Policy News – September 14, 2023

The House Committee on Small Business held a hearing titled Enabling Success: Examining the Competitive Landscape for Small Businesses on Wednesday 9/13.

Bills of Interest

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5) introduced a bill to promote price transparency in the health care sector.

Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS-3) introduced a bill to amend the Small Business Act to improve the women’s business center program.

Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5) introduced a bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to repeal the separate minimum wage for tipped employees.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME-2) introduced a bill to amend the Small Business Act to make improvements to the Small Business Development Center Program.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced a bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers to disclose to the Securities and Exchange Commission information regarding workforce management policies, practices, and performance.

 

In The States

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) summoned state lawmakers on Monday for a special session addressing issues like tax cuts. The proposed tax cuts aim to reduce personal income tax rates to 4.4% and corporate income tax rates to 4.8%, while also providing one-time tax relief of up to $150 to taxpayers earning less than $90,000.

A new bill in the California State Assembly proposes raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour next year, affecting approximately 500,000 employees in the state. The bill, which has garnered support from both labor unions and the fast-food industry, aims to resolve ongoing wage and working condition disputes.

 

At the Agencies

The U.S. Small Business Administration called for nominations for the 2024 National Small Business Week Awards with a December 7 deadline.

The U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the SBA’s expanded support for small businesses at the Annual America’s SBDC Conference in Nashville, emphasizing record-breaking small business growth and job creation.