[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 22 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                  House Calendar No. 23
109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 22

                          [Report No. 109-52]

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American 
   small businesses are entitled to a Small Business Bill of Rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2005

    Mr. Keller (for himself and Mr. Cramer) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

                             April 21, 2005

  Additional sponsors: Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Mr. Smith of 
 Texas, Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Walsh, Mr. 
 Calvert, Mr. Gilchrest, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Case, Mr. Sensenbrenner, 
Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas, Mr. Mack, Mr. McCaul of Texas, Mr. Garrett of 
          New Jersey, Mr. McHenry, Mr. Gohmert, and Mr. Turner

                             April 21, 2005

 Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 
                             to be printed
    [Strike out the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American 
   small businesses are entitled to a Small Business Bill of Rights.

<DELETED>Whereas more than 90 percent of all American employers are small 
        businesses;
Whereas small businesses generate approximately 70 percent of the new jobs 
        created in the United States each year;
Whereas small businesses are crucial to the American economy and account for a 
        significant majority of new product ideas and innovations;
Whereas small businesses, together with innovation and entrepreneurship, are 
        central to the American dream of self-improvement and individual 
        achievement;
Whereas 60 percent of the 45,000,000 Americans without health insurance are 
        small business employees and their families;
Whereas most small businesses do not provide health insurance to their 
        employees, primarily because of the surging cost;
Whereas the death tax causes one-third of all family-owned small businesses to 
        liquidate after the death of the owner;
Whereas frivolous lawsuits and the rising costs of liability insurance represent 
        serious threats to small business owners;
Whereas burdensome regulations and paperwork cost small businesses more than 
        $5,500 per employee; and
Whereas Congress can help small businesses grow by establishing a climate to 
        encourage small businesses to create jobs and offer more affordable 
        health insurance to employees: Now, therefore, be it
<DELETED>    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
Representatives that American small businesses are entitled to the 
following Small Business Bill of Rights:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The right to join together to purchase 
        affordable health insurance for small business employees, who 
        make up a large portion of the millions of Americans without 
        health care coverage.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The right to tax laws that allow family-owned 
        small businesses to survive over several generations and offer 
        them incentives to grow.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The right to be free from frivolous lawsuits 
        which harm law-abiding small businesses and prevent them from 
        creating new jobs.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) The right to be free of unnecessary, 
        restrictive regulations and paperwork which waste the time and 
        energy of small businesses while hurting production and 
        preventing job creation.</DELETED>
Whereas more than 90 percent of all American employers are small businesses;
Whereas small businesses generate approximately 70 percent of the new jobs 
        created in the United States each year;
Whereas small businesses are crucial to the American economy and account for a 
        significant majority of new product ideas and innovations;
Whereas small businesses, together with innovation and entrepreneurship, are 
        central to the American dream of self-improvement and individual 
        achievement;
Whereas 60 percent of the 45,000,000 Americans without health insurance are 
        small business employees and their families;
Whereas most small businesses do not provide health insurance to their 
        employees, primarily because of the surging cost;
Whereas the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is exceedingly complex, making it 
        difficult for small businesses to understand it and comply with its 
        requirements;
Whereas the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 discriminates, in many instances, 
        against small businesses and self-employed persons by limiting the 
        availability of certain tax incentives to larger firms or corporations;
Whereas the death tax causes one-third of all family-owned small businesses to 
        liquidate after the death of the owner;
Whereas frivolous lawsuits and the rising costs of liability insurance represent 
        serious threats to small business owners;
Whereas burdensome regulations and paperwork cost small businesses more than 
        $5,500 per employee;
Whereas adequate, affordable, and reliable energy supplies are essential to the 
        success of small businesses, especially small manufacturers;
Whereas lack of access to capital and credit stifles new business growth and 
        economic opportunity;
Whereas both unsound contract bundling or consolidation and the failure of 
        various Federal agencies to closely monitor the small business goals and 
        subcontracting plans of large businesses have dried up many procurement 
        opportunities for small businesses; and
Whereas Congress can help small businesses grow by establishing a climate to 
        encourage small businesses to create jobs and offer more affordable 
        health insurance to employees: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
American small businesses are entitled to the following Small Business 
Bill of Rights:
            (1) The right to join together to purchase affordable 
        health insurance for small business employees, who make up a 
        large portion of the millions of Americans without health care 
        coverage.
            (2) The right to simplified tax laws that allow family-
        owned small businesses to survive over several generations and 
        offer them incentives to grow.
            (3) The right to be free from frivolous lawsuits which harm 
        law-abiding small businesses and prevent them from creating new 
        jobs.
            (4) The right to be free of unnecessary, restrictive 
        regulations and paperwork which waste the time and energy of 
        small businesses while hurting production and preventing job 
        creation.
            (5) The right to relief from high energy costs, which pose 
        a real threat to the survival of small businesses, to be 
        accomplished by reducing the Nation's reliance on imported 
        sources of energy and encouraging environmentally-sound 
        domestic production and conservation of energy.
            (6) The right to equal treatment, as compared to large 
        businesses, when seeking access to start-up and expansion 
        capital and credit.
            (7) The right to open access to the Government procurement 
        marketplace through the breaking up of large contracts to give 
        small business owners a fair opportunity to compete for Federal 
        contracts.




                                                  House Calendar No. 23

109th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. RES. 22

                          [Report No. 109-52]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American 
   small businesses are entitled to a Small Business Bill of Rights.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             April 21, 2005

 Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 
                             to be printed