, 2:15 PM ET | NSBA has sent a letter to the four corner leaders Members of Congress, including the Speaker, Ranking Member, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House and Senate, respectively, urging Congress to act to ensure the government remains funded after Dec. 20. Read the full letter urging action to avoid a shutdown here , as well as our press release on the failure of the first draft of the Continuing Resolution below. ___ PUBLISHED 19 DEC. 2024, 9:00 AM ET | Read the full release here . The National Small Business Association (NSBA) is calling on Congress to come back to the table to quickly pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) spending bill. After growing criticism over the course of the day yesterday—often based on misinformation—it became clear that the original bipartisan agreement did not have sufficient votes to succeed. This gives lawmakers just slightly over 24 hours to pass some kind of provision to avoid a government shutdown. Further complicating matters for America’s small business, this failure to pass legislation once again creates uncertainty and concern over compliance with the unconstitutional Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and Beneficial O wnership Information (BOI) reporting requirement. For years, NSBA has fought hard against the CTA and yesterday’s CR included much-needed language to delay by one year the requirement to file BOI reports. Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Government shutdowns are deeply damaging to the U.S. economy, spreading uncertainty and directly impacting countless small-business owners and their employees who are performing services or providing goods to the federal government with no payment coming in. While lawmakers will continue to get paid, America’s job creators are left holding the bag and trying to scramble to take care of their employees. “NSBA and the millions of small businesses it advocates for felt a huge wave of relief yesterday, only to have the carpet yanked from underneath us. From its inception, NSBA has warned against the CTA which could force well-intending small businesses to pay fines up to $591 per DAY and up to two years of jail time. And while our lawsuit and others following it have provided some relief, there is widespread confusion and frustration about the BOI reports, who must file them and when. “Instead of fixing this major problem—failure to move this spending agreement forward has only created more confusion and frustration. We need Congress to pass this bill, avoid a shutdown and delay the CTA.” Click here for NSBA’s CTA Resource page. Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. ###
- PRESS | NSBA Urges Congress to Avoid a Government Shutdown and Pass Spending Bill
Shutdowns harm Small Business. Full stop. NSBA urges Congress to choose compromise for a spending plan ahead of expiration Dec. 20. UPDATE 19 DEC. 2024, 2:15 PM ET | NSBA has sent a letter to the four corner leaders Members of Congress, including the Speaker, Ranking Member, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House and Senate, respectively, urging Congress to act to ensure the government remains funded after Dec. 20. Read the full letter urging action to avoid a shutdown here . ___ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 Contact: Molly Day 202-552-2904 mday@NSBAadvocate.org NSBA Urges Congress to Avoid a Government Shutdown and Pass Spending Bill Washington, D.C. – The National Small Business Association (NSBA) is calling on Congress to come back to the table to quickly pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) spending bill. After growing criticism over the course of the day yesterday—often based on misinformation—it became clear that the original bipartisan agreement did not have sufficient votes to succeed. This gives lawmakers just slightly over 24 hours to pass some kind of provision to avoid a government shutdown. Further complicating matters for America’s small business, this failure to pass legislation once again creates uncertainty and concern over compliance with the unconstitutional Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and Beneficial O wnership Information (BOI) reporting requirement. For years, NSBA has fought hard against the CTA and yesterday’s CR included much-needed language to delay by one year the requirement to file BOI reports. Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Government shutdowns are deeply damaging to the U.S. economy, spreading uncertainty and directly impacting countless small-business owners and their employees who are performing services or providing goods to the federal government with no payment coming in. While lawmakers will continue to get paid, America’s job creators are left holding the bag and trying to scramble to take care of their employees. “NSBA and the millions of small businesses it advocates for felt a huge wave of relief yesterday, only to have the carpet yanked from underneath us. From its inception, NSBA has warned against the CTA which could force well-intending small businesses to pay fines up to $591 per DAY and up to two years of jail time. And while our lawsuit and others following it have provided some relief, there is widespread confusion and frustration about the BOI reports, who must file them and when. “Instead of fixing this major problem—failure to move this spending agreement forward has only created more confusion and frustration. We need Congress to pass this bill, avoid a shutdown and delay the CTA.” Click here for NSBA’s CTA Resource page. Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. ###
- NEWS | NSBA Urges Congress to Support Small Business and Pass Spending Bill, CTA Delay
A CRITICAL VOTE FOR AMERICA'S SMALL BUSINESSES. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 Contact: Molly Day 202-552-2904 mday@NSBAadvocate.org UPDATE 18 DEC. 2024, 8:45 p.m. ET | Just in from Capitol Hill - House Majority Leader Steve Scalise tells reporters the stopgap funding measure released this week, including provisions for a one-year delay of the Corporate Transparency Act, is dead: “There is no new agreement right now, just, you know, obviously looking at a number of options." This is a developing matter. Follow NSBA as we continue tracking progress on federal funding and action over the CTA. Shutdowns harm Small Business, and NSBA implores Congress to choose compromise and bipartisan solutions to keep the government open. ____ Washington, D.C. – The National Small Business Association (NSBA) is calling on Congress to quickly pass the Continuing Resolution spending bill to fund the government through March 14, 2025. Not only does this bill avoid a costly and detrimental government shutdown, it also includes language to delay by one year the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and Beneficial O wnership Information (BOI) reporting requirement. For years, NSBA has fought hard against the CTA and America’s small businesses need Congress to pass this legislation. Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “From its inception, NSBA has warned against the CTA which could force well-intending small businesses to pay fines up to $591 per DAY and up to two years of jail time. And while our lawsuit and others following it have provided some relief, there is widespread confusion and frustration about the BOI reports, who must file them and when. “Furthermore, government shutdowns are deeply damaging to the U.S. economy, spreading uncertainty and directly impacting countless small-business owners and their employees who are performing services or providing goods to the federal government with no payment coming in. “This delay is a top priority for NSBA and the millions of small businesses we represent. The law is deeply flawed and unconstitutional – two U.S. District Court judges have affirmed this. If the CR and CTA delay isn’t approved, small-business owners across the country will be in limbo, not knowing how long the temporary injunction will last and fearful of the repercussions of not filing. However the repercussions of sharing this private, personal—and highly sought-after by hackers—information are much more significant.” “On behalf of our 65,000 members and the 31 million small-business owners in the U.S., I strongly urge Congress to pass this bill and delay the CTA.” Click here for NSBA’s CTA Resource page. Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. ###
- PRESS | NSBA Wins Year-Long CTA Delay
A MAJOR WIN FOR SMALL BUSINESS OVER THE CTA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 Contact: Molly Day 202-552-2904 mday@NSBAadvocate.org NSBA Wins Year-Long CTA Delay - A Major Win for Small Business Washington, D.C. – Earlier today, Congress unveiled a Continuing Resolution spending bill to fund the government through March 14, 2025, which includes language to delay by one year the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and Beneficial O wnership Information (BOI) reporting. For years, NSBA has fought hard both by filing the first national lawsuit over the CTA as well as on Capitol Hill to delay this onerous bill from harming millions of small businesses across the country. Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “NSBA has been leading the charge against the CTA for years. There is widespread confusion and massive concern among America’s smallest businesses about the BOI reports, and by including this delay it provides much-needed predictability for small businesses. “While this provision is only a one-year delay, I would like to personally thank Speaker Johnson (R-La.), and Reps. Emmer (R-Minn.), Nunn (R-Iowa), Hill (R-Ark.) and McHenry (R-N.C.) for their leadership in getting this provision included in the overall spending package. NSBA will continue to fight against this law through our lawsuit, the first one filed in the nation which is now awaiting judgement from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. “This delay is a perfectly timed holiday gift to the millions of small-business owners across the country who were facing a wildly complex regulatory regime, and fines that could exceed $591 per DAY and up to two years of jail time. “On behalf of our 65,000 members and the 31 million small-business owners in the U.S., I applaud Congress for recognizing the massive burden the CTA truly is.” Click here for NSBA’s CTA Resource page. Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. ###
- NSBA PARTNER | Export Tools and Opportunities in Your State from EXIM
Export resources and insights from NSBA's corporate Partner Ex-Im Bank. In 2023, U.S. exports of goods and services topped $3 trillion , according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Discover how businesses like yours can leverage international markets for growth. Unlock key insights on top export destinations and strategic industries from your state. Download the guide today and take the first step towards maximizing your export potential. RELATED | NSBA Resources and Tools for your Small Business
- NEWS | NSBA Wins Year-Long CTA Delay in CR - A Major Win for Small Business
The short-term spending bill CR includes NSBA-championed language to delay the CTA for one year for existing companies . On Tuesday, House leadership released the 1,547-page Continuing Resolution (CR) that is intended to fund the government until March 14, 2025 — the culmination of weeks of negotiation between House Republican and Democratic leadership. Included in that bill is language to delay by one year the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and Beneficial O wnership Information (BOI) reporting requirement. For years, NSBA has fought hard both by filing the first national lawsuit over the CTA as well as on Capitol Hill to delay this onerous bill from harming millions of small businesses across the country. The one-year delay of BOI filing requirements is just for entities that existed prior to January 1, 2024. The new filing deadline for those companies will be January 1, 2026. All newly-formed entities still must file BOI information with FinCEN within 90 days of receiving actual or public notice that their company’s creation or registration is effective. This Congressional “Hail Mary” will give small businesses some certainty for the next year while NSBA’s court case—the first one filed in the country—makes its way through the court system Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “NSBA has been leading the charge against the CTA for years. There is widespread confusion and massive concern among America’s smallest businesses about the BOI reports, and by including this delay it provides much-needed predictability for small businesses. “While this provision is only a one-year delay, I would like to personally thank Speaker Johnson (R-La.), and Reps. Emmer (R-Minn.), Nunn (R-Iowa), Hill (R-Ariz.) and McHenry (R-N.C.) for their leadership in in getting this provision included in the overall spending package. NSBA will continue to fight against this law through our lawsuit, the first one filed in the nation which is now awaiting judgement from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. “On behalf of our 65,000 members and the 31 million small-business owners in the U.S., I applaud Congress for recognizing the massive burden the CTA truly is.” Click here for NSBA’s CTA Resource page.
- AI Sales Reps by Jeeva.ai: Your Shortcut to 3x Growth
Transform your sales with the game-changing AI Reps from NSBA's newest partner for Small Business, Jeeva.ai . In this AI-driven world, where everyone is leveraging artificial intelligence to their advantage, are you keeping up with the pace? Well, imagine you are selling a service and you need active leads for your business. However, you don’t have the proper technology to track, filter, and fix meetings. Your sales team handles everything manually, from lead tracking to cold emails and follow-ups, making the process inefficient and time-consuming. What if we told you that you can automate all these repetitive tasks with AI save more than half of the time and build an efficient sales process? At Jeeva.ai , we believe that “Anything that doesn’t require deep human connection can be automated & done better, faster & cheaper with AI”. Let’s dive deeper into how our AI Sales Rep can revolutionize your business and unlock 3x more pipelines at just 10% of the cost. Meet Our AI Sales Reps Jim: Your AI Outbound Sales Rep Jim is your go-to AI for outbound sales automation. Equipped to optimize your outreach, Jim ensures your message reaches the right people at the right time. He connects with prospects, drives engagement, and helps you close deals faster with minimal effort. Gigi: Your AI Inbound Sales Rep Gigi is an expert in capturing and converting inbound leads. From website forms to inquiries, Gigi ensures no lead goes unnoticed when they land on your website & nurtures them with personalized interactions to increase conversion rates. Allie: Your AI Chat Sales Rep Allie supercharges your website with dynamic chat features. She can engage with visitors, answer questions in real-time, and easily book meetings, turning casual browsers into loyal customers. Grant: Your AI LinkedIn Sales Rep Grant helps you dominate LinkedIn by connecting with prospects, nurturing professional relationships, and expanding your network. With Grant by your side, LinkedIn becomes more than just a platform - a lead-generation powerhouse. June: Your AI Phone Assistant June transforms your calling process with initial outreach, follow-ups, appointment scheduling, and even handling customer inquiries. June is the perfect assistant for managing every stage of your sales calls with precision and speed. Reid: Your AI RevOps Manager Reid is your secret weapon for revenue operations. By identifying ideal customers and companies, enriching data, and optimizing outreach strategies, Reid ensures your sales efforts are laser-focused and yield maximum ROI. Ryan: Your AI Content Marketer Ryan crafts SEO-optimized content that resonates with your brand’s identity and strengthens audience connections. Whether it’s blogs, articles, or email campaigns, Ryan delivers engaging content tailored to your goals. Riley: Your AI Ads Manager Riley takes the guesswork out of digital advertising. With expertise in ad targeting, campaign management, and spend optimization, Riley ensures every penny of your ad budget delivers measurable results. Jason: Your AI SM Manager Jason curates, manages, and analyzes your social media presence. From creating compelling posts to tracking engagement metrics, Jason keeps your brand active and visible across all platforms. Why Choose Jeeva.ai ’s AI Sales Reps? With Jeeva.ai ’s AI-powered team, you gain more than just efficiency— your sales and marketing team can focus on important tasks while the AI Sales Reps can handle the rest for you. Each AI Sales Rep is a master in their domain, working around the clock to help your business grow faster and smarter. Ready to transform your sales game? Book A Demo Today
- REGULATORY RUNDOWN | Dec. 16
Stay two steps ahead with your small business. Subscribe to receive NSBA’s Real-Time Regulatory Updates. Register here! Regulatory Rundown: Dec. 2 - 16 Trump taps former GA senator Loeffler to head SBA, Commissioner Ferguson to head FTC. On Dec. 4, President-elect Trump announced he has chosen former U.S. Senator from Georgia Kelly Loeffler to head the Small Business Administration (SBA). In a statement, Trump said that “Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape, and unleash opportunity for our Small Businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive.” Following the Loeffler announcement, on Dec. 10, Trump announced his pick of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Andrew Ferguson to head the FTC, replacing current chair Lina Khan. In a statement following the announcement, Ferguson pledged an end to “Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech” and previewed a cautious approach to artificial intelligence regulation. Read more here . ____ Guzman hosts 1st SBA AI Small Business Summit, launches AI for Small Businesses Resource Hub. On Dec. 10, SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman hosted the inaugural SBA AI Small Business Summit, where she highlighted the launch of SBA’s AI for Small Businesses Resource Hub . The resource hub will be “a space for small business owners to learn about AI and AI innovators to learn about the resources available to them at SBA and across the federal government.” ____ USTR announces tariff increases for imports from China of certain clean-tech materials. On Dec. 11, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced tariff increases for imports from China of certain tungsten products, wafers, and polysilicon. The rates for solar wafers and polysilicon will increase to 50 percent, and the rates for certain tungsten products will increase to 25 percent, all of which will take effect on Jan. 1. The increases are part of the statutory review of the tariff actions in the Section 301 investigation of the People’s Republican of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. ____ 1st agreement under U.S.-Taiwan trade initiative enters into force. On Dec. 10, the first agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade went into force . Among the pillars of the initiative were customs administration and trade facilitation, as well as encouraging small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) trade and investment between the U.S. and Taiwan. ____ DOL awards over $99M to provide training, employment services. On Dec. 12, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced $99.3 million in grants to 71 organizations in 31 states “to provide training and employment services in its continuing effort to expand access to Registered Apprenticeships, prepare young workers for quality jobs and equip them with industry skills.” The grants, awarded under the YouthBuild Program , “will support pre-apprenticeships to educate and train young people from 16 to 24 and neither enrolled in school or now in the labor market for construction jobs and employment in other high-demand industries.” ____ DOL-OSHA finalizes rule on PPE standard for construction . On Dec. 11, DOL’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it has finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment (PPE) standard for construction.” The final rule “explicitly requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it.” ____ DOL proposes rule to phase out certificates allowing sub-minimum wage payments to disabled workers . On Dec. 3, DOL announced a proposed rule to phase out the issuance of certificates allowing employers to pay some workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. The rule “proposes to gradually eliminate certificates employers can apply for under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act ” that authorize them to pay certain workers with disabilities subminimum wages, proposing to discontinue the issuance of new certificates and establish a three-year phase-out period for employers with existing certificates once a final rule takes effect. ____ NLRB restores “clear and unmistakable” waiver standard . On Dec. 10, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) restored the “‘clear and unmistakable’ waiver standard for evaluating employers’ contractual defenses to allegations that they have unlawfully changed the working conditions of union-represented employees without first giving the union notice and an opportunity to bargain.” According to the NLRB, the return to the standard “better accomplishes” the National Labor Relation’s Act’s goal of promoting “industrial peace by ‘encouraging the practice and procedure of collective bargaining.’” ____ FTC takes action against contractor no-hire agreement. On Dec. 4, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ordered a building services contractor to stop enforcing a no-hire agreement. The FTC-filed complaint against the contractor, Guardian Services Industries, Inc., alleges that Guardian “includes no-hire agreements in its customer service agreements with residential building owners,” thus prohibiting building owners and competing contractors from hiring Guardian’s employees. ____ DoD announces new programs to enhance innovation, awards small businesses under pilot program. On Dec. 11 and 12, respectively, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced the formation of a new AI Rapid Capabilities Cell and the launch of SciTechConnect , a new platform aimed at enhancing collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology. Through SciTech Connect, DoD “hopes to accelerate collaboration with the department and position new contributors for success in addressing national security challenges.” The announcements coincided with DoD’s selection of “five small, non-traditional businesses” for funding to allow them “to move mature warfighting technologies into production” as part of the department’s “Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies” (APFIT) pilot program.
- NEWS | NSBA Lame Duck Outlook
Outlook and expectations for the Lame Duck session of Congress may not be big for many, but NSBA is keeping small business front and center through 2024 and beyond. Before departure for the final recess of the 118th Session of Congress in 2024, NSBA expects Congress to tackle some of the most pressing issues remaining on the docket. Chief among these, NSBA expects to see congressional floor action on both the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend government funding through next year. Among the terms of these must-pass legislative items, NSBA hoped to see inclusion of a provision delaying implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) as a part of the NDAA. RELATED | NSBA Urges Congressional Action to Delay, Fully Repeal Unconstitutional CTA This is because the original CTA bill was passed as a part of a previous NDAA; however, a draft provision originally included in introductory text to delay the CTA was stripped from the bill over the weekend. While Congress continues to delay action on the CTA, last week, a federal court issued a nationwide injunction over CTA filing requirements. Alongside this major victory for small business, NSBA and our advocates in Washington continue the fight for a full repeal or statutorily enacted delay of the CTA before the end of the year. RELATED | NSBA Advocacy Leads Nationwide Injunction over CTA Filing Requirements Most immediately, NSBA is focused on the CR as a potential vehicle to include CTA legislative provisions and action against this unconstitutional law. The end-of-year CR has yet to be released, and there are still ongoing negotiations about the details, as well as the length of the measure. Additionally, Republicans are reportedly locked in a battle over whether to extend funding at current levels until the end of the fiscal year in September, or to move the deadline just to March. This would allow the incoming Republican majority across the House, Senate, and White House to set spending priorities early. Hardline conservatives would like to set an earlier expiration date because they view current spending levels as having been set largely by Democrats; others in the Conference would prefer a later expiration, allowing the new Congress to immediately take up President-elect Trump’s agenda in the first 100 days of his new term unencumbered by a spending fight. Follow NSBA as we continue tracking progress of these must-pass legislative items from Capitol Hill and continue urging Congress to keep small business front and center in these conversations and considerations.
- NEWS | Court Approves Nationwide Injunction Against CTA
A major win for Small Business over the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) this week. UPDATE | Review FinCEN's updated Frequently Asked Questions on the current injunction over the CTA here . While the ruling rendered the filing requirements to voluntary submissions, this is a developing matter. Follow NSBA as we continue closely tracking updates on the CTA. In a major win for NSBA members and small-business owners across the country, the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas imposed a temporary injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) on Dec. 03. This ruling nullifies the Jan. 1, 2025, deadline for small businesses to file their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reports to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) – for now. While this is temporary, things are constantly changing. What it means as of Dec. 4, 2024, is that ALL small businesses do NOT have to file their BOI reports by Jan. 1, 2025. As background, NSBA filed its lawsuit back in November 2022, the first suit to be filed over the CTA. Since we made arguments in late-2023, several other lawsuits have popped up that mirror our suit and arguments. One such suit was the one filed in Texas, which was decided on the same exact merits as the NSBA lawsuit—that the CTA is unconstitutional. The key difference being that the District Judge in the NSBA case was not willing to extend a nationwide injunction, whereas the Texas District Judge did. RELATED | NSBA: Fighting the CTA for Small Business since 2022 NSBA is taking this injunction as a win—with the major caveat that things may change. Very likely the government will file for an emergency stay of the injunction issued on Dec. 3, which will be heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Should anything change, we will immediately notify members and the small-business community. Furthermore, NSBA’s suit is still awaiting a ruling from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Where this leaves the NSBA case—as well as the other mirroring lawsuits—is that the Supreme Court will very likely get involved given the differing rulings from various courts across the country. While today is a good day for small business, unfortunately, there is no more clarity or predictability when it comes to the outcome of filing BOI reports. The uncertainty over the rule and when and/or if small businesses will ultimately have to comply is deeply concerning, especially given potential fines of up to $591 per DAY and up to two years of jail time. NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken shared the following on the CTA: “NSBA has been leading the charge against the CTA for years, so, for today, we will take a minute to recognize the leading role we have played and applaud the temporary injunction. However, there still exists confusion and massive concern about the BOI reports, and it is our hope that Congress will intervene and provide America’s smallest businesses with some clarity by passing legislation to delay the CTA for at least one year. “NSBA will continue to fight, both through our lawsuit and working with the bipartisan group of lawmakers working to delay the CTA. The various lawsuits working their way through the courts are a critical step in preventing a bad law from going into effect, however Congress has the power TODAY to right this wrong by passing legislation to delay and ultimately repeal the CTA. “No small-business owner should be spending time during the holidays worrying about a simple mistake landing them in jail—this injunction is a major win, but the battle continues.” NSBA is cautioning NSBA members and nonmembers alike that things are continually changing when it comes to the BOI reporting. We will continue to update everyone in the NSBA orbit – be sure you’re following us on social and subscribe to our Weekly Advocate newsletter. Please take a few moments TODAY to complete the NSBA Action Alert on the CTA to urge Congress to act to repeal or delay the CTA – it will take less than two minutes to send this letter your Members of Congress, and they need to hear from you.
- NEWS | NSBA Cited in DOL Report on Small Business, Disability
NSBA has played a critical role in providing the Department of Labor with information on how small businesses address disability inclusion in smaller workplaces. Earlier this year, the DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) hosted a series of dialogues to explore the goal of advancing disability inclusion in the smallest businesses. Done in partnership with ePolicyWorks, an online dialogue hosting venue, DOL, NSBA and a handful of other small-business groups discussed ways small businesses with fewer than 50 employees could hire and retain workers with disabilities, as well as disabled business owners and entrepreneurs. The new report highlights the themes discussed throughout the dialogue and summarizes metrics DOL and small businesses can use to determine progress and success. Among the key takeaways: Broadening and increasing support for small business owners in compliance with disability regulations. Creating grant programs specifically for disabled entrepreneurs. Establishing state-level entrepreneur centers and incubators. Improving support for disabled entrepreneurs, particularly on legal structure, financing, and business plans. Increasing and improving access to certifications, particularly from SBA. Providing financial assistance to cover initial hiring and onboarding costs such as training, workplace accommodations, insurance, and other associated expenses. Simplifying and expanding tax credits and access to support for disabled workers in the gig economy. RELATED | NEWS | NSBA Joins EPW for Fireside Chat on Disability, Inclusion in the Workplace As America’s oldest and only nonpartisan small-business advocate, NSBA is privileged to take part in conversations dedicated to ensuring opportunity and inclusion for our entire community. Read the full report here .
- NEWS | Small Business Prove It Act Passes House
This week, the House passed the Prove It Act - legislation to protect Small Business from unchecked, imbalanced rules and regulations. This week, the House passed the Prove It Act ( H.R. 7198 ) – an NSBA-endorsed bill that creates a process to review federal regulations and their effects on small businesses. The legislation passed largely along party lines by a vote of 208 to 196. RELATED | NSBA Supports the Prove It Act for Small Business Benefits H.R. 7198 is a bill that allows small businesses and their representative organizations, including groups like NSBA, to petition the Small Business Administration to examine whether a federal regulation would have significant economic effects on a large number of small businesses under H.R. 7198. The bill would also allow the SBA’s Advocacy Office to throw out rules if the issuing agency does not reevaluate them at least once a decade. The legislation further requires the SBA’s Advocacy Office overturn rules if an agency fails to evaluate them or attend required meetings. Supporters argue it ensures agencies fully consider regulations’ economic effects on small businesses, while critics say it could create an unworkable review process. Despite passage in the House, the bill, backed by small-business groups, including NSBA, still faces opposition from those concerned about delaying vital regulations for public health and safety. The House Judiciary Committee approved the measure by a 17-10 vote on March 21, and the House Small Business panel approved the measure by a 13-11 vote on Sept. 10. Follow NSBA as we continue tracking this legislation and its impacts on small business.