Policy News - February 26, 2020 - Association for Enterprise Opportunity

The Small Business Administration recently announced the launch of its 17-state SBIR Road Tour. The Road Tour will stop at cities in the Southeast, Midwest, Rockies and the Central South. It will connect entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to one of the country’s largest source of early stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

On the labor front, the National Labor Relations Board is expected to issue its final rule on governing joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act. The final rule restores the joint-employer standard providing clearer guidance in the law.

In other news, the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) have announced an extension to the comment period for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on “Community Reinvestment Act Regulations.” The new deadline to submit comments is April 8th, 2020.

On February 25, the House convened for legislative business on H.R. 561, the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2019, a bill to improve the oversight of contracts awarded by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans, and four other bills.

Floor Proceedings

House: In Session

The House will convene for legislative business on H.R. 561 the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2019 and four other bills.

Senate: In Session

Committee Proceedings

House Committee on Education and Labor

Today, the Committee held a hearing titled, “Asleep at the Switch: How the Department of Labor Failed to Oversee the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.”
On tomorrow, the Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act: Strengthening and Growing Apprenticeships for the 21st century.”

House Committee on Small Business

Today, the Committee held a hearing titled, “A Discussion with SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza: Current Issues and the FY2021 Budget.”
On tomorrow, the Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Moving America’s Infrastructure Forward.”
On March 3rd, the Committee will hold a hearing titled, “South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc.: Online Sales Taxes and their Impact on Main Street”

House Committee on Financial Services

On March 4th, the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance will hold a hearing titled, “Drivers of Discrimination: An Examination of Unfair Premiums, Practices, and Policies in the Auto Insurance Industry.”
On March 6th, the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions will hold a field-hearing titled, “Modern-Day Redlining: the Burden on Underbanked and Excluded Communities in New York.”
On March 10th, the full Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Holding Wells Fargo Accountable: CEO Perspectives on Next Steps for the Bank that Broke America’s Trust.”
On March 24th, the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy will hold a hearing titled, “A Review of Domestic and International Approaches to Digital Currencies.”
On March 25th, the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets will hold a hearing titled, “The End of LIBOR: Transitioning to an Alternative Interest Rate Calculation for Mortgages, Student Loans, Derivatives, and Other Financial Products.”