[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 109 (Friday, June 30, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1384-E1385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              THE SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY BILL OF RIGHTS

                                 ______


                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 30, 1995
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, today I have introduced the small businesses 
regulatory bill of rights.
  This country's small businesses are drowning in a sea of paperwork. 
Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] 
released a list of its most frequently cited violations. The top three 
on the list were directly related to paperwork, and they alone 
accounted for over 10,000 citations in 1994.
  Additionally, the Small Business Roundtable reports that in 1993 the 
actual costs of businesses to comply with Federal regulations were $581 
billion. Small businesses cannot afford the accounting departments, 
chemists, and lawyers that it takes to comply with the ever-increasing 
and confusing regulations issued by the Federal Government.
  Last year, the Federal Government added over 68,000 pages of rules 
and regulations to the millions already on the books. In fact, the 
regulatory process has become so complex that the Federal Register now 
teaches classes just so individuals can better understand the 
rulemaking journal.
  The economy of this Nation is based on small businesses. Ninety-five 
percent of all the businesses in this country are classified as small 
businesses. They represent the American Dream. Individuals risk life 
savings in 

[[Page E1385]]
order to pursue the American Dream only to see it destroyed by Federal 
bureaucrats.
  I believe that the small business regulatory bill of rights will help 
our small businesses thrive once again. This bill requires Federal 
agencies to develop a no-fault program to assist small businesses with 
compliance. It also requires agencies to give owners 60 days to correct 
violations before assessing fines.
  Small business men and women will no longer be treated like criminals 
by Federal regulators. This legislation will make agencies notify 
owners of their rights during inspections. This bill will also prevent 
agencies from harassing small business owners by exempting them from 
inspections for 6 months once they have been found in compliance with 
regulations.
  We all want a safe working environment for Americans. The question is 
how do we best provide this environment without generating regulations 
that destroy thousands of jobs and impede the ability of a business to 
earn even small profits. I think everyone would agree that a safe 
working environment is of no use if the regulations that establish it 
are so severe that they prohibit a business from being successful and 
staying open.
  I think this country could boom once again if we could get our 
Federal Government under control and let the free enterprise system 
work as it was designed to do.
  I look forward to this Congress passing the small business regulatory 
bill of rights in an effort to help this Nation's small businesses 
grow.


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