[Senate Report 115-33]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress     }                                  {         Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session       }                                  {         115-33
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     



                         SUMMARY OF LEGISLATIVE

                        AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES

                       DURING THE 114TH CONGRESS

               (January 3, 2015 through January 3, 2017)

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 of the

                              COMMITTEE ON

                   SMALL BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

                          UNITED STATES SENATE


[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


                 April 24, 2017.--Ordered to be printed
                                  ______

                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

69-010                         WASHINGTON : 2017                
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                         LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

                              ----------                              

                          U.S. Senate, Committee on
                        Small Business and Entrepreneurship
                                                    Washington, DC.
Hon. Michael R. Pence,
President of the Senate,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. President: Senate Rule XXVI.8(b) requires the 
submission of a report of the activities of the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the 
previous Congress.
    In accordance with the requirements, I am submitting the 
report of the activities of the Committee during the 114th 
Congress. This report outlines the most noteworthy legislative 
achievements and other achievements and activities of our 
Committee.
            Sincerely,
                                            James E. Risch,
                                                          Chairman.
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              

                                                                   Page
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL............................................   III
MEMBERSHIP.......................................................   VII
JURISDICTION.....................................................     1
OVERVIEW.........................................................     2
KEY LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES.......................................     3
    Promoting Women's Entrepreneurship...........................     3
    Making the Case for Regulatory Reform........................     3
    Extending the 504 Loan Refinance Provision...................
    Expanding Opportunities for Veteran-Owned Small Business.....     5
    Providing Additional Tools for Responding to Disasters.......
    Reauthorizing and Strengthening the SBIR/STTR Programs.......     6
    Reducing the Tax burden for Small Businesses.................     8
    Assessing Potential Changes to U.S. Patent System and Impacts 
      on Small Businesses........................................     9
    Examining the Commercial Applications of Unmanned Aircraft 
      for Small Businesses.......................................    10
    Assessing Federal Responses to Disasters that Impact Small 
      Businesses.................................................    10
    Improving Access to Capital..................................    11
    Examining Trends for Startups in the U.S.....................
    Conducting Oversight of Burdensome Federal Regulations.......    14
    Conducting Oversight of Small Business Administration........    18
MEASURES ENACTED OR OBVIATED RELEVANT TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON 
  SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP............................    22
NOMINATIONS......................................................    24
HEARINGS, ROUNDTABLES, AND MARKUPS OF THE 114TH CONGRESS.........    25
    FIRST SESSION................................................    25
    SECOND SESSION...............................................    31
OVERSIGHT........................................................    35
RULES FOR THE U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND 
  ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR THE 114TH CONGRESS........................    44
    JURSIDICTION.................................................    44
    GENERAL SECTION..............................................    44
    MEETINGS.....................................................    44
    QUORUMS......................................................    45
    NOMINATIONS..................................................    45
    HEARINGS.....................................................    46
    DEPOSITIONS..................................................    47
    CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.....................................    47
    MEDIA AND BROADCASTING.......................................    47
    SUBCOMMITTEES................................................    48
    AMENDMENT OF RULES...........................................    48
STAFF OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND 
  ENTREPRENEURSHIP...............................................    48
    BEGINNING OF FIRST SESSION...................................    48
    CONCLUSION OF SECOND SESSION.................................    48
LEGISLATION REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE............................    49












                               MEMBERSHIP
            COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
                    One Hundred Fourteenth Congress
                             (1st Session)

                              ----------                              

                   DAVID B. VITTER, Louisiana, Chair
             BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland, Ranking Member/
            JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire, Ranking Member\1\

JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho                MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
MARCO RUBIO, Florida                 BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
RAND PAUL, Kentucky                  JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina            HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
CORY GARDNER, Colorado               CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey
JONI ERNST, Iowa                     CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware
KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire          MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming             GARY C. PETERS, Michigan

                  Zak Baig, Republican Staff Director
          Ann Jacobs/Robert Diznoff, Democratic Staff Director

----------
\1\The Democratic leadership of the Committee transferred from Senator 
Cardin to Senator Shaheen on April 14, 2015.
                               MEMBERSHIP
            COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
                    One Hundred Fourteenth Congress
                              (2d Session)

                              ----------                              

                   DAVID B. VITTER, Louisiana, Chair
             JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire, Ranking Member

JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho                MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
MARCO RUBIO, Florida                 BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
RAND PAUL, Kentucky                  HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina            EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey
CORY GARDNER, Colorado               CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware
JONI ERNST, Iowa                     MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire          GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming

           Zak Baig/Meredith West, Republican Staff Director
     Robert Diznoff, Democratic Staff Director/Chris Neary, Acting 
                       Democratic Staff Director











115th Congress     }                                  {         Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session       }                                  {         115-33

======================================================================



 
   SUMMARY OF LEGISLATIVE AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES DURING THE 114TH 
                                CONGRESS

                 April 24, 2017.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Risch, from the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                              Jurisdiction

    The jurisdiction of the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship is outlined in paragraphs 1(o)(1-3) of rule 
XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. The following is a 
reproduction of the relevant sections:

                                Rule XXV


                          STANDING COMMITTEES

    1. The following standing committees shall be appointed at 
the commencement of each Congress, and shall continue and have 
the power to act until their successors are appointed, with 
leave to report by bill or otherwise on matters within their 
respective jurisdictions:
    (o)(1) Committee on Small Business, to which committee 
shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, 
petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the Small 
Business Administration.
    (2) Any proposed legislation reported by such committee 
which relates to matters other than the functions of the Small 
Business Administration shall, at the request of the chairman 
of any standing committee having jurisdiction over the subject 
matter extraneous to the functions of the Small Business 
Administration, be considered and reported by such standing 
committee prior to its consideration by the Senate; and 
likewise measures reported by other committees directly 
relating to the Small Business Administration shall, at the 
request of the chairman of the Committee on Small Business, be 
referred to the Committee on Small Business for its 
consideration of any portions of the measure dealing with the 
Small Business Administration, and be reported by this 
committee prior to its consideration by the Senate.
    (3) Such committee shall also study and survey by means of 
research and investigation all problems of American small 
business enterprises, and report thereon from time to time.
    Per paragraph 3(a) of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship shall be 
composed of 18 members.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\For the 114th Congress, the Committee had 19 members.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                Overview

    The 114th Congress began on January 3, 2015 and ended two 
years later on January 3, 2017. Throughout the entirety of the 
Congress, Barack H. Obama was President, consisting of his 
final two years in office.
    During this session of Congress, Republicans were the 
majority party in both the House and Senate. In the Senate, the 
Republicans held 54 seats, with the Democrats controlling 44 in 
addition to two Independents who caucused with them (Senators 
Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Angus King of Maine).
    As the 114th Congress began, Republican Senator David B. 
Vitter of Louisiana was the Chair, and Democratic Senator 
Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland was the Ranking Member. Senator 
Cardin served as Ranking Member until April 14, 2015, when 
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire became the Ranking 
Member of the Committee, per S. Res. 135. It should be noted 
that while Senator Cardin resigned from his position as Ranking 
Member of the Small Business Committee to serve as the Ranking 
Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, he 
remained a member of the Small Business Committee.
    The makeup of the Committee is established in the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, which prescribes there to be 19 members of 
the Committee. However, for the 114th Congress, the Committee 
had 19 members. See S. Res. 21, S. Res. 22, and S. Res. 23, 
which named the members and divided the membership of the 
Committee between ten Republicans, and nine Democrats. The 
Republican members of the Committee were Chairman Vitter, 
Senators James E. Risch of Idaho, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand 
Paul of Kentucky, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Deb Fischer of 
Nebraska, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Kelly 
Ayotte of New Hampshire, and Mike Enzi of Wyoming. The original 
Democratic members of the Committee were Ranking Member Cardin, 
Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Maria Cantwell of 
Washington, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Ed Markey of 
Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Coons of 
Delaware, Mazie Horono of Hawaii and Gary Peters of Michigan.
    On April 14, 2015, Senator Cardin left his position as 
Ranking Member of the Committee and was succeeded by Senator 
Jeanne Shaheen. It should be noted that while Senator Cardin 
resigned from his position as Ranking Member of the Committee 
to serve as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on 
Foreign Relations, he remained on as a member of the Committee 
for the remainder of the Congress. Throughout the entirety of 
the Congress the Committee held 50 hearings, field hearings, 
roundtables and markups, and heard testimony from over 175 
witnesses. Witness and expert testimony at these events 
centered on issues of importance to small businesses. 
Additionally, in exercise of its oversight responsibilities, 
the Committee sent more than 90 letters to various agencies, 
agency heads, members of Congress, and the White House.

                       Key Legislative Activities

    Promoting Women's Entrepreneurship. The Committee continued 
its interest from previous Congresses in promoting and 
advancing women's entrepreneurship. On October 5, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter along with Ranking Member Shaheen and Senator 
Cantwell led the Committee in passing legislation to 
reauthorize the Women's Business Center (WBC) program to assist 
women entrepreneurs and small business owners. By creating 
public-private partnerships, providing education, and 
conducting outreach, the program addresses concerns regarding 
nascent and existing small businesses owned by women. It also 
continues the work of identifying gaps where female 
participation could be increased.
    Senate bill S. 2126:
           Requires the SBA Office of Women Business 
        Ownership to develop training and accreditation plans;
           Reauthorizes the WBC program with an 
        increased authorization of $21.75 million from 2016 to 
        2020 (consistent with SCORE's authorization increase); 
        and
           Sets requirements for WBC applications and 
        quality standards to ensure transparency, 
        accountability, and quality controls.
    On March 16, 2015, Chairman Vitter convened a roundtable 
with Louisiana women small business owners and the National 
Women's Business Council to discuss success stories and the 
struggles women-owned small businesses face in gaining access 
to capital, navigating federal regulations, competing for 
government contracts, and other significant issues affecting 
how small businesses grow.
    In July 2015, Chairman Vitter and Ranking Member Shaheen 
led a group of 12 bipartisan Senators to introduce S. Res 225, 
a Senate resolution honoring the National Association of Women 
Business Owners. That resolution passed the Senate unanimously 
on July 28, 2015.
    In October of 2015, Chairman Vitter and Ranking Member 
Shaheen passed a Senate resolution declaring October to be 
National Women's Small Business Month.
    Making the Case for Regulatory Reform. The Committee 
continued to focus on ways to strengthen the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (RFA), which was enacted in 1980 as a 
comprehensive effort to protect small business interests and 
minimize economic burdens on them due to federal regulations. 
An important aspect of the law was the implementation of the 
initial regulatory flexibility analysis (IRFA), which requires 
agencies to conduct an economic analysis for small businesses 
when a respective rule will have a significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small entities. This forces agencies 
to be sensitive to the needs of small businesses when proposing 
regulations, a provision that was widely praised by both 
Democrats and Republicans.
    In the 114th Congress, the Environmental Protection 
Agency's (EPA) came under heavy criticism when it concluded 
that its 2015 Waters of the United States Rule (WOTUS) would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number 
of small entities, thereby allowing the EPA to bypass writing 
an IRFA. Contrary to the EPA's claims, the rule significantly 
expanded the scope of federal jurisdiction under the Clean 
Water Act across the country. EPA claimed that the impact on 
small businesses would be indirect, which allowed the Agency to 
cut corners and avoid performing an IRFA, thus denying small 
businesses the protections that were supposed to be offered to 
them under the law.
    In addition to mandating an IRFA, Congress passed the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) in 1996 
requiring EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA) to convene small business advocacy review 
(SBAR) panels when those agencies concluded that a proposed 
rule would have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities. The Consumer Financial Protection 
Bureau (CFPB) was later added to the list when it was created 
in 2011. This law allows small businesses to participate 
earlier in an agency's rulemaking process.
    The Committee consistently received feedback from the small 
business community that regulatory agencies were not fully 
complying with the RFA and held a hearing entitled ``Drowning 
in Regulations: The Waters of the U.S. Rule and the Case for 
Reforming the RFA'' on April 27, 2016. This hearing focused on 
the need to ensure an accurate representation of economic 
impacts on small businesses stemming from regulations. During 
the hearing, industry experts and SBA's Office of Advocacy 
presented testimony regarding the RFA with examples of 
agencies' failure to comply and solutions for strengthening the 
existing law.
    The Committee focused on four specific areas where the RFA 
could be improved. These were discussed at the hearing and 
throughout the Committee's review of the RFA.
     Third Party Certification_Currently, when an 
agency avoids implementing an IRFA or SBREFA by claiming no 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities, there is no accountability for the agency even when 
SBA's Office of Advocacy requests for said agency to reconsider 
their assessment. Republicans on the Committee recommended 
having a system set in place for a third party to certify 
whether a rule has a significant economic impact when the 
Office of Advocacy and one or more Executive Branch agencies 
disagree on the matter. As such, Sen. Ernst introduced S. 2847, 
the Prove It Act, on May 24, 2016, which would allow the Chief 
Counsel to request third party review through the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and create greater 
accountability for the IRFA process. That legislation passed 
the Committee on a party line vote on May 24, 2016.
     Expand SBREFA Panels_Republicans on the Committee 
also support expanding SBREFA panels to every federal 
regulatory agency. As such, Chairman Vitter introduced S. 1536, 
the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act on 
April 27, 2016, which would include all federal regulatory 
agencies in the SBREFA process, as the Committee has 
consistently heard from some stakeholders that more federal 
regulatory agencies should be subject to SBREFA. For example, 
the Committee had heard from a broad range of stakeholders that 
Department of Labor (DOL), which proposed overtime, fiduciary, 
and sick leave rules during the 114th Congress, was 
particularly egregious in the regulatory burdens of its rules 
for small firms. The Committee heard from small business 
interests that all three rules would have substantial economic 
impacts and with which would be, at minimum, very difficult to 
comply.
     Include Indirect Economic Effects_Currently, when 
determining whether to conduct an IRFA or not, agencies are 
only required to include direct economic effects. This often 
results in inaccurate assessments because it neglects to 
recognize economic effects of a rule on small entities 
resulting from their transactions with other businesses and 
entities directly regulated by the rule. This is the loophole 
EPA used in the WOTUS rule to avoid conducting a SBREFA panel 
and IRFA. In S. 1536, Chairman Vitter included a provision to 
require agencies to include indirect economic effects.
     Strengthen the Periodic Review Process_Agencies 
are required to conduct a review within 10 years of the 
promulgation of those regulations that have or will have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted 
a number of studies on the periodic review process and 
identified a number of challenges regarding agency compliance 
with that ten-year review process. GAO determined that the 
problem relates to the threshold determination of whether the 
regulation will have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The current language can 
be easily misinterpreted to avoid compliance and needs to be 
revised to clarify that the law requires the agencies to review 
regulations which have a significant economic impact on small 
entities. Chairman Vitter clarified the periodic review 
requirements in S. 1536.
    Expanding Opportunities for Veteran-Owned Small business. 
The SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) was 
created by P.L. 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small 
Business Development Act of 1999, with the intent to address 
concerns that the government was not doing enough to meet the 
needs of veteran entrepreneurs. The OVBD administers several 
programs including:
     Veterans Business Outreach Center Program (VBOC)_
The VBOC Program provides entrepreneurial development services 
to eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small 
business.
     Operation Boots to Business: From Service to 
Start-up/Boots to Business Reboot_Boots to Business is a 
veteran entrepreneurship initiative for transitioning service 
members developed by Syracuse University, which is designed to 
introduce more than 250,000 service members each year to the 
opportunities of small business ownership and entrepreneurship.
     Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of 
Entrepreneurship (VWISE)_VWISE is an entrepreneurial 
development program that specifically targets female veterans 
and spouses from all services and branches of the military 
interested in either starting a new business or growing an 
existing business.
     Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with 
Disabilities (EBV)_Created through collaboration between 
Syracuse University and the SBA's OVBD, the Entrepreneurship 
Boot Camp offers a hands-on one-year training program for 
service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan 
who want to start or grow a small business.
    On June 25, 2015, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Opening Doors to Economic Opportunity for Our Veterans and 
Their Families through Entrepreneurship.'' The hearing examined 
entrepreneurship programs available to veterans, especially 
those with disabilities, as they transition to civilian life. 
Although veterans leave military service with tremendous 
leadership skills, discipline, and determination, they may not 
have the know-how to start and run a business. The SBA's core 
technical assistance programs, including Small Business 
Development Centers (SBDCs), SCORE and Women's Business Centers 
serve and have outreach initiatives specific to veterans, and 
the SBA has supplemented their efforts with several new, 
innovative initiatives aimed at post 9/11 veterans and their 
families.
    On June 23, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled, 
``Beyond the Bench: Ramifications of the Supreme Court 
Kingdomware Decision.'' This hearing examined the unanimous 
Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruling in the 
Kingdomware Technologies vs. United States case, and what the 
decision meant for federal government contracting as it relates 
to veteran-owned small business and service-disabled veteran-
owned small businesses. During the hearing, representatives 
from the SBA and Department of Veterans Affairs, Kingdomware 
Technologies, veteran advocates and contracting policy experts 
testified on the case and the ramifications of the SCOTUS 
ruling.
    The Committee also passed several important pieces of 
legislation relevant to that mission, including:
           S. 957, Veterans Entrepreneurship Act
           S. 1400, Veterans Small Business Enhancement 
        Act
           S. 1866, Veterans Small Business Ownership 
        Act
           S. 1870, VET Act of 2016
           S. 3009, National Guard and Reserve 
        Entrepreneurship Support Act
    During the 114th Congress, two resolutions were passed by 
unanimous consent: S. Res 295 and S. Res 595. Both resolutions 
recognize the National Veteran Owned Small Business Week, a 
week which celebrates and calls awareness to the role veteran-
owned small businesses play in strengthening the nation's 
economy.
    Reauthorizing and Strengthening the SBIR / STTR Programs. 
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small 
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs allocate a portion 
of extramural federal research and development dollars for 
which small businesses can compete, based on scientific merit. 
The programs are an effective way to meet national innovation 
needs, jump start entrepreneurs, grow our economy, and create 
jobs. These public-private partnerships enable small businesses 
to explore promising ideas that help the agencies meet their 
mission and provide incentives to small businesses that can 
profit from the commercialization of their SBIR and STTR 
projects.
    The SBIR program was created as part of the Small Business 
Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-219). The program 
was designed to increase the participation of small innovative 
companies in federally funded R&D opportunities. Government 
agencies with extramural research and development (R&D) budgets 
of at least $100 million must allocate a portion of these funds 
(currently 3.0 percent for FY16) to support research and 
development in small firms through the SBIR program. Prior to 
FY 2012, Agencies were required to allocate 2.5 percent of 
their extramural R&D budgets for SBIR awards, but the 
percentage increased to 2.6 percent in FY 2012 and increased by 
0.1 percent each year until FY 2016 when it reached 3.0 
percent. The percentage will increase to 3.2 percent for FY 
2017 and will remain at that minimum value of 3.2 percent each 
year thereafter unless subsequently modified by statute.
    Eleven departments and agencies currently participate in 
the program: the Department of Defense, Department of Health 
and Human Services, National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, National Science Foundation, Department of 
Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland 
Security, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of 
Education, Department of Commerce and Department of 
Transportation. Additionally, the SBA coordinates the program 
across the federal government and directs its implementation at 
participating agencies. A hallmark of the SBIR program is 
administrative flexibility, which allows each department or 
agency the ability to implement the program in a manner that 
serves its unique goals and needs. According to SBA data on 
SBIR projects,\3\ agencies awarded more than $1.9 billion to 
small business awardees in FY15, including $460.7 million in 
Phase I awards and $1.4 million in Phase II awards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\SBIR.gov, SBIR, Year 2015, https://www.sbir.gov/analytics-
dashboard
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Congress established the Small Business Technology Transfer 
(STTR) program as part of the Small Business Research and 
Development Enhancement Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-564). The STTR 
program is similar to the SBIR program in structure (e.g. a 
three-phase process), but STTR awards are made to small firms 
pursuing technological innovation through collaborative R&D 
with Federal laboratories as well as non-profit educational and 
scientific institutions. Departments and agencies with annual 
extramural R&D budgets of at least $1 billion are required to 
allocate a portion of these funds (currently 0.45 percent) to 
support research and development in small firms through the 
STTR program. Five agencies have STTR programs: Department of 
Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science 
Foundation and Department of Energy.
    According to SBA data on STTR projects, agencies awarded 
more than $257 million to small business in FY15, including 
$98.5 million in Phase I awards and $158.5 million in Phase II 
awards.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\SBIR.gov, STTR, Year 2015, https://www.sbir.gov/analytics-
dashboard
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    On October 6, 2015, Chairman Vitter introduced S. 2136, the 
Improving Small Business Innovative Research and Technologies 
Act, to make certain changes and additions to the SBIR/STTR 
programs. This bill would have established the Regional SBIR 
State Collaborative Initiative Pilot Program, providing one-
year renewable grants of up to $300,000 to a regional 
collaborative, consisting of a research institution or a small 
business located in at least three eligible states, to address 
the needs of small businesses in order to: (1) be more 
competitive in the proposal and selection process for SBIR and 
STTR Program awards, and (2) increase technology transfer and 
commercialization.
    On January 28, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR Programs--The Importance of 
Small Business Innovation to National and Economic Security.'' 
The hearing was convened to discuss the importance of, and hear 
testimony on, reauthorization of the SBIR and STTR programs 
before they expire on September 30, 2017. Witnesses discussed 
issues relating to the success of the SBIR and STTR program and 
offered opinions on the future reauthorization of the program. 
Witnesses emphasized the need for Congress to provide stability 
and certainty for the program by acting early and authorizing 
the programs permanently or for the longest time possible.
    On March 4, 2016, Ranking Member Shaheen--a member of the 
Senate Armed Services Committee--and Chairman Vitter sent a 
letter to Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Reed of the Senate 
Armed Services Committee, urging them to include several 
provisions in the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act. 
Among other things, those provisions included permanency of the 
SBIR and STTR programs, Chairman Vitter's Regional SBIR State 
Collaborative Initiative Pilot Program and permanency of the 
Rapid Innovation Fund. The Senate Armed Services Committee 
adopted a provision to make the SBIR and STTR programs 
permanent at the Department of Defense, and permanency of the 
Rapid Innovation Fund, in the Chairman's mark. Those provisions 
served as the anchor in conference to expand permanency of the 
SBIR and STTR programs to all 11 agencies for five years, and 
became law on December 23, 2016, along with permanency of the 
Rapid Innovation Fund.
    On April 18, 2016, Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen introduced 
S. 2812, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016, for herself 
and Chairman Vitter. Other cosponsors included Senators Ayotte 
and Markey. The ``SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016'' would 
have permanently authorized the SBIR and STTR programs, 
increased commercialization, expanded the participation of 
small businesses in more regions of the country, increased the 
participation of small businesses owned by women and 
minorities, reduced administrative and reporting burdens on 
small businesses and agencies, accelerated application reviews 
and disbursements of awards, and strengthened oversight and 
compliance.
    On May 11, 2016, the Committee passed S. 2812, the SBIR and 
STTR Reauthorization and Improvement Act. That legislation 
included Chairman Vitter's Regional Pilot in S. 2136, along 
with amendments from Senators Coons and Gardner to increase 
commercialization, and amendments from Senator Peters to 
increase the participation of women and minorities.
    On August 4, 2016, the Committee held a field hearing in 
Hawaii entitled, ``Expanding Hawaii's STEM Pipeline: Examining 
Opportunities to Grow Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and the 
STEM Workforce.''
    Reducing the Tax Burden for Small Businesses. The Committee 
also took an active interest in ways to reduce the tax 
compliance burden for small businesses. The Internal Revenue 
Service (IRS) has estimated that businesses with less than $1 
million in revenue bear nearly two-thirds of business 
compliance costs, which are significantly higher than large 
businesses scaled to each firm's revenue. Small business owners 
usually contract outside help for the tax process but are left 
facing a daunting and complex compliance process on a day-to-
day basis. With an ever-changing federal tax landscape, small 
business owners are forced to spend time on compliance issues 
that they would otherwise be spending on the operation and 
expansion of their businesses. Generally, small businesses do 
not have the resources of many larger businesses with 
departments and personnel devoted to compliance issues. The 
Committee continues to believe that these compliance costs and 
requirements make it exceedingly difficult for small business 
to grow in the United States.
    The Committee held a hearing on these issues on July 22, 
2015, titled, ``Targeted Tax Reform: Solutions to Relieve the 
Tax Compliance Burden(s) for America's Small Businesses.'' The 
hearing examined the significant tax compliance burden on small 
businesses and potential legislative opportunities for 
addressing them. Specific issues discussed include cash 
accounting, giving small businesses a greater legal platform to 
challenge penalties if they operated in good faith, rollover 
and holding periods for angel investors.
    On July 27, 2015, the Committee reported a Sense of the 
Committee resolution aimed at reducing the tax burden for small 
businesses. The resolution outlined several reforms to the tax 
code that have previously received consideration from Congress, 
including increasing the cash accounting threshold to $25 
million and the de minimis safe harbor threshold to $2500. 
Health insurance purchased by the self-employed would be made 
permanently fully deductible as all other businesses utilize. 
The resolution also established a standard inflationary 
adjustment to numerous fixed limitation amounts to reflect 
inflation. The resolution also called for shortening the 
holding period for reduced capital gains tax rate from five to 
three years and extending the rollover period on qualified 
small business stock from sixty days to one year. These 
provisions provide incentives for investors to put more money 
into newly formed small businesses.
    Assessing Potential Changes to U.S. Patent System and 
Impacts on Small Businesses. Patents play a critical role in 
the American tradition of invention and innovation. 
Increasingly, however, claims have come forward that small 
businesses from a variety of sectors have experienced abusive 
patent practices. The rise in prominence of ``patent assertion 
entities'' and the concept of ``patent trolls'' have led to 
increased scrutiny of enforcement and litigation practices in 
the patent system.
    The Committee entered this debate with an interest in 
whether the patent litigation abuse problem demands a major 
rewrite of our patent laws and if the changes taking place are 
having the desired effect, specifically on small businesses. In 
hearings held on March 19, 2015 and February 25, 2016, the 
Committee reviewed recent court decisions and policy changes 
that have impacted the U.S. patent system, how overly broad 
changes in the future could hurt small business, and how 
technology-based economic development impacts the U.S. economy. 
Committee members also discussed the importance of property 
rights generally and intellectual property rights specifically 
(both accessibility to and defensibility by small inventors and 
small business). Additionally, the hearing examined how the 
America Invents Act (AIA), other relevant legislation (such as 
the PATENT Act), and subsequent court decisions may have 
affected the overall patent system, including unintentionally 
stalling innovation and/or harming small businesses.
    On April 25, 2016, Senator Peters introduced S. 2846, the 
Small Business Innovation Protection Act, with Chairman Vitter 
and Senator Risch as cosponsors. The bill amended the Small 
Business Act to expand intellectual property education and 
training for small businesses through a Small Business 
Administration-U.S. Patent and Trademark Office partnership. On 
May 11, 2016, the Committee passed S. 2846, but the bill did 
not make it to consideration by the full Senate.
    Examining the Commercial Applications of Unmanned Aircraft 
for Small Businesses. In 2016, Congress enacted the FAA 
Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FMRA), calling for the 
integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the 
national airspace by September 2015. Unfortunately, the FAA is 
yet to finalize regulations and continues to grapple with 
safety, privacy, liability, and other issues related to 
potential widespread commercial use of drones. This delay is 
having a disproportionate impact on small businesses that 
either wish to utilize drones to expand their operations or are 
in the manufacturing supply chain for these products.
    The FAA currently prohibits the use of UAS for commercial 
purposes, except where it has granted an exemption permitting 
specific activities. The FAA has granted such exemptions since 
May 2014, primarily to firms wishing to use UAS for 
agricultural, real estate, film and broadcasting, oil and gas, 
and construction activities. As of September 2015, it had 
granted only about 1,400 commercial exemptions. These 
exemptions are issued on a case-by-case basis. According to the 
Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), 
which analyzed the first 1,000 commercial UAS exemptions, small 
businesses comprised 94.5 percent of approvals. The top 
industries were aerial photography, real estate, aerial survey 
and inspection, agriculture, construction, film and TV and 
others. It is estimated that companies with exemptions 
accounted for nearly $500 billion in revenue and represented 
over 600,000 jobs in 2014.
    On March 10, 2016, the Committee held a hearing to examine 
the commercial applications of UAS by small businesses. The 
hearing focused on the need to create a culture of safety, 
compliance, and innovation to ensure that FAA regulations, once 
finalized, do not prevent small businesses from reaping the 
many benefits of drone use.
    Assessing Federal Response to Disasters that Impact Small 
Businesses. This Congress, the Committee continued a long-
standing focus on the impacts of disasters on small business 
and oversight of the federal agencies that respond to them. To 
put this issue in context, SBA and FEMA have responded to a 
number of disasters this year, including a Northeast blizzard 
in January, tornado outbreaks in the lower Midwest in February, 
and massive flooding in Louisiana and across the South in 
March. By September 2016 alone, FEMA has had 70 major disaster 
declarations and SBA has had 55 Agency declarations.
    In order to enhance the ability of small business owners to 
recover after disasters, in 2015 Congress passed, and the 
President signed into law, the RISE Act. The primary focus of 
the Act was to address small business' access to capital post-
disaster, as well as prioritize funding and assistance for 
small business from the federal government. The main provisions 
focused on improving the SBA's loan programs and their 
administration, including the establishment of the Recovery 
Opportunity Loan program, which provides long-term disaster 
recovery assistance to affected businesses after the SBA's 
application period for the traditional disaster loan programs 
has closed. The inclusion of provisions to give small 
businesses affected by a disaster federal contracting 
preferences, special consideration when applying for Federal 
and State Technology (FAST) program grants, and access to 
surplus federal property also all serve to meet this need for 
capital and business opportunities that small businesses 
require to rebuild.
    In addition to these provisions, the Act also provided more 
time to those impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 to apply for 
assistance if they had not done so already. In addition, these 
Sandy-
related provisions also included important improvements to the 
SBA's notification and loan administration processes in order 
to reduce delays in the application process, in particular the 
closing and disbursement of loan funds and the requirement for 
the SBA to improve on their disaster plan, in order to 
eliminate the unacceptable delays in processing applications 
following Hurricane Sandy.
    Finally, the RISE Act also authorized a number of actions 
aimed at supporting and protecting small business owners beyond 
their capital needs. This includes allowing for nationwide 
assistance from Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), 
additional counseling and technical assistance funding, and 
allowing physical damage disaster loans to be used for 
preventative measures like safe rooms.
    On April 6, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Federal Disaster Response and SBA Implementation of the RISE 
Act.'' The hearing focused on the federal government's response 
to these disasters and steps that can be taken by both agencies 
to ensure that small businesses in affected areas are able to 
rebuild and thrive after the devastation of a disaster. The 
witnesses were Douglas J. Kramer, Deputy Administrator at the 
SBA, and Elizabeth Zimmerman, Associate Administrator for 
response and recovery at FEMA.
    On August 15, 2016, Chairman Vitter wrote SBA Administrator 
Contreras-Sweet, requesting a copy of locations in Louisiana 
that SBA had identified in advance of the flooding disaster 
experienced there. As part of the RISE Act, the SBA was 
required to compile a list for every county, parish, and 
borough. SBA's response was incomplete and requires substantial 
follow-up, particularly in light of reports from field staff 
that not only had complete lists been provided to 
administrators but that, in some cases, secondary and tertiary 
locations were also provided by field staff in the event that 
pre-identified locations were also impacted by a disaster.
    Improving Access to Capital. The Kauffman Foundation has 
noted in several studies that new firm formation has yet to 
return to pre-recession levels. While data indicates that seed-
stage and early-stage startups are struggling to get venture 
capital funding in the U.S., many other countries are becoming 
increasingly competitive. Given the important role that small 
business startups play in generating economic growth, the 
Committee took an active interest in trends affecting new 
startups, including the availability of venture capital that 
startups need to establish and grow.
    On July 14, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Searching for Capital: How Venture Capitalists and Angel 
Investors Fund Entrepreneurs and Startup Companies.'' The 
hearing examined current trends and strategies in the venture 
capital ecosystem, and witnesses discussed different options 
startup companies have to raise capital throughout different 
stages of business development. Committee members will also 
look at the challenges investors and entrepreneurs face in the 
marketplace when searching for capital resources.
    Encouraging Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship plays an 
important role in our economy, and the Senate Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship worked during the 114th 
Congress to address specific areas affecting entrepreneurial 
activity. On June 29, 2016, the Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``America Without Entrepreneurs: The Consequences of 
Dwindling Startup Activity.'' That hearing examined why 
entrepreneurship has declined, particularly among millennials, 
and ways to encourage and assist more Americans in starting and 
growing their own small business. Committee members examined 
potential issues impacting the rate of entrepreneurship 
including access to capital, intergenerational differences in 
entrepreneurship and the federal regulatory burden.
    The Committee took an initial look into rural 
entrepreneurship, specifically in areas previously unserved by 
high-speed (``broadband'') Internet. Given the importance of 
broadband, Chairman Vitter and Ranking Member Shaheen explored 
how SBA should modify its programs to help small businesses use 
broadband to connect with the stream of commerce. On March 1, 
2015, Ranking Member Shaheen with Chairman Vitter, introduced 
S. 2116, the Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information 
Technology Enhancement Act. This bill would modernize the 
approach that the SBA and its resource partners use broadband 
to maximize small business potential. On October 7, 2015, the 
Committee passed S. 2116, but the bill was not considered by 
the Senate before the end of the 114th Congress.
    Given the increase of cyberattacks and the high costs this 
crime creates for small businesses, the Committee considered 
how the SBA's existing support structures and services should 
be updated to provide greater cybersecurity assistance to small 
businesses. On June 6, 2016, Chairman Vitter and Senators 
Peters and Coons introduced S. 3024, the Small Business Cyber 
Security Improvements Act of 2016. The bill would amend the 
Small Business Act to authorize the SBA, working with the 
Department of Homeland Security, to use Small Business 
Development Centers to distribute cybersecurity resources to 
small businesses. The bill passed the Committee on June 8, 
2016, after which the House and Senate Armed Services and the 
House Small Business Committee passed a modified version of the 
bill in the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act.
    Export-Import Bank and Small Business Export Credit 
Programs. In recent years, Congress has vigorously debated the 
role and future of the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im). The program 
has been reauthorized four times since 2012; two of those 
authorizations were short-term, as disagreements in Congress 
over the proper role of the program precluded the House and 
Senate from coming to an agreement on a longer-term 
reauthorization. On July 1, 2015, Ex-Im's operating authority 
lapsed as a result of Congress not reauthorizing the program, 
and that authority remained lapsed until December 3, 2015. For 
several months preceding that lapse in authority, a range of 
small business exporters approached the Committee regarding 
their need for continued access to small business export loans 
and export credit insurance once the authorization lapsed. As 
such, Chairman Vitter introduced S. 1546, the Ensuring Small 
Business Can Export Act, on June 10, 2016. The legislation 
would effectively transfer the Ex-Im Bank's export credit 
insurance program to the U.S. Small Business Administration 
(SBA). In introducing the legislation, Chairman Vitter raised 
the point that the SBA and Ex-Im Bank--two government 
agencies--are competing for small business clients under the 
current structure.
    Chairman Vitter also pushed both the SBA and Ex-Im Bank to 
take action and work together in advance of the Ex-Im Bank's 
lapse in authority, in order to lessen the burden on small 
firms once the Bank closed its doors. On June 11, Chairman 
Vitter wrote the Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator 
of the SBA, to request that the SBA begin working immediately 
with Ex-Im to find ways to mitigate impacts to small businesses 
resulting from the lapse in authority. Specifically, Vitter 
asked that the two agencies begin discussions on ``how to 
communicate to small businesses that SBA export loan programs 
can meet their financing needs.'' He also urged the SBA to work 
with Ex-Im in order to ``effectively set up an export credit 
insurance program under the SBA and transition services as 
seamlessly as possible.''
    On June 23, 2015, Chairman Vitter wrote Fred P. Hochberg, 
Chairman and President of the Ex-Im Bank, warning of the then-
impending expiration of the bank's authorization and calling on 
the Bank to do more to prepare for it. Chairman Vitter 
criticized Mr. Hochberg's approach to the imminent expiration 
of the Bank's authorization, arguing that Mr. Hochberg 
``appear(ed) to be playing a game of chicken with Congress.'' 
Vitter quoted a previous statement by Mr. Hochberg that ``there 
is no plan B (to authorization). We are plan B.'' Chairman 
Vitter urged the Bank to ``stop playing games and instead take 
immediate steps today to coordinate with the (SBA) on 
alternatives for small businesses that use Ex-Im when your 
authorization lapses.''
    Through written and verbal follow-up with both agencies, it 
was conveyed that the agencies were either unable or unwilling 
to comply with the Committee's request. As such, once the 
Bank's charter expired on July 1, credit export insurance was 
no longer available until the Bank was reauthorized several 
months later. Small businesses were able to continue receiving 
SBA export loans, however.
    The Ex-Im Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015 was 
included in a long-term surface transportation reauthorization 
bill on December 4, 2015 and will expire on September 30, 2019.
    Conducting Oversight of Burdensome Federal Regulations. The 
Committee has taken an active interest in a broad range of 
regulations from agencies across the federal government and the 
impacts those regulations have on small firms. The Committee's 
activities included hearings, letters to relevant agencies and 
other oversight measures to ensure that impacts to small 
businesses were documented and well understood. The Committee 
also explored opportunities for small business that could 
result from doing away with such burdensome regulations.
     Energy, Environment and Natural Resources
     Energy Exports--The United States began 
exporting both natural gas and crude oil in recent years, and 
exports of both products are helping mitigate some of the 
impacts of historically low oil and natural gas prices. While 
actual export operations for oil and natural gas are large, 
capital intensive operations, small businesses play a critical 
role in both processes, mainly via contractors in the service 
sector and secondary businesses that provide needed support 
services for those firms. On July 14, 2016, the Committee held 
a hearing entitled ``Challenges and Opportunities for Small 
Businesses Engaged in Energy Development and Energy Intensive 
Manufacturing.'' The hearing explored the role that small 
businesses play particularly in the LNG export business, and 
also explored the role of technical colleges in providing 
training for blue-collar workers to transition into higher-paid 
positions in the energy export fields.
     Waters of the United States--In 2015, the EPA 
improperly certified that its rule to alter the definition of 
Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act would not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities. Subsequently, the Office of Advocacy at the SBA 
concluded that the EPA had improperly made that certification 
and that the rule would, in fact, have such impacts on small 
firms. The Committee held a hearing to examine that improper 
certification on May 19, 2015, where the Office of Advocacy 
explained its position and forcefully argued that by improperly 
certifying the proposed rule, it had failed to comply with its 
obligations under SBREFA. In another hearing on April 27, 2016, 
the Committee examined the need for regulatory reform and again 
referred to this particular example as a case study of why the 
RFA was not providing sufficient protections for small 
businesses. Additionally, on June 3, 2015, the Committee passed 
the resolution stating that the EPA had failed to comply with 
SBREFA when it improperly certified that the rule would not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities.
     Well Control Rule Small Business Amendment--In 
April of 2016, the Department of Interior, Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), promulgated a rule entitled 
Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental 
Shelf--Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control, also known 
as the Well Control Rule. That rule was written in response to 
the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred off of 
Louisiana's coast, which resulted in the tragic loss of 11 
workers and billions of dollars in environmental and economic 
damage in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast. The rule 
will require the oil and gas industry to take a broad range of 
steps in order to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in 
the future. During the process of writing the rule, Chairman 
Vitter heard concerns from some oil and gas industry 
stakeholders regarding the potential for negative economic 
impacts to occur to small businesses in the offshore oil and 
gas supply chain. As a result, during Senate consideration of 
S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act, Senator Vitter 
introduced an amendment that would require BSEE, within one 
year of the rule's promulgation, to complete a review and 
assess the economic impacts of the rule for small businesses. 
The amendment was approved by voice vote and included in S. 
2012, as reported by the Senate.
     Animas River Spill--On October 1, 2015, the 
Committee held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Significant 
Costs and Related Burdens for Small Businesses Resulting from 
the Gold King Mine Waste Water Spill near Silverton, 
Colorado.'' The purpose of the hearing was to assess the 
impacts of that spill on small businesses in southwestern 
Colorado. Witnesses included Rep. Scott Tipton, a local county 
commissioner, a representative of the Silverton Area Chamber of 
Commerce and the owner of a small watersports business. Policy 
issues discussed included the failures of the Environmental 
Protection Agency to timely notify relevant state and local 
stakeholders as the spill was occurring, and the agency's 
failures to provide sufficient information in a transparent 
manner during the early stages of the response. Senator Gardner 
presided over the hearing and his home-state colleague, Senator 
Michael Bennet, joined him on the dais as a guest of the 
Committee.
     Clean Air Act--The Obama Administration has 
undertaken a broad range of regulatory actions under the Clean 
Air Act in recent years, many of which would have impacts on 
small businesses in many industries. The Committee has taken an 
active interest in those issues. For example, on June 10, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter and several Republican Committee members sent a 
letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy raising concerns that 
EPA was not fully complying with its responsibilities under the 
RFA in the context of its federal implementation plan for 
regulating greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants. 
Additionally, in a letter to Administrator McCarthy dated 
August 16, Chairman Vitter and Environment and Public Works 
Committee Chairman James Inhofe referenced ``EPA's history of 
submitting rules to OMB for review before the SERs have been 
able to submit their comments to EPA, particularly in the case 
of EPA's rule to regulate methane emissions from new oil and 
natural gas infrastructure.'' The Chairman has raised this 
particular recurrent issue (of EPA submitting a rule to OMB 
before the SBREFA process has concluded) with EPA on many 
occasions during the 114th Congress.
     Ivory--Cracking down on the illegal trade and 
trafficking in elephant ivory has been a priority of the United 
States for many years, and the Department of Interior's Fish 
and Wildlife Service (FWS) have developed a policy that further 
restricts the export, import, and commercial sale of lawfully 
owned elephant ivory. While the Committee shares the goals of 
the Administration and stakeholders to stop such harmful, 
illegal activity, the Committee heard from small business 
stakeholders with concerns that any such new regulations would 
have on law-abiding small business owners, particularly small 
businesses in the antique industry. Those stakeholders 
expressed concerns that by banning the possession and sale of 
items containing ivory that they already have in inventory, 
such federal actions would eliminate substantial value from 
their businesses, particularly when the products were legally-
acquired.
    On June 30, 2015, the Committee sent a letter to FWS 
Director Dan Ashe, expressing concerns that FWS had essentially 
begun laying out the rule through an executive order before 
officially proposing it. The letter argued that the rule as 
envisioned at the time would disproportionately impact small 
firms and requested that the FWS conduct a comprehensive 
economic analysis of the proposed rule.
     Hard Rock Mining--The Obama Administration has 
spent roughly six years considering whether and how to 
implement financial assurance requirements under the Superfund 
law for hard rock mines in the western United States. While the 
process was initiated early in the President's first term, only 
in the last year has the process been expedited. Under a court 
order, EPA must publish a notice of proposed rulemaking no 
later than December 1, 2016. On August 16, 2016, In August of 
2016, Chairman Vitter and Senator Inhofe, Chairman of the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works, sent a letter to 
Administrator McCarthy, once again expressing concerns 
``regarding EPA's insufficient compliance with SBREFA.'' In 
that letter, the Senators raised concerns that the SBREFA 
process currently underway was highly unlikely to be completed 
before the court-ordered deadline for proposing the rule on 
December 16, 2016. The Senators asked that if ``EPA cannot 
complete the SBAR panel with adequate amount of time to 
incorporate the final Panel Report recommendations in the 
proposed rule before OMB's interagency review,'' that EPA seek 
an extension of the court-ordered deadline.
     Federal Fisheries--The fishing industry is 
affected by a number of regulations that have a considerable 
impact on the local small business economy. The red snapper is 
a species of fish found in the South Atlantic and the Gulf of 
Mexico with a known range in the United States from the 
Carolinas to Texas. Over the last forty years, multiple efforts 
have been made to conserve and rebuild this important, but 
decades of federal mismanagement of red snapper have resulted 
in economic losses, particularly for the Gulf region's three 
million saltwater recreational anglers and the small businesses 
in the supply chain. Additionally, fishing quotas for Gulf of 
Maine cod have been cut dramatically since 2012. Total fishing 
allocations are now closer to just five percent of what was 
allowed previously. On March 3, 2016, the Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``The Impacts of Federal Fisheries Management 
on Small Businesses''' to explore these issues. The hearing 
focused on the economic impacts that fishing industry 
regulations have on small businesses, and how it is greatly 
ignored in the current management scheme being employed in the 
Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of Maine regions.
     Labor
     Overtime Rule--The Committee heard from a 
variety of small business interests regarding potential impacts 
likely to result from the proposed Overtime Rule at the 
Department of Labor. The Committee was concerned to learn 
stakeholders believes the rule's massive salary threshold 
increase is too much, too fast. Stakeholders expressed concerns 
that in order to comply, they would have to limit hours and 
flexibility for employees and move salaried position to hourly 
wages. In response, on May 11, 2016, the Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``An Examination of the Administration's 
Overtime Rule and the Rising Costs of Doing Business.'' Witness 
testimony focused on the undue burden on small businesses, and 
how the one-size-fits-all rule will do far more damage than 
good. Additionally, on September 4, 2015, Chairman Vitter sent 
a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Tom Perez, 
requesting that he reconsider the decision not to extend the 
public comment period for the Department's July 6, 2015 Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking on overtime pay and the negative impacts 
that they would have on small business operations. 
Additionally, on September 29, 2016, Chairman Vitter introduced 
the Small Business Survival from Disaster Act (S. 3429), which 
would delay the implementation of the DOL Overtime Rule in 
states the President has declared that a major disaster exists 
until December 1, 2018.
     Joint Employer Rule--In 2015, the National 
Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced a revised standard in 
Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc. (Browning-
Ferris) which would expand the definition of a joint employer 
to include employers with ``indirect'' control. The Board's 
ruling set a new precedent for future interpretations of the 
joint employer standard. The ambiguous language of the new 
standard makes it difficult to consistently determine whether a 
current or prospective relationship puts them at risk of being 
deemed a joint employer, likely forcing many business owners to 
seek the advice of a lawyer moving forward. On June 16, 2016, 
the Committee held a hearing entitled ``Keeping the American 
Dream Alive: The Challenge to Create Jobs Under the NLRB's New 
Joint Employer Standard.'' Witnesses discussed how business 
owners and entrepreneurs are expected to enter the marketplace 
and make long-term strategic decisions about their businesses 
given the high level of uncertainty created by the NLRB's 
decisions.
     Healthcare--Small businesses have been very vocal 
on the impacts of various mandates under the Affordable Care 
Act and how they would affect them. The Committee took an 
active interest in determining what the impacts of the law 
would be for American small businesses and what potential 
legislative solutions exist for addressing them.
     On April 29, 2015, the Committee held a 
hearing to discuss the potential effects of King vs. Burwell on 
small businesses and congressional action that can be taken to 
assist small businesses and their employees. The purpose of the 
hearing was to examine the potential effects of King vs. 
Burwell if the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the 
plaintiff, including the consequences for individuals who have 
purchased a health insurance policy on a federal exchange, the 
effect on small business employers, and any action Congress may 
take. Ultimately, the Court ruled for the Administration.
     On May 18, 2016, the Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``The Small Business Struggle Under Obamacare.'' The 
purpose of the hearing was to examine the Patient Protection 
and Affordable Care Act, the effect it is having on American 
small business and small employers, and expectations for its 
impact this year and in the future. Witnesses spoke to the 
experience of small business owners and the effects of the ACA 
on small business employees, employers and their operations.
     Chairman Vitter also took an active interest 
in Congress's decision to apply to the DC Health Link Small 
Business Exchange in order to receive special Obamacare 
subsidies. Those applications claimed the House and Senate were 
``small businesses''' with 45 employees because they would not 
qualify otherwise. Chairman Vitter believed that this move 
equated to an illegal exemption from Obamacare, and the 
Chairman argued that Congress, which is not a small business, 
violated the law when it claimed such a status in order to 
exempt itself from a law with which the rest of the country is 
required to comply.
     On July 21, 2015, Chairman Vitter introduced 
S. 1810, the No Exemption for Washington from Obamacare Act to 
address this matter. This bill requires Members of Congress, 
the President, the Vice President, and executive branch 
political appointees to purchase health insurance through a 
health insurance exchange. On June 29, 2016, Chairman Vitter 
introduced S. 3120, a bill to require Members of Congress, the 
President, and the Vice President to purchase health insurance 
through a health insurance exchange. This bill is similar to 
S.1810, but removes inclusion of executive branch political 
appointees and congressional staff, who would then be eligible 
for FEHB.
     Chairman Vitter also conducted an 
investigation of the events that led to Congress exempting 
itself from the law. On February 2, 2016, the Chairman sent a 
letter to the Hon. Beth Colbert, Acting Director, Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM), the President's nominee to become 
OPM Director, requesting information as to the specific person 
or persons who certified that Congress was a small business. On 
Feb. 10, 2016, the Chairman wrote a letter to the Hon. John 
Koskinen, Commissioner, IRS, requesting that the IRS review the 
statutory requirements of the ACA for Congress to purchase 
health insurance on an ACA exchange, and asking for the IRS 
position on whether Congress is a large employer. On February 
Feb. 24, 2016, Chairman Vitter followed up on his first letter 
to Acting OPM Director Colbert with additional questions 
related to the Obamacare Exemption and announcing he had placed 
a hold on her nomination.
    Conducting Oversight of the Small Business Administration
     Wells Fargo--On September 20, 2016, Chairman 
Vitter launched an investigation into the impact of the Wells 
Fargo fraud on small businesses, given the megabank's role as 
the Small Business Administration's (SBA) largest lender. Wells 
Fargo is the SBA's top lender by volume and had nearly 21,000 
7(a) loans outstanding as of the start of the investigation, 
which accounts for nearly $7.14 billion, all guaranteed by the 
American taxpayer. As part of his investigation, Chairman 
Vitter sent letters to a range of relevant parties in the fraud 
and ensuing federal response.
     Two letters to Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO 
John Stumpf, requesting information regarding how the 
megabank's government-backed loans and the bank's small 
business clients were impacted by the fraud the second after 
news reports, confirming that some of the accounts affected 
were used by small business owners.
     Letter to SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-
Sweet, urging the Administrator and SBA to investigate and take 
appropriate enforcement actions against Wells Fargo in order to 
protect small business owners from further fraud.
     Letter to Thomas Curry, U.S. Comptroller of 
the Currency (OCC), requesting information related to the small 
business impact of Wells Fargo's activities collected during 
the course of the OCC's investigation.
     Letter to the U.S. Attorney for the City of 
Los Angeles, requesting information related to the latter's 
assistance in investigating the fraudulent activity at Wells 
Fargo and their subsequent settlement with the bank.
     Letter to the U.S. attorney for the Northern 
District of California, requesting they include the impact on 
small business owners in their investigation of Wells Fargo's 
fraudulent activities.
     Letter to the U.S. attorney for the Southern 
District of New York, requesting they include the impact on 
small business owners in their own investigation of Wells 
Fargo's fraudulent activities.
     Executive Directed Funding--During meetings in 
February to discuss SBA's FY17 budget request, committee 
members discussed an additional increase in the SBA's Executive 
Directed account. This account has routinely been used as a 
fund for special projects, including multiple past IT 
modernization projects that were ineffectively implemented or 
never completed. One of the challenges of concern to Chairman 
Vitter in this particular area was that the SBA was not 
transparent in providing the Committee with information on 
executive directed funding from the Administrator's office, and 
the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has, as part of a long 
running issue in fulfilling their oversight role, failed to 
adequately investigate how Executive Directed funds are 
expended.
     Office of the Inspector General--The Committee 
continues to take an active interest in the work of the SBA 
OIG, the mission of which is to provide independent, objective 
oversight to improve the integrity, accountability, and 
performance of the SBA and its programs for the benefit of the 
American people. While the Committee believes that the SBA 
OIG's mission is critical, Chairman Vitter had concerns about 
that office's effectiveness in carrying out that mission. 
Chairman Vitter was concerned that the OIG did not take an 
active interest in SBA field office staffing levels, which is 
discussed in further detail below, and has routinely failed to 
critically evaluate the expenditures made by the SBA under 
Executive Directed authority in pursuit of their IT 
modernization plans, or their sluggish implementation of 
authorized disaster loan programs. Chairman Vitter had also 
been informed that the SBA OIG has experienced unusual and 
uncharacteristic levels of staff attrition in recent years. 
Longtime, non-partisan career staff recommended to Chairman 
Vitter that the OIG should take up more aggressive 
investigations of the SBA.
     Sacramento Loan Processing Center Modernization--
The Sacramento Loan Processing Center (SLPC) is responsible for 
processing CDC/504 loan applications. It was brought to the 
Committee's attention that the SLPC was experiencing frequent 
difficulties with its information technology infrastructure, 
preventing it from processing applications in a timely manner. 
It was conveyed to the Committee that these disruptions 
regularly left the SLPC unable to work with or process 
applications, including for nearly a third of the business days 
during the summer of 2016. In a letter to SBA Administrator 
Contreras-Sweet on September 14, 2016, Ranking Member Shaheen 
and Chairman Vitter requested that the SBA immediately restore 
full operation of the SLPC and provide the Committee with 
information about what caused the disruptions and how SBA plans 
to resolving these ongoing issues. The SBA worked closely with 
the Committee on providing the requested information. The SBA 
identified a failing server as the cause for the IT 
difficulties and stated that they moved up the implementation 
of their long-term SLPC IT modernization, purchasing a new 
server to install, and committed to minimizing downtime as they 
worked to complete that effort by second quarter of FY 2018. 
They went on to say that the SLPC was in the process of 
implementing procedures to allow it to continue processing 
applications in the event of future downtime.
     Field office staff levels--SBA's field offices are 
a critical component of the services that SBA provides to small 
businesses on the ground, offering services including free 
counseling through the Service Corps of Retired Executives 
(SCORE) program, financial assistance through guaranteed loans, 
assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged 
individuals, and many others. It is through these offices and 
programs that small business owners have a majority of their 
interactions with the SBA. As such, the Committee was concerned 
to learn of staff vacancies in many field offices. Through 
various correspondence and discussions with SBA leadership, the 
Committee inquired into the numbers and job descriptions of 
various field office vacancies and the reasons for them. SBA 
provided detailed information to that effect and claimed that 
funding constraints were limiting the agency's ability to fill 
those positions by hiring additional personnel, relying on 
reassignment of existing staff to offices on an as needed 
basis. While the Committee understands that funding constraints 
are limiting the ability to fill these vacant positions, it 
remains committed to working with the SBA on potential funding 
reforms and elimination of ineffective programs that could free 
up additional resources to fill these important positions.
     SBA 7(a) Loan Program--The SBA provides loan 
guarantees for small businesses that cannot obtain credit 
elsewhere. Its largest loan guaranty program is the 7(a) loan 
guaranty program. These are loans made by SBA partners (mostly 
banks but also some other financial institutions) and partially 
guaranteed by the SBA. The 7(a) program's current guaranty rate 
is 85 percent for loans of $150,000 or less and 75 percent for 
loans greater than $150,000 (up to a maximum guaranty of $3.75 
million--75 percent of $5 million). Although the SBA's 
guarantee on a loan provides an incentive for lenders to make 
the loan, lenders are not required to do so.
    In July of 2015, the Senate passed legislation by unanimous 
consent to increase the cap from $18.75 billion to $23.5 
billion allowing the program to continue through the 2015 
fiscal year. The program's authorization cap for fiscal year 
2016 was $26.5 billion.
    On May 26, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Oversight of the SBA's 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program.'' This 
hearing examined the SBA's lender oversight efforts following 
dramatic growth in the 7(a) program in recent years, whether 
taxpayers were being adequately protected, and also addressed 
legislative changes proposed in S. 2992, the Small Business 
Lending Oversight Act of 2016. The bill would bolster 
protections for taxpayers and small businesses through reforms 
to the 7(a) program, strengthen of the Office of Credit Risk 
Management, and authorize new, graduated options for the 
enforcement that would provide regulators with flexibility they 
had previously lacked.
    Louisiana Flood Recovery--The Committee took an active 
interest in helping citizens of the State of Louisiana recover 
from major flooding that occurred during the summer of 2016. 
The flooding and storm damage represents the worst U.S. natural 
disaster since Hurricane Sandy and, were it a hurricane, would 
rank only behind Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy in terms of cost. 
The thousand year flooding event damaged or destroyed nearly 
146,000 homes. In response, in August 2016, Chairman Vitter 
arranged for the SBA Administrator to join him on a tour of the 
flood-impacted areas in Livingston, Ascension, and East Baton 
Rouge parishes. Also joining them on the tour was Julian 
Castro, Administrator of the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development (HUD).
    On September 15, 2016, the Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``An Examination of the Federal Response and Resources 
for Louisiana Flood Victims.'' This hearing focused on federal 
disaster response and recovery efforts by the SBA, FEMA, and 
HUD in response to recent disasters, particularly the historic 
flooding seen in Louisiana this past August. The hearing also 
examined coordination efforts by the three agencies invited and 
the SBA's continued implementation of the Recovery Improvements 
for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 (RISE Act), 
signed into law in November 2015, which is intended to assist 
small business owners in rebuilding after a disaster.
    Government Contracting--Under Chairman Vitter's leadership, 
the Committee passed two contracting bills during the 114th 
Congress. The Small Business Subcontracting Transparency Act of 
2015 (S. 2138) was authored by Chairman Vitter to encourage 
transparency in the complicated world of federal contracting 
and procurement. It would require the SBA to issue clear 
regulations that would apply to subcontracting plans. The Small 
Contractors Improve Competition Act of 2015 (S. 2139) was 
authored by Chairman Vitter to prohibit the use of reverse 
auctions for certain SBA federal procurement contracts. These 
two bills resulted from consultation with firms in Louisiana 
experiencing challenges with the federal procurement process. 
The bills address small business challenges to level the 
playing field and ensure fair competition in government 
contracting.
    As our global security environment evolves, the Senate 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee made it a 
priority to ensure that our military keeps pace. Enhancing the 
ability of small businesses to commercialize innovative 
technologies helps our military meet urgent policy and 
operational needs. Recognizing that small businesses are often 
more agile, creative and responsive, the Rapid Innovation Fund 
(RIF) program ensures that our defense agencies can rely on 
small businesses, while also providing them with critical 
revenue to bring these products to market. A RIF pilot was 
established at the Department of Defense (DoD) in 2011 to 
commercialize technologies beyond the first two phases funded 
by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small 
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. On April 13, 
2016, Ranking Member Shaheen and Chairman Vitter introduced the 
Rapid Innovation Fund Enhancement Act of 2016, which made the 
RIF program permanent and prioritized small business RIF 
contracts within the DoD's funding order. Ultimately, this bill 
passed into law when the Senate Armed Services Committee 
adopted it as part of the FY2017 National Defense Authorization 
Act.
    Small Business Jobs Act of 2016--The Small Business Jobs 
Act of 2016 was introduced as an amendment to H.R. 4326 on 
September 12, 2016 as a package of bipartisan bills, each 
reported out of the Committee with wide support. In this 
package, Chairman Vitter and Ranking Member Shaheen focused on 
reforming and modernizing existing SBA programs through greater 
efficiency and transparency. The bills would have provided 
better outcomes for small businesses and taxpayers. Each of 
these bills received support from the small business community 
and relevant stakeholders. Committee-passed measures in this 
package include:
    S. 967 CLEAR SBA Act
    S. 999 SBDC Improvement Act
    S. 1000 SCORE for Small Business Act
    S. 1400 Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act
    S. 1756 Small Business Energy Efficiency Act
    S. 2116 Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information 
Technology Enhancement Act
    S. 2126 Women's Small Business Ownership Act
    S. 2138 Small Business Subcontracting Transparency Act
    S. 2139 Small Contractors Improve Competition Act
    S. 2838 Small Business Transforming America's Regions Act
    S. 2846 Small Business Innovation Protection Act
    S. 2850 Microloan Modernization Act
    S. 2992 Small Business Lending Oversight Act
    S. 3009 National Guard Reserve Entrepreneurship Support Act
    S. 3024 Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

Measures Enacted or Obviated Relevant to the Senate Committee on Small 
                     Business and Entrepreneurship

    Rules of Procedure for the Senate Committee on Small 
Business and Entrepreneurship for the 114th Congress adopted by 
voice vote and published on January 28, 2015.
    S. Res. 22: Introduced by Sen. Reid on January 7, 2015. 
Constituted the minority party's membership on the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the 114th 
Congress.
    S. Res 23: Introduced by Sen. McConnell on January 8, 2015. 
Constituted the majority party's membership on the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the 114th 
Congress.
    S. Res. 45: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on January 28, 2015. 
Authorized expenditures by the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship for the 114th Congress.
    S. Res. 135: Introduced by Sen. Reid on April 14, 2015. 
Constituted the minority party's membership on the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the 114th 
Congress.
    S. Res. 172: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on May 6, 2015. 
Honored the vital role of small businesses and the passion of 
entrepreneurs in the United States during ``National Small 
Business Week'', from May 4, through May 8, 2015.
    S. Res. 243: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on August 5, 2015. 
Celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Small Business 
Development Centers of the United States.
    S. Res. 252: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on September 15, 
2015. Expressed the sense of the Committee on Small Business 
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate relating to easing the 
burden of Federal tax compliance on small businesses.
    S. Res. 280: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on October 7, 2015. 
Recognized the month of October 2015 as ``National Women's 
Small Business Month''.
    S. Res. 295: Introduced by Sen. Shaheen on October 22, 
2015. Designated the week of November 2 through November 6, 
2015 as ``National Veterans Small Business Week''.
    S. Res. 304: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on November 3, 2015. 
Recognized November 28, 2015, as ``Small Business Saturday'' 
and supporting efforts to increase awareness of the value of 
locally owned small businesses
    S. Res. 450: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on April 28, 2016. 
Honored May 1 through May 7, 2016, as ``National Small Business 
Week'' and celebrating the contributions of small businesses 
and entrepreneurs in every community in the United States.
    S. Res. 569: Introduced by Sen. Vitter on September 15, 
2016. Recognized November 26, 2016, as ``Small Business 
Saturday'' and supporting the efforts of the Small Business 
Administration to increase awareness of the value of locally 
owned small businesses.
    S. Res. 595: Introduced by Sen. Shaheen on September 29, 
2016. Celebrated National Veterans Small Business Week.
    P.L. 114-113 (S. 522): The Small Business Investment 
Capital Company Act of 2015 was introduced by Sen. Risch on 
February 24, 2015. Amended the Small Business Investment Act of 
1958 to provide for increased limitations on leverage for 
multiple licenses under common control. Unanimously reported 
out of committee on April 23, 2015 and identical legislative 
language signed into law on December 18, 2015 as a provision of 
H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016.
    P.L. 114-38 (H.R. 2499): Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 
2015 was introduced by Rep. Steve Chabot on May 21, 2015. 
Amended the Small Business Act of 1953 to prohibit the 
administrator of the Small Business SBA from assessing a 
guarantee fee in connection with a loan made under the SBA 
Express Program to a veteran or spouse of a veteran beginning. 
Increased the 7(a) Loan Program funding level for fiscal year 
2015. Includes identical language to S. 957 & S. 1001 and 
enacted on July 28, 2015.
    P.L. 114-92 (S. 1356): National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2016 introduced by Sen. Johnson on May 14, 
2015. Included identical language from S. 958, the Small 
Business Fairness Act, which amends the Small Business Act to 
revise requirements with respect to solicitation of offers for 
bundled contracts issued by the head of a federal agency that 
allows a small business to submit an offer that provides for 
the use of a particular team of subcontractors for the 
performance of the contract. Also includes identical language 
from S. 1292, the HUBzone Revitalization Act, which amends the 
Small Business Act to redefine HUBZones eligible for certain 
assistance to include a qualified disaster area. Enacted on 
November 25, 2015.
    P.L. 114-113 (S. 966): The Commercial Real Estate and 
Economic Development Act of 2015 was introduced by Sen. Shaheen 
on April 15, 2015. Reinstates the 504 Debt Refinancing Program 
as a permanent part of the SBA 504 Loan Program. Unanimously 
reported out of committee on April 23, 2015 and identical 
legislative language signed into law on December 18, 2015 as a 
provision of H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 
2016.
    P.L. 114-88 (H.R. 208): The Recovery Improvements for Small 
Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 was introduced by Rep. 
Nydia Velazquez on January 8, 2015. Amends the Small Business 
Act to authorize a small business, homeowner, nonprofit entity, 
or renter that was located within a declared major disaster 
area during Super storm Sandy in 2012 to apply for an SBA loan 
to: (1) repair, rehabilitate, or replace property damaged or 
destroyed because of the storm; or (2) assist a small business 
that suffered substantial economic injury because of it. 
Included legislative language from S. 1470 & S. 1811 and 
enacted on January 25, 2015.
    P.L. 114-328 (S. 2943): The National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2017 was introduced by Sen. McCain on May 
18, 2016. Included a five-year authorization of the SBIR and 
STTR programs based on a provision in the Shaheen/Vitter bill, 
S. 2812, and permanency of the Rapid Innovation, based on the 
Shaheen/Vitter bill, S. 2792.

                              Nominations

    The Small Business Administration has four positions which 
are filled by presidential nomination and require Senate 
confirmation under the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The positions are: 
Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief Counsel for 
Advocacy, and Inspector General.
    During the 114th Congress, the position of Deputy 
Administrator and the position of Chief Counsel for Advocacy 
required Senate action. The position of SBA Deputy 
Administrator was held by Marie Collins Johns, who served from 
June 24, 2010, to May 31, 2013. The position of SBA Chief 
Counsel for Advocacy was held by Dr. Winslow Sargeant, who 
served from August 23, 2010, to January 24, 2015.

Douglas Kramer

    On March 18, 2015, President Obama nominated Douglas Kramer 
to serve as Deputy Administrator for the Small Business 
Administration. The nomination was reported unanimously out of 
committee, on June 3, 2015. On June 11, 2015, Mr. Kramer's 
nomination was confirmed by a voice vote by the full Senate.

Gilberto de Jesus

    On September 8, 2014, President Obama nominated Gilberto de 
Jesus to serve as the Chief Counsel for Advocacy for the Small 
Business Administration. Due to issues of concern that came to 
the Committee's attention during the vetting process, the 
Chairman requested that the president rescind the nomination. 
The White House agreed to do so and the position was filled on 
an acting basis by Claudia Rogers, Deputy Chief Counsel for 
Advocacy, until Darryl L. DePriest was confirmed.

Darryl L. DePriest

    On July 28, 2015, President Obama nominated Darryl L. 
DePriest to serves as the Chief Counsel for Advocacy for the 
Small Business Administration. The nomination was reported 
favorably out of the Committee, 19-0, on October 12, 2011. Mr. 
DePriest's nomination was confirmed by a voice vote by the full 
senate.

        Hearings, Roundtables, and Markups of the 114th Congress


                             FIRST SESSION

    January 15, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``The Effects of the 
Affordable Care Act on Small Businesses and How Congress is 
Exempted From the Law,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from 
Ms. Hedy Hebert, Partner, Benefits Consulting; Ms. Debbie 
Martin, President, North Shreveport Business Association; Mr. 
David Scruggs, COO, Piggly Wiggly and Save-A Lot Grocery 
Stores; Ms. Brenda Little, Healthcare Administration, Jean 
Simpson Personnel Services. The committee met to examine the 
real life consequences of how small businesses are navigating 
Obamacare implementation. They also heard how Members of 
Congress have been exempted from Obamacare by allowing 
themselves to maintain a taxpayer subsidy unavailable to any 
other American.
    January 28, 2015: Meeting to Organize the Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Vitter chaired. 
The Committee met to consider the Committee's rules of 
procedure and to discuss a budget resolution. The rules 
establish how the Committee will operate and the rights of the 
majority and the minority for the session of Congress.
    February 19, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``How Innovative 
Education Systems Can Better Prepare Students To Enter The 
Workforce,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Sandra 
Partain, Dean of Technology, Engineering, and Math Bossier 
Parish Community College; David Helveston, Vice President for 
Workforce, Career and Technical Education, Louisiana Community 
and Technical College System; Gayle Flowers, Director of 
Career, Adult, and Alternative Education, Caddo Parish School 
Board; Alvin Bargas, President, Pelican Chapter Associated 
Builders and Contractors. The committee met to examine ways to 
modernize and improve this nation's education and K-12 systems 
in order for students to be in the best possible position for 
employment upon graduation.
    February 20, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``How Innovative 
Education Systems Can Better Prepare Students To Enter The 
Workforce,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Dr. Nick 
Bruno, President, University of Louisiana at Monroe; Dr. 
Barbara Hanson, Chancellor, Louisiana Delta Community College; 
John Jones, Vice President of Policy and Federal Legislative 
Affairs, CenturyLink; Dana Talley Network 2 Deputy Leader, 
Louisiana Department of Education. The committee met to discuss 
ways to modernize and improve this nation's education and K-12 
systems in order for students to be in the best possible 
position for employment upon graduation. Witnesses discussed 
how partnerships and communication between schools and 
employers need to be strengthened so that students can 
transition into the workforce with better prospects.
    March 2, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``How Small Businesses 
Are Supporting America's Energy Renaissance.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Mr. Joey Jarreau, Owner, Southside 
Machine Works; Bryan Galley, Owner, Bryan Galley Builders, 
Inc.; Neil Aspinwall, Chancellor, SOWELA Technical Community 
College, Patricia Outtrim, Vice President of Governmental and 
Regulatory Affairs, Cheniere Energy, Inc. The committee heard 
testimony on the role of small businesses in Louisiana, which 
is one of the top oil and natural gas producers in the United 
States.
    March 19, 2015: Hearing titled ``Patent Reform: Protecting 
Innovation and Entrepreneurship.'' Senator Vitter chaired. 
Testimony from Mr. David Winwood, President-Elect, Association 
of University Technology Managers, Chief Business Development 
Officer, Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical 
Research Center; Mr. Robert N. Schmidt, Co-Chair, Small 
Business Technology Council, National Small Business 
Association; Ms. Rachel King, Founder & CEO, GlycoMimetics, 
Chair of the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board; Mr. Craig 
Bandes, President & CEO, Pixelligent Technologies; Mr. Tim 
Molino, Director of Policy, BSA | The Software Alliance. The 
purpose of the hearing was to examine the effects of current 
law on property rights, invention, and investment for small 
businesses and innovators. The Committee also discussed 
legislative options to improve patent law and protection of 
property rights.
    March 23, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``How Small Businesses 
Are Supporting America's Energy Renaissance.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Dr. Natalie J. Harder, Ph.D., 
Chancellor, South Louisiana Community College; Joshua A. 
Pellerin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pellerin 
Energy Group, LLC; Bill Fenstermaker, Chairman and CEO, C.H. 
Fenstermaker and Associates. The Committee met to discuss 
various ways the federal government can support job-creating 
initiatives in the energy sector, as well as efforts to reduce 
President Obama's unnecessary federal burdens on domestic 
energy production.
    March 30, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``How the Hidden Cost 
of Federal Regulations Impact Small Businesses and Economic 
Growth''. Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from J.H. Campbell, 
Jr., President and CEO, Associated Grocers, Inc.; Charlotte 
Johnston, Owner, 3south Companies; Preston Kennedy, Bank of 
Zachary; John Overton, President and CEO, TurnKey Solutions. 
The Committee met to discuss the impact of unnecessary 
government regulations and their hidden costs to our local 
community, small businesses, and economy.
    April 2, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``Reducing the Federal 
Tax Burden for America's Small Businesses.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Sadie Shamsie, President and Co-
Founder, Standard Title; Alan Hebert, Partner, Thibodaux Hebert 
Deshotels Leblanc, L.L.C.; Dan Feibus, Chief Executive Officer, 
Zagis USA; Robert Moring, Owner, Weld Done Design. The 
Committee met to examine the impact of tax regulations on small 
businesses and how small business tax reform can reduce the 
time and costs associated with compliance.
    April 9, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``Reducing the Burden 
of Federal Regulations on Community Banks and Small 
Businesses''. Senator Gardner chaired. Testimony from David 
Kelly, FirstBank; Tony Gagliardi, Colorado State Director, 
National Federation of Independent Business; Dave Reyher, 
President, Colorado East Bank & Trust; Koger Propst, President, 
ANB Bank; Roger Hays Jr., President & CEO, Premier Employer 
Services, Inc.; Don Childears, President & CEO, Colorado 
Bankers Association; Mike O'Donnell, Executive Director, 
Colorado Lending Source; Jay Davidson, Founder, Chairman of the 
Board, and CEO, First American State Bank. The committee met to 
focus on reducing the burden of federal regulations on 
community banks and small business.
    April 23, 2015: Meeting to Consider Eight Pieces of 
Legislation, Senator Vitter chaired. The Committee met to 
consider S. 552, Small Business Investment Capital Company Act 
of 2015; S. 957; Veterans Entrepreneurship Act; S. 958, Small 
Business Fairness Act; S. 966, Commercial Real Estate and 
Economic Development Act of 2015; S. 967, Communicating Lender 
Activity Reports from the Small Business Administration Act; S. 
999, Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 
2015; S. 1000, SCORE for Small Business Act of 2015; S. 1001, 
Small Business Lending Reauthorization Act. The manager's 
package was reported favorably out of Committee to the Senate.
    April 29, 2015: Hearing titled ``King vs Burwell Supreme 
Court Case and Congressional Action that can be taken to 
Protect Small Businesses and their Employees.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Michael Cannon, Director of Health 
Policy Studies, Cato Institute; Linda Blumberg, Senior Fellow, 
Urban Institute; Jeffrey Anderson, Executive Director, The 2017 
Project. The Committee met to examine the King vs Burwell 
Supreme Court case and congressional action that could be taken 
to protect small businesses and their employees.
    May 1, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``How Flood Insurance 
Rate Increases and Flood Mapping Policy Changes Will Impact 
Small Businesses and Economic Growth.'' Senator Vitter chaired. 
Testimony from Brad J. Kieserman, Deputy Associate 
Administrator for Federal Insurance, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency; Roy Wright, Deputy Associate Administrator 
for Mitigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Dwayne 
Bourgeois, Executive Director, North Lafourche Conservation, 
Levee and Drainage District; Jerry Passman, President, 
Louisiana Home Builders Association, Passman Homes, Inc.; David 
McKey, Broker and Owner, Coldwell Banker One. The Committee met 
to examine the impact of higher flood insurance rates on small 
businesses and the need to avoid new rate increases in 
Louisiana.
    May 4, 2015: Field hearing titled ``Reducing the Federal 
Tax Burden for America's Small Businesses.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Margot May, Owner, Inspired Media. Jim 
Urdiales, Owner, Mestizo Restaurant; Candy Forbes, Vice 
President & Sales Manager, Denham Springs Housing; Ron Gitz, 
Executive Director, LCPA. The Committee heard testimony from 
Louisiana small businesses on the federal tax burdens that they 
face, what the impacts are on their day-to-day operations, and 
opportunities for reducing those burdens.
    May 6, 2015: Hearing titled ``Impact of Federal Labor and 
Safety Laws on the U.S. Seafood Industry.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Ms. Portia Wu, Assistant Secretary of 
the Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor; Dr. Steven Solomon, Deputy Associate Commissioner for 
Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Mike 
Strain, Commissioner, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and 
Forestry; Mr. John P. Connelly, President, National Fisheries 
Institute; Mr. Frank Randol, President, Randol, Inc. The 
Committee met to examine the safety of seafood import and how 
federal H-2B Visa regulations are effecting the seafood 
industry.
    May 19, 2015: Hearing titled ``An Examination of Proposed 
Environmental Regulation's Impacts on America's Small 
Businesses.'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. 
Charles Maresca, Director of Interagency Affairs, Small 
Business Administration, Office of Advocacy; Mrs. Darcy 
Dougherty Maulsby, Fifth-Generation Iowa Farmer, Dougherty 
Farm; Mr. Karl Randall Noel, President, Reve Inc.; Ms. 
Elizabeth Milito, Esq., Senior Executive Counsel, National 
Federation of Independent Business; Mr. Benjamin Bulis, 
President, American Fly Fishing Trade Association. The 
committee met to examine the economic and regulatory impacts of 
the Obama Administration's proposal to modify the definition of 
``Water of the United States'' under the Clean Water Act.
    June 3, 2015: Markup for the Nomination of Douglas J. 
Kramer of Kansas to be Deputy Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration; Senator Vitter chaired. S. 1470, 
Recovery Improvements for Small Entities (RISE) After Disaster 
Act of 2015; S. 1292, HUBZone Revitalization Act of 2015; 
Resolution expressing the Sense of the Senate Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship that the Waters of the 
United States rule will have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The manager's package was 
reported favorability. The resolution proposed by the Chairman 
was adopted by an 11 to 8 vote.
    June 8, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``Need to Invest Federal 
Funding to Relieve Traffic Congestion and Increase Small 
Business Growth by Improving Our Roads and Bridges at the State 
and Local Level.'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. 
David Kim, Associate Administrator for Policy and Governmental 
Affairs, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation; Terry Baugh, CFO, D&J Construction; Kam 
Movassaghi, P.E., Ph.D., F., ASCE; Mr. Don Hargroder, Owner, 
Courtesy Automotive; Ms. Missy Rogers, President, Noble 
Plastics. The Committee met to examine the need for federal 
transportation infrastructure investment to relieve traffic 
congestion and improve and modernize our roads and bridges, 
which prevents traffic problems from impeding state and local 
economic development.
    June 25, 2015: Hearing titled ``Opening Doors to Economic 
Opportunity for Our Veterans and Their Families Through 
Entrepreneurship.'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mrs. 
Katrina Nowosielski, Owner, Storm Guard of LA; Mr. Albert 
Tansey, President, Tansey Electric; Ms. Laurie Sayles Artis, 
President and CEO, Civility Management Solutions (CMS); Ms. 
Barbara Carson, Acting Associate Administrator, Office of 
Veterans Business Development, U.S. Small Business 
Administration (SBA); Dr. Michael Haynie, Vice Chancellor and 
Executive Director, Institute for Veterans and Military 
Families, Syracuse University; Mr. Scott R. Daugherty, 
Assistant Vice Chancellor and State Director, Small Business 
Technology & Development Center, North Carolina State 
University; Mr. Charles W. McCaffrey, Acting Director, Veterans 
Business Outreach Center at Community Business Partnership. The 
Committee met to examine entrepreneurship programs available to 
veterans, particularly those with service-related disabilities, 
as they transition to civilian life.
    July 2, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``The North Dakota 
Entrepreneur: The Role of the Small Business Administration in 
Startups, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.'' Senator Heitkamp 
chaired. Testimony from The Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet, 
Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; Mr. John 
Machacek, Senior Vice President, Greater Fargo Moorhead 
Economic Development Corporation; Mr. Dan Mahli, Community 
Development Administrator, City of Fargo; Mr. Jake Joraanstad, 
CEO, Myriad Mobile. The Committee met to examine the SBA's role 
in assisting startups, entrepreneurship and innovation in North 
Dakota.
    July 13, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``Relieving Traffic 
Congestion and Improving the Flow of Commerce for Small 
Businesses.'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. Randy 
Guillot, President, Triple G Express, Inc., Southeastern Motor 
Freight, Inc.; Mr. Donald Rouse Jr., Managing Partner Rouse's 
Enterprises, LLC; Mr. Wayne Dugas, Director of Dealer Sales, 
Lard Oil; Mr. Larry Collins, President and CEO, Livingston 
Economic Development Council. The Committee met to examine the 
need for federal transportation infrastructure investment to 
relieve traffic congestion and improve and modernize our roads 
and bridges, which prevents traffic problems from impeding 
state and local economic development.
    July 14, 2015: Hearing titled ``Challenges and 
Opportunities for Small Businesses Engaged in Energy 
Development and Energy Intensive Manufacturing.'' Senator 
Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. Toby Mack, President & CEO, 
Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance; Dr. Neil 
Aspinwall, Chancellor, SOWELA Technical Community College; Ms. 
Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy; Mr. Tyson 
Slocum, Director, Public Citizen Energy Program. The Committee 
met to examine how federal energy policies can support the 
growth of small businesses in the energy sector, the 
communities in which they are located and related service 
industries.
    July 22, 2015: Hearing titled ``Targeted Tax Reform: 
Solutions to Relieve the Tax Compliance Burden(s) for America's 
Small Businesses.'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. 
Don Begneaud, Founder/Owner, Begneaud Manufacturing; Ms. Diana 
Beebe, CFO, Prosys, Inc.; Ms. Cori O'Steen, Owner, UPakNShip; 
Mr. Nick Karellas, Tax Counsel, National Federation of 
Independent Business; Mr. Tom Mathison, Principal, MATHISON | 
MATHISON architects; Mr. Jeffrey A. Porter, Owner, Porter & 
Associates, CPA's; Ms. Caroline Bruckner, Professor, Kogod Tax 
Policy Center, American University; Mr. Dean Zerbe, National 
Managing Director, alliantgroup. The Committee met to examine 
the impact of tax regulations on small businesses and how 
certain, targeted reforms can ease their compliance costs and 
spur growth.
    July 29, 2015: Meeting to Consider Five Pieces of 
Legislation and a Sense of the Committee Resolution, Senator 
Vitter chaired. The Committee met to consider the substitute 
amendment for S. 1400, S. 1756, S. 1857, the substitute 
amendment for S. 1866, the Ayotte-Shaheen amendment to the 
Veterans Small Business Improvements Act, a Sense of the 
Committee on the Small Business Tax Compliance Relief Act of 
2015, and the substitute amendment for S. 1870. The managers 
package was reported favorability to the Senate.
    August 6, 2015: Roundtable titled ``Rising After Disaster: 
Improvements and Continuing Challenges.'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Mr. James Rivera, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small 
Business Administration; Ms. Gerillee Bennett, Deputy Director, 
National Disaster Recovery Planning Division, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA); Mr. Russ Paulsen, Executive Director, 
Office of Community Preparedness and Resilience, American Red 
Cross; Mr. William B. Shear, Director, Financial Markets & 
Community Investment, Government Accountability Office; Ms. 
Andrea Deadwyler, Director, Credit Programs Group--Audit 
Division, SBA Office of the Inspector General; Mr. C.E. ``Tee'' 
Rowe, President & CEO, America's Small Business Development 
Centers (SBDC). The roundtable examined disaster protection and 
recovery improvements over the past decade; what continuing 
challenges local, state, and federal officials still face; and 
what recommendations can be made to Congress for continued 
improvements regarding small business loan programs, economic 
recovery, agency coordination, assistance-delivery efficiency, 
and related topics.
    August 31, 2015: Field hearing titled ``Opportunities and 
Challenges Small Businesses Face in Hiring a Skilled 
Workforce.'' Senator Shaheen chaired. Testimony from Mr. Ross 
Gittell, Chancellor, Community College System of New Hampshire; 
Ms. Heather Wells, Adjunct Professor, Advanced Welding 
Technology, White Mountains Community College; Ms. Adria 
Bagshaw, Vice President, W.H. Bagshaw; Ms. Wendy Tirollo, Owner 
and CEO, TRM Microwave; Mr. Michael Power, Community Outreach 
Administrator, Office of Workforce Opportunity, New Hampshire 
Department of Resources & Economic Development; Mr. Zenagui 
Brahim, President, New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership; Ms. Erin E. Andrew, Assistant Administrator, 
Office of Women's Business Ownership, SBA. The Committee met to 
examine workforce development needs of small businesses and 
ways to ensure small businesses have access to a skilled 
workforce.
    October 1, 2015: Hearing titled ``Examining the Significant 
Costs and Related Burdens for Small Businesses Resulting from 
the Gold King Mine Waste Water Spill near Silverton, 
Colorado.'' Senator Gardner chaired. Testimony from The 
Honorable Scott Tipton, 3rd District of Colorado, U.S. House of 
Representatives; Mr. Brad Blake, Commissioner, La Plata County, 
Colorado; Mr. Andy Corra, Owner, 4Corners Riversports; Ms. 
DeAnne Gallegos, Executive Director, Silverton Area Chamber of 
Commerce. The Committee met to examine how Colorado small 
business employers and local stakeholders were affected by the 
EPA-caused Gold King Mine waste water spill, including 
temporary closures and layoffs for river-related tourism 
business.
    October 7, 2015: Business Meeting to Consider Six Pieces of 
Legislation, Senator Vitter chaired. The Committee met to 
consider S. 1811, with the Vitter and Booker amendments; the 
substitute for S. 2116; S. 2126; the substitute for S. 2136; S. 
2138; and S. 2139, with the Cardin amendment. The managers 
package was reported favorably.
    December 4, 2015: Field Hearing titled ``Strategies for 
Rebuilding: An Examination of Small Business Recovery Efforts 
in South Carolina.'' Senator Scott chaired. Testimony from Mr. 
Michael Marsha, Owner, Forest Lakes Fabrics; Ms. Kay Stafford, 
Owner, Web Rawls Galleries; Mr. Ted Pitts, CEO, South Carolina 
Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Jeremy Cannon, Owner, Cannon Ag 
Products; Mr. James Rivera, Associate Administrator of the 
Office of Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small Business 
Administration; Mr. W. Jack Nettles, Acting State Executive 
Director, South Carolina Farm Service Agency. The Committee met 
to examine the ongoing efforts to support recovery of South 
Carolina's small businesses following October's severe storms.
    December 9, 2015: Markup for the nomination of Darryl L. 
DePriest to be the Chief Counsel for the Office of Advocacy at 
the Small Business Administration. Senator Vitter chaired. 
Voted out of Committee by a vote of 19-0.

                             SECOND SESSION

    January 28, 2016: Hearing titled ``Reauthorization of the 
SBIR/STTR Programs--The Importance of Small Business Innovation 
to National and Economical Security,'' Senator Vitter chaired. 
Testimony from Mr. Robert Smith, Director, Department of Navy 
SMIR/STTR Programs, Office of Naval Research; Mr. John 
Williams, Director of Innovation and Technology, SBA Office of 
Investment and Innovation; Mr. Robert Kline-Schoder Ph.D., 
President, Creare LLC; Mr. Jere W. Glover, Executive Director, 
Small Business technology Council; Mr. Roy Keller, Director, LA 
Technology Transfer Office, LSU Innovation Park at Louisiana 
Business & Technology Center. The Committee met to examine the 
SBIR/STTR programs and the successful increase of innovation 
and how the incentive to commercialize these technologies helps 
the country's general economy as well as our national security.
    February 25, 2016: Hearing titled ``An Examination of 
Changes to the U.S. Patent Systems and Impacts on America's 
Small Businesses,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from 
Brian O'Shaughnessy, Chairman-elect, Licensing Executives 
Society (USA and Canada), Inc.; Mr. Robert L. Stoll, Partner 
and Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice Group, 
Drinker Biddle & Reath; Neil Veloso, Executive Director, 
Technology Transfer, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. The 
Committee met to examine whether or not the patent litigation 
abuse problem demands a major rewrite of our patent laws or if 
the changes taking place are having the desired effect, 
specifically with regards to protecting small businesses, small 
business entrepreneurs, and universities.
    March 3, 2016: Hearing titled ``The Impacts of Federal 
Fisheries Management on Small Businesses,'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimony from Ms. Pam Anderson, Operation Manager, 
Capt. Andersons's Marina; Mr. Hughes Andry, Regional Manager, 
Sportco Marketing, Mr. Brad Gentner, President, Gentner Group 
Consulting, LLC; Mr. James Hayward, President, XI Northeast 
Fisheries Sector, Inc.; Dr. Joshua Wiersma, Manager, Northeast 
Fisheries, Environmental Defense Fund. The Committee met to 
discuss how the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) and the 
Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Council (Gulf 
Council). The Committee met to analyze the impact of federal 
fisheries management on small business, specifically as it 
relates to the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) and the 
Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Council (Gulf 
Council), given the continued diminishing rights of the 
recreational angler and a failure to use proper data collection 
strategies.
    March 10, 2016: Hearing titled ``Up in the Air: Examining 
the Commercial Applications of Unmanned Aircraft for Small 
Businesses,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. Brian 
Wynne, President and CEO, Association for Unmanned Vehicle 
Systems International; Captain Tim Cannoll, President, Air Line 
Pilots Association, International; Mr. Eli Dourado, Director 
Technology Policy Program, Mercatus Center at George Mason 
University; Dr. Thomas W. Vaneck, Vice President, Disruptive 
Technologies, Physical Sciences, Inc.; Mr. Gregory S. McNeal 
JD/PhD, Professor of Law at Pepperdine University, Co-Founder 
at AirMap. The Committee met to examine the commercial 
application of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) by small 
businesses and to highlight the need to integrate UAS into the 
national airspace in a way that ensures safety as the top 
priority.
    April 6, 2016: Hearing titled ``Federal Disaster Response 
and SBA implementation of the RISE Act,'' Senator Vitter 
chaired. Testimonies by Mr. Douglas J. Kramer, Deputy 
Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration; Ms. 
Elizabeth Zimmerman, Association Administration for Response 
and Recovery, FEMA. The Committee met to take a closer look at 
how well the federal government is responding to major natural 
disasters, in particular, the SBA's implementation of the RISE 
act for small businesses, given its ineffective history of 
standing up such programs in the past.
    April 27, 2016: Hearing titled ``Drowning in Regulations: 
The Waters of the U.S. Rule and the Case for Reforming the 
RFA,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from the Honorable 
Darryl L. DePriest, Chief Counsel for the Office of Advocacy, 
U.S. Small Business Administration; Ms. Elizabeth Milito, 
Senior Executive Counsel, National Federation of Independent 
Business; Mr. Frank Knapp Jr., President and CEO, South 
Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Rosario 
Palmieri, Vice President, Labor, Legal, and Regulatory Policy, 
National Association of Manufactures. The Committee met to 
examine the implementation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 
and the need for regulatory reform in light of how federal 
agencies oftentimes issue new rules and regulations that cause 
undue burdens on small businesses.
    May 11, 2016: Hearing titled ``An Examination of the 
Administration's Overtime Rule and the Rising Cost of Doing 
Business,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Ms. Tammy 
McCutchen, Principal, Littler Mendelson, P.C.; Ms. Sarita 
Gupta, Executive Director, Jobs with Justice; Mr. Octavio 
Mantilla, Co-Owner, Besh Restaurant Group; Mr. Ross Eisenbrey, 
Vice President of Human Resources, Operation Smile. The 
Committee met to examine the Obama Administration's proposal to 
more than double the current salary threshold under the Fair 
Labor Standards Act's overtime exemption for administrative, 
executive, and professional employees and the negative impact 
it will have on small businesses.
    May 11, 2016: Meeting to Consider Six Pieces of Pending 
Legislation, Senator Vitter chaired. The Committee met to 
markup S. 2812, SBIR and STTR Reauthorization and Improvement 
Act of 2016; S. 2831, A bill to amend the Small Business 
Investments Act of 1958 to provide priority for applicants for 
a license to operate as a small business investment company 
that are located in a disaster area; S. 2838, Small Business 
Transforming American's Regions Act of 2016; S. 2850 Microloan 
Program Modernization Act of 2016; S. 2847, Prove it Act of 
2016. The manager's package was reported favorably.
    May 18, 2016: Hearing titled ``The Small Business Struggle 
Under Obamacare,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from the 
Honorable Richard G. Frank, Assistant Secretary for Planning 
and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 
Mr. Tom Kunkel, President, Full House Marketing, Inc.; Mr. 
Kevin Kuhlman, Director of Legislation Affairs, National 
Federation of Independent Business; Mr. Mike Brey, President, 
Hobby Works. The Committee met to discuss the impact of the 
Affordable Care Act on America's small businesses and employees 
due to rising premiums, increased health care costs, reduced 
access to doctors and hospitals, and the high cost of providing 
health insurance that must be purchased on the small group 
market.
    May 26, 2016: Hearing titled ``Oversight of the SBA's 7(a) 
loan Guaranty Program,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from 
the Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator, U.S. Small 
Business Administration. The Committee met to discuss oversight 
of the SBA 7(a) loan program and efforts to reform and 
strengthen it, given the program's steady and dramatic growth 
that has required regular authorization increases, including 
two emergency increases in 2014 and 2015.
    June 8, 2016: Meeting to Consider Three Pieces of Pending 
Legislation, Senator Vitter chaired. The Committee met to 
markup S. 2992, Small Business Lending Oversight Act of 2016; 
S. 3009 National Guard and Reserve Entrepreneurship Support Act 
of 2016; S. 3024, Small Business Cyber Security Improvements 
Act of 2016. The legislation was reported favorably.
    June 16, 2016: Hearing titled ``Keeping the American Dream 
Alive: The Challenge to Create Jobs Under the NLRB's New Joint 
Employer Standard,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Ms. 
Ciara Stockeland, Founder and COO, MODE; Mr. Keith R. Bolek, 
Partner, O'Donoghue & O'Donoghue LLP; Ms. Lynn Berberich, 
Owner, BrightStar Healthcare of Baltimore City/County; Mr. 
Harris Freeman, Professor, Western New England School of Law; 
Mr. James Sherk, Research Fellow, Labor Economics, Institute 
for Economic Freedom and Opportunity, the Heritage Foundation. 
The Committee met to examine the impact the National Labor 
Relations Board's (NLRB) new joint-employer standard will have 
on small businesses across the country.
    June 23, 2016: Hearing titled ``Beyond the Bench: 
Ramifications for the Supreme Court Kingdomware Decision,'' 
Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. Thomas J. Leney, 
Executive Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 
Utilization, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. A. John 
Shoraka, Associate Administrator of Government Contracting and 
Business Development, U.S. Small Business Administration; Ms. 
LaTonya Barton, Kingdomware Technologies, Inc.; Mr. Michael 
Phipps, Managing Director, The Millennium Group Int'l LLC; Mr. 
Johnathan T. Williams, Partner, Pillero Mazza. The Committee 
met to review the ramifications of the Supreme Court's decision 
to rule in favor of Kingdomware Technologies, a Service-
Disabled Veteran-Owned small business that had lost its bid for 
a federal contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
2012 to a non-veteran owned company, in Kingdomware 
Technologies, Inc. vs. the United States.
    June 29, 2016: Hearing titled ``America without 
Entrepreneurs: The Consequences of Dwindling Startup 
Activity,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. Dane 
Stangler, Vice President of Research & Policy, Ewing Marion 
Kauffman Foundation, Mr. John Lettieri, Co-founder, Economic 
Innovation Group; Ms. Donna Harris, Chief Executive Officer, 
1776. The Committee met to examine the long-term economic 
outlook for small start-up businesses in the United States.
    June 30, 2016: Hearing titled ``No More Hikes: Small 
Business Survival Amidst Unaffordable Flood Insurance Rate 
Increases,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. Kevin 
Robles, CEO, Domain Homes; Ms. Ceil Strauss, Chair, Association 
of State Floodplain Managers; Mr. David G. McKey, Broker and 
Owner, Coldwell Banker One; Mr. Randy Noel, 2016 Second Vice 
Chairman, National Association of Homebuilders. The Committee 
met to discuss the need to avoid unaffordable flood insurance 
rate increases on small businesses and to begin a conversation 
in the Senate about the National Flood Insurance Program in 
advance of the September 30, 2017 deadline for reauthorization.
    July 14, 2016: Hearing titled ``Searching for Capital: How 
Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors Fund Entrepreneurs and 
Startup Companies,'' Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from Mr. 
Scott Kupor, Managing Partner, Andreessen Horowitz; Mr. Michael 
J. Eckert, Chairman, NO/LA Angel Network; Mr. Joseph L. 
Schocken, Founder and CEO, Broadmark Capital; Dr. Jeffery E. 
Sohl, Ph.D., Director, Center for Venture Research and 
Professor of Entrepreneurship and Decision Sciences, Peter T. 
Paul College of Business and Economics, University of New 
Hampshire; Dr. Ali Behbahani, MD, Partner, New Enterprise 
Associates. The Committee met to examine current trends, 
strategies, and the significant role of venture capitalists and 
angel investors in America's entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well 
as to discuss the benefits of access to capital for 
entrepreneurs and the serious challenges faced by VCs and 
angels.
    August 3, 2016: Field Hearing titled: ``Examining Access to 
Capital and Other Headwinds to Entrepreneurship,'' Senator 
Fisher chaired. Testimony from Mr. Eric Dinger, Co-founder and 
CEO, Powderhook; Mr. Dan Hoffman, CEO, Invest Nebraska 
Corporation; Ms. Julia Parker, Executive Director, Omaha Small 
Business Network; Mr. T.J. Casady, Vice President, Union Bank 
and Trust; Dr. Jon P. Anderson, Manager, Advanced Research & 
Development, Li-COR Biosciences. The Committee met in Lincoln, 
NE to hear from a panel of entrepreneurial experts from across 
the state in order to determine what is and is not working in 
the way of small business access to capital and other obstacles 
and to receive direction and feedback regarding how to improve 
the overall environment for innovators and businesses.
    August 4, 2016: Field Hearing titled: ``Expanding Hawaii's 
STEM Pipeline: Examining Opportunities to Grow Small 
Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and the STEM Workforce,'' Senator 
Hirono chaired. Testimony from Dr. Walter Jones, Executive 
Director, Office of Naval Research; Dr. Sylvia James, Director, 
Division of Human Resource Development, National Science 
Foundation; Ms. Jane A. Sawyer, Hawaii District Office 
Director, U.S. Small Business Administration; Dr. Lui Hokoana, 
Chancellor, Maui College; Ms. Sarah A. Jenkins, Student, Duke 
University; Ms. Lily N. Jenkins, Student, Molokai High School; 
Ms. Audrey S.C. Cabrera, P.E., Brown and Caldwell; Ms. Leslie 
Wilkins, Vice President, Women in Technology Program Director, 
Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. The Committee met in Maui 
in order to examine the Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (STEM) workforce and how to increase STEM 
opportunities for minorities and women.
    September 15, 2016: Hearing titled ``An Examination of the 
Federal Responses and Resources for Louisiana Flood Victims,'' 
Senator Vitter chaired. Testimony from the Honorable Maria 
Contreras-Sweet, Administrator, U.S. Small Business 
Administration; Mr. Patrick Mulhearn, Executive Director, 
Celtic Studios; Mr. Ron Erickson Sr., President and CEO, City 
of Central Camber; Representative Clay Schexnayder, Louisiana 
House of Representatives, Owner and Manager, Car Craft 
Automotive. The Committee met to discuss the federal response 
and recovery efforts to help the Louisiana communities 
suffering from the devastating August floods and to highlight 
the magnitude of the disaster in the Senate.

                               Oversight

    Letter to Comptroller General of the U.S. of the U.S. 
Government Accountability Office Regarding GAO's Evaluation of 
SBA Operations: On January 30, 2015, Chairman Vitter issued a 
letter to U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller 
General of the U.S. Gene Dodaro requesting that he become co-
requestor for GAO's evaluation of SBA operations and the role 
of regional offices.
    Letter to General Clark Regarding His Efforts to Promote 
Lifeline: On February 24, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to General Wesley Clark of Wesley K Clark & Associates, 
LCC requesting that the general provide detailed press reports 
of his trips promoting Lifeline, companies that the general was 
associated with, and if the consulting group that General Clark 
is associated with receive any type of financial support from 
the Lifeline mobile phone program.
    Letter to Mr. Pollak Regarding His Association with 
Lifeline: On February 24, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to F.J. Pollak, CEO of TracFone requesting information 
regarding TracFone's activities relating to the Lifeline mobile 
phone program and their efforts to promote it.
    Letter to Chairman of the FCC Regarding Fraud in the 
Lifeline Program: On February 25, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Chairman Tom Wheeler of the Federal 
Communications Commission addressing the failure of the FCC to 
conduct appropriate oversight and enforcement of the rules of 
FCC in accordance with the Lifeline program.
    Letter to the Budget Committee Regarding SBA Funding in 
FY16 Budget: On February 27, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to Chairman Enzi and Ranking Member Sanders of the 
Senate Budget committee requesting that the Budget committee 
should consider alternative funding amount for the SBA budget 
request.
    Letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee 
on the Budget Regarding Proposed FY16 Budget: On February 27, 
2015, Ranking Member Cardin sent a letter to Chairman Enzi and 
Ranking Member Sanders requesting that the Budget Committee 
consider an overall funding level of at least $900 million for 
the SBA in FY 2016.
    Letter to the Financial Clerk of the Senate Regarding 
Congress's Access to DCHBEA: On March 2, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to the Financial Clerk of the Senate Ileana 
Garcia requesting information into how Congress qualifies as a 
``Small Business'' to allow it benefits from the District of 
Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority, small business 
exchange.
    Letter to the CAO of the House of Representatives Regarding 
Congress's Access to DCHBEA: On March 2, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the 
U.S. House of Representatives requesting information into how 
Congress qualifies as a ``Small Business'' to allow it benefits 
from the District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange 
Authority, small business exchange.
    Letter to the FERC Commissioners in Support of the Magnolia 
LNG application: On March 5, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to Chairman LaFleur, Commissioner Moeller, Commissioner 
Clark, Commissioner Bay, and Commissioner Honorable of the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission expressing his support for 
Magnolias LNG LLC's application before the Commission. The 
Chairman makes the case that Magnolia's facility will provide 
thousands of jobs to Louisiana and enter Louisiana in to the 
LNG market.
    Letter to OPM Director Regarding Congress's Health 
Benefits: On March 9, 2015 Chairman Vitter submitted a letter 
to Director Katherine Archuleta of the Office of Budget 
Management seeking information on the September 30, 2013 rule 
affecting how members of Congress and their staffs receive 
health benefits.
    Letter to the Director of OPM Regarding Failure to Address 
Information: On March 13, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to Director Kathrine Archuleta of the Office of 
Personnel Management acknowledging his receipt of a March 13, 
2015 letter, but also asking for information that the agency 
did not disclose about Federal Employee Health Benefit 
contributions and email correspondence.
    Letter to the Speaker of the House Requesting Unredacted 
Healthcare Applications: On March 24, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Speaker John Boehner of the U.S. House of 
Representatives regarding the investigation into the House and 
Senate procuring benefits through the small business exchange 
and the relevant applications.
    Letter to Appropriators Regarding Small Business Programs 
for Fiscal Year 2016: On March 24, 2015, Ranking Member Cardin 
submitted a letter to Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Coons 
of the Committee on Appropriations to express his support for 
sufficient levels of funding to enable SBA to support our 
nation's small businesses and entrepreneurs.
    Letter to Appropriators Regarding Small Business Programs 
for Fiscal Year 2016: On March 27, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Coons 
of the Committee on Appropriations to express his support for a 
program level for Small Business Development Centers of $130 
million to handle increased demand for small businesses. The 
Chairman also expressed his support for Small Business 
Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovative Research 
Programs in the letter.
    Letter to the SBA Regarding the ``Tan Tax'': On April 15, 
2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator Maria 
Contreras-Sweet requesting information on the yearly number of 
tanning salon businesses that have received loans backed by the 
SBA from 2005 to today, the yearly number of tanning salon 
businesses that have defaulted on loans backed by the SBA from 
2005 to today, and the total cost of any defaults related to 
the tan tax.
    Letter to FEMA Administrator Requesting Funding for New 
Orleans Lakefront Airport's Floodwall: On April 22, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator Fugate of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency to request funding to 
augment the existing floodwall and bring it to current codes 
and standards.
    Letter to the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on 
Taxation Regarding the Preliminary Draft of the Small Business 
Tax Compliance Relief Act: On May 6, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
issued a letter to Joint Committee on Taxation Chief of Staff 
Thomas A. Barthold requesting that a revenue estimate for a 
preliminary draft of the Small Business Tax Compliance Relief 
Act be provided along with revenue estimates on each provision.
    Letter to the SBA Administrator Regarding the Historic 
Flooding Along the Red River in Louisiana: On May 18, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter issued a letter to SBA Administrator Maria 
Contreras-Sweet noting the damage assessment that was conducted 
after the flooding along the Red River in Louisiana amounting 
to a total of $17,209,157.74.
    Letter to SBA Administrator for Determining Annual 
Procurement Scorecard: On May 19, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet of 
the SBA expressing his concerns over the determination of the 
annual procurement scorecard for awarding federal contracting 
money to small businesses.
    Letter to the EPA Regarding Their WOTUS Rule: On May 21, 
2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator 
McCarthy of the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the 
media reports that the EPA orchestrated a lobbying and public 
relations campaign to build support for their proposed rule.
    Letter to SBA Counselor Nomination to Deputy Administrator 
of the SBA: On May 22, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter 
to Douglas Kramer a Counselor at the Small Business 
Administration thanking him for taking a meeting with the 
Chairman's staff in accordance with the confirmation process.
    Letter to the National President and CEO of the U.S. Pan 
Asian American Chamber of Commerce Regarding the 30th 
Anniversary of the USPAACC: On June 3, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
issued a letter to the U.S. Pan American Chamber of Commerce 
National President and CEO Susan Au Allen congratulating her 
and the USPAACC on their 30th anniversary.
    Letter to the American Ambassador to China Regarding 
Confiscated Property: On June 5, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Ambassador Baucus to China regarding the 
continued confiscation of U.S. investor property in China.
    Letter to Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality: On 
June 8, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Secretary 
Hatch of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality 
urging them to support the compliance plan that the Evangeline 
Training Center submitted.
    Letter to the EPA Regarding their Failure to follow the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act: On June 10, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Administrator McCarthy of the 
Environmental Protection Agency outlining the concern of the 
committee that the EPA is failing to follow the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, as it proceeds with formulation and 
implantation of the president's controversial Clean Power Plan.
    Letter to the SBA Regarding the Export-Import Bank: On June 
11, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator 
Maria Contreras-Sweet requesting the SBA to take preventive 
action should there be a lapse in authorization or a 
termination of the Export-Import Bank. This action was directed 
so that small business would continue to have access to export 
credit, capital and insurance to continue their international 
sales.
    Letter to GAO Regarding CRPB's Analysis of Small Entity 
Impacts: On June 11, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter 
to Comptroller General Dodaro of the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office requesting that the GAO examine the 
aspects of the CFPB's conduct during the rulemaking process of 
the four SBREFA panels.
    Letter to the Chairman Regarding the Potential Closure of 
the Export-Import Bank: On June 23, 2016, Chairman Vitter sent 
a letter to Chairman Hochberg of the Export-Import Bank of the 
United States of America demanding that the bank steps to 
coordinate with the Small Business Administration on 
alternatives for small business if the congressional 
authorization were to lapse.
    Letter to the SBA Regarding the 7(a) loan program: June 23, 
2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator Maria 
Contreras-Sweet regarding the changes to the Office of Credit 
Risk Management (OCRM) leadership and the continued oversight 
of SBA's programs.
    Letter to the Export-Import Bank of the United States of 
America Regarding the Authorization of the Export-Import Bank's 
expiration: On June 23, 2015, Chairman Vitter issued a letter 
to Export-Import Bank of the United States of America Chairman 
and President Fred P. Hochberg noting that the expiration of 
Ex-Im expired in five business days creating a number of 
uncertainties for small businesses that were currently 
utilizing the Bank's credit insurance and lending programs and 
urged the Ex-Im to coordinate with SBA and create a contingency 
plan to prepare for the possibility of Bank closure.
    Letter to Appropriators Regarding 7(a) loan program: On 
June 24, 2015, Chairman Vitter & committee members submitted a 
letter to Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Coons of the 
Committee on Appropriations to express their concern about 
raising the cap on SBA lending cap in the 2015 Omnibus 
Appropriations Act to increase the SBA 7(a) lending program 
ability to provide loans to small businesses.
    Letter to EPA Regarding WOTUS rule: On June 30, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator McCarthy of 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding the EPA's 
wrongdoing in their aggressive, taxpayer-funded public 
relations campaign to build public support for Waters of the 
United States rule.
    Letter to the Fish and Wildlife Service Regarding a Rule on 
Ivory: On June 30, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to 
Director Ashe of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to express 
his concern about the proposed rule of the FWS further 
restricting the export, import, and commercial sale of lawfully 
owned elephant ivory in America.
    Letter to the EPA regarding EPA's response to the WOTUS 
rule passed: On June 30, 2015, Chairman Vitter issued a letter 
to U.S Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina 
McCarthy, noting the failed response to an original letter 
dating May 26, 2015 that requested information on how the EPA 
conducted during the WOTUS rulemaking process.
    Letter to the President of the United States Regarding the 
Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development 
(IATF): On July 17, 2015, Ranking Member Shaheen issued a 
letter to the President of the United States Barack Obama 
encouraging full participation in the IATF, and emphasizing the 
importance of contributing to the IATF to develop 
entrepreneurship policies and programs for veterans.
    Letter to the President of the United States Regarding the 
Re-nomination of Ken Kopocis and Janet McCabe: On July 15, 
2015, Chairman Vitter issued a letter to the President of the 
United States Barack Obama expressing serious concern in his 
re-nomination of Ken Kopocis to Assistant Administrator for the 
Office of Water and Janet McCabe to be Assistant Administrator 
for the Office of Air and Radiation at the EPA.
    Letter to the SBA Administrator Regarding the SBA's 7(a) 
Loan Guaranty Program: On July 21, 2015, Chairman Vitter issued 
a letter to SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet noting the 
lack of action the SBA has taken in regards to the SBA's 7(a) 
loan guaranty program for small businesses with the rapidly 
approaching statuary cap and some necessary actions they should 
take to include the cap increase to preserve the program.
    Letter to the Secretary of Commerce Regarding the Billfish 
Conservation Act of 2012: On July 27, 2015, Chairman Vitter 
issued a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker urging 
the Department of Commerce to expedite its rulemaking to 
implement BCA, in order that the U.S. can gain the full 
conservation and economic benefits of this important bipartisan 
legislation.
    Letter to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, 
Technology, and Logistics Regarding the Effect of Department of 
Department (DoD) SBIR Data System Flaws: On August 11, 2015, 
Ranking Member Shaheen issued a letter seeking a resolution to 
flaws in the DoD SBIR data management system that prevented 
SBIR participants from applying for and retaining SBIR awards.
    Letter to the U.S. Department of Labor Regarding Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking on Overtime Pay: On September 4, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter issued a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor 
Secretary Tom Perez, requesting that he reconsider the decision 
not to extend the public comment period for the U.S. Department 
of Labor's July 6, 2015, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on 
overtime pay and the negative impact they would have on 
effective small business operations.
    Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Regarding Ruling by 
the Internal Revenue Service: On September 17, 2015, Chairman 
Vitter issued a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew 
noting that a ruling by the Internal Revenue Service led to the 
imposition of extreme penalties on small businesses that use 
pre-tax dollars to assist their individual employees in the 
purchase of health insurance policies on the individual health 
insurance market.
    Letter to America's SBDCs on Their 35th Anniversary in San 
Francisco: On September 8, 2015, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to the counselors, coaches, and advisors of American's 
Small Business Development Centers congratulating them on 35 
years in San Francisco. The Chairman also highlights the 
importance of SBDCs in communities like New Orleans and their 
impact on creating a better job market.
    Letter to the Department of Agriculture Regarding SNAP 
Beneficiaries in the Lifeline Program: On September 25, 2015, 
Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Administration Audrey 
Rowe of the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture addressing the reports of purported 
beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
(NAP) engaging in rampant fraud and abuse of the Federal 
Communication's Lifeline program.
    Letter to Office of Fossil Energy Regarding Comments on 
Cameron LBG's Application: On September 29, 2015, Chairman 
Vitter submitted a letter to Ms. Larine Moore of the U.S. 
Department of Energy expressing his support of Cameron LNG's 
application to export additional supplies of domestically 
produced natural gas from the LNG terminal in Cameron Parish to 
country that do not have a free trade agreement with the United 
States.
    Letter to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy 
Regarding Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Contracting Program 
Expansion: On December 4, 2015, Ranking Member Shaheen issued a 
letter to Administrator Anne Rung urging the Federal 
Acquisition Regulatory Council to update its regulations to 
reflect SBA's final rule expanding the WOSB contracting 
program.
    Letter to Senior Consultant of Hill+Strategies Regarding 
the Chief of Counsel for Advocacy Position: On December 7, 
2015, Chairman Vitter issued a letter to Hill+Strategies Senior 
Consultant Darryl DePriest noting his priorities and commitment 
for the Chief Counsel for Advocacy position for which he was 
nominated for while urging him to consider the integral 
importance of SBAR panels in protecting small businesses, and 
supporting the expansion of SBAR panel requirements to 
additional agencies.
    Letter to Appropriators Regarding the 504 Loan Guaranty 
Refinance Program: On March 10, 2015, Ranking Member Shaheen 
and Senator Isakson wrote to Chairman Boozman and Ranking 
Member Coons of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial 
Services and General Government to urge them to retain a 
provision from S. 1910, the FY2016 Appropriations Act for 
Financial Services and General Government, in the FY2016 
Omnibus Appropriations Act. The provision re-instated a version 
of the 504 Loan Guaranty Refinance Program and was based on 
their bill, S. 966, the Commercial Real Estate and Economic 
Development Act of 2015.
    Letter to SBA Administrator Regarding the Fiscal Year 2017 
Budget: On February 18, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued a letter 
to SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet requesting more 
clarification on the Administration's Fiscal Year 2017 budget 
for the SBA.
    Letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee 
on the Budget Regarding Proposed FY17 Budget: On February 22, 
2016, Chairman Vitter issued a letter to the Committee on the 
Budget Chairman Mike Enzi and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders 
requesting that the Committee reject the President's proposed 
FY17 and recommended adjustments that would reduce the SBA's 
budget for FY17 to $849.36 million, but would realign its 
funding to continue focusing on the programs and work with 
which the SBA has seen success in assisting small business 
owners.
    Letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Budget 
Committee Regarding Proposed FY17 Budget: On February 22, 2016, 
Ranking Member Shaheen sent a letter to Chairman Enzi and 
Ranking Member Sanders requesting that the Budget Committee 
consider an increase in funding for SBA's lending, counseling, 
trade and contracting programs.
    Letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate 
Armed Services Committee Regarding the FY2017 National Defense 
Authorization Act. On March 4, 2016, Ranking Member Shaheen and 
Chairman Vitter sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services 
Committee Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Reed urging them 
to include several provisions in the FY2017 National Defense 
Authorization Act that would help the Department of Defense 
diversify the country's industrial base and increase readiness 
of the warfighter. Among other things, those provisions 
included permanency of the SBIR and STTR programs, Chairman 
Vitter's Regional SBIR State Collaborative Initiative Pilot 
Program, and permanency of the Rapid Innovation Fund.
    Letter to the Chairman and Vice Chairwoman of the Committee 
on Appropriations Regarding the FY 2017 Appropriations for the 
SBA: On March 18, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued a letter to the 
Committee on Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran and Vice 
Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski urging them to make changes to the 
FY 2017 budget appropriation for the SBA.
    Letter to Appropriators Regarding Small Business Programs 
for Fiscal Year 2017: On March 18, 2016, Ranking Member Shaheen 
submitted a letter to Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Coons 
of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government to express her support for sufficient levels 
of funding to enable SBA to support our nation's small 
businesses and entrepreneurs.
    Letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business 
Administration Regarding the Records from the Office of Credit 
Risk Management: On April 12, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued a 
letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator 
Maria Contreras-Sweet requesting records related to the SBA's 
actions to protect borrowers as part of the Agency's lender 
oversight efforts.
    Letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business 
Administration Regarding the Small Business Administration 
Guaranteed Loans: On April 21, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued a 
letter to U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator 
Maria Contreras-Sweet requesting record relating to the SBA's 
actions in the secondary market for SBA guaranteed loans, 
projection on the Master Reserve Fund's expected financial 
performance over the next three years, information on how many 
loans have been sold into the market since the start of FY11, 
documents found on the SBA website for the fiscal years 2011, 
2012, 2013, and 2015, and information related to individual 
lenders for fiscal years 2013-2015.
    Letter to the Assistant Administrator for Technology of the 
U.S. Small Business Administration Regarding the SBA FAST 
Program Announcement 2016-R-0010: On May 18, 2016, Chairman 
Vitter issued a letter to offer strong support for the proposal 
outreach under the SBA FAST program Announcement 2016-R-0010 to 
support and enhance SBIR Program outreach initiatives in 
Louisiana, submitted by the Louisiana Business & Technology 
Center at LSU.
    Letter to the EPA Regarding 2016 Greenhouse Gas Inventory: 
On May 20, 2016, Chairman Vitter and other committee members 
submitted a letter to Administrator McCarthy of the 
Environmental Protection Agency regarding the abrupt change in 
estimates for domestic methane emissions in the 2016 Greenhouse 
Gas Inventory.
    Letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business 
Administration Regarding a Meeting Request with the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture: On May 24, 2016, Chairman Vitter 
issued a letter to U.S. Small Business Administration 
Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet requesting a meeting 
between Mr. Clyde McShan of the USDA's NFC and the relevant 
staff of the SBA to discuss concerns with the leadership change 
at the USDA NFC regarding past performance and adjustments the 
agency can make to better serve in the future.
    Letter to the Assistant Administrator of the SBA Regarding 
Boots to Business: On June 6, 2016, Chairman Vitter submitted a 
letter to Assistant Administrator Carson of the U.S. Small 
Business Administration requesting a breakdown of the Veteran 
Entrepreneurial development program budget.
    Letter to SBA Administrator Requesting an Update of RISE 
Act Implementation: On August 15, 2016, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet of 
the SBA requesting an update on the SBA's implementation of the 
RISE after Disaster Act.
    Letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House and 
Senate Armed Services Committees Regarding Inclusion of the 
Rapid Innovation Fund in the FY2017 National Defense 
Authorization Act (NDAA). On August 16, 2016, Ranking Member 
Shaheen and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas sent a letter to the 
House and Senate NDAA conferees urging them to retain Section 
212 of the Senate NDAA, which made permanent the Rapid 
Innovation Fund program.
    Letter to the FEMA Administrator Regarding the Need for 
Disaster Recovery Centers: On August 19, 2016, Chairman Vitter 
submitted a letter to Administrator Fugate of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency Regarding the urgent need for 
operation Disaster Recovery Centers in the twenty Louisiana 
parishes that were declared disaster zones in the unprecedented 
flooding event.
    Letter to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Regarding Attendance to the Louisiana Flood 
Disaster Hearing: On September 9, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued 
a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator 
Craig Fugate regarding his decision to not participate in the 
U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing to 
examine the Louisiana Flood Disaster.
    Letter to the CEO of Wells Fargo Regarding Their Fraudulent 
Activity: On September 20, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued a 
letter to Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf to discuss the recent 
settlement that Wells Fargo has come to with federal regulators 
over the fraudulent activity of some employees and to request 
any information as to how their small business clients and his 
participation in the SBA's 7(a) lending program were impacted 
by those activities.
    Letter to the Inspector General Regarding Wells Fargo's 
Involvement in SBA Lending Programs: On September 20, 2016, 
Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Inspector General 
Gustafson requesting they investigate Wells Fargo's 
participation in the SBA's lending programs.
    Letter to the North District of California Attorney's 
Office Regarding Their Investigation of Wells Fargo: On 
September 20, 2016, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter Brian 
Stretch U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of 
California requesting they investigate Wells Fargo's fraudulent 
banking activities, that you look into their impact on small 
business owners.
    Letter to SBA Administrator Requesting Information on SBA 
Actions Against Wells Fargo: On September 20, 2016, Chairman 
Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator Maria Contreras-
Sweet of the SBA requesting information related to the Small 
Business Administration's (SBA) enforcement actions against 
Wells Fargo.
    Letter to the Southern District of New York Attorney's 
Office Regarding Their Investigation of Wells Fargo: On 
September 20, 2016, Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Preet 
Bharara of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District 
of New York requesting they investigate Wells Fargo's 
fraudulent banking activities, that you look into their impact 
on small business owners.
    Letter to the Department of the Treasury Regarding Their 
Consent Order Against Wells Fargo: On September 20, 2016, 
Chairman Vitter submitted a letter to Comptroller of the 
Currency Curry of the U.S. Department of the Treasury request 
information related to your recent Consent Order against Wells 
Fargo for unsafe or unsound sales practices, particularly in 
relation to the impact of Well Fargo's activities on small 
businesses.
    Letter to the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey 
Regarding Pavement Sealcoat Activities: On September 21, 2016, 
Chairman Vitter issued a letter to the Director of the U.S. 
Geological Survey requesting more information about the USGS 
activities regarding pavement sealcoat made from refined coal 
tar.
    Letter to Associate Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration Regarding Next Generation Logistics, LLC 
Application in The 8(a) Business Development Program: On 
September 29, 2016, Chairman Vitter issued a letter to SBA 
Associate Administrator Jackie Robinson Burnette noting that 
Next Generation Logistics, LLC of Metairie, Louisiana is 
applying to participate in the 8(a) Business Development 
program and fits all qualifications to excel in the program.
    Letter to SBA Administrator Requesting an Extension of 
Disaster Loan Registration Period: On October 5, 2016, Chairman 
Vitter submitted a letter to Administrator Maria Contreras-
Sweet of the SBA requesting an extension of the registration 
period for businesses and individuals affected by the August 
flooding in Louisiana to apply for disaster loans through the 
Small Business Administration (SBA).

       Rules for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and 
                Entrepreneurship for the 114th Congress


                       (Adopted January 28, 2015)


                              JURISDICTION

    Per Rule XXV(1) of the Standing Rules of the Senate:
    (o)(1) Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to 
which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, 
messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to 
the Small Business Administration;
    (2) Any proposed legislation reported by such committee 
which relates to matters other than the functions of the Small 
Business Administration shall, at the request of the chairman 
of any standing committee having jurisdiction over the subject 
matter extraneous to the functions of the Small Business 
Administration, be considered and reported by such standing 
committee prior to its consideration by the Senate; and 
likewise measures reported by other committees directly 
relating to the Small Business Administration shall, at the 
request of the Chair of the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship, be referred to the Committee on Small 
Business and Entrepreneurship for its consideration of any 
portion of the measure dealing with the Small Business 
Administration and be reported by this committee prior to its 
consideration by the Senate.
    (3) Such committee shall also study and survey by means of 
research and investigation all problems of American small 
business enterprises, and report thereon from time to time.

                            GENERAL SECTION

    All applicable provisions of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, the Senate Resolutions, and the Legislative 
Reorganization Acts of 1946 and of 1970 (as amended), shall 
govern the Committee.

                                MEETINGS

    (a) The regular meeting day of the Committee shall be the 
first Thursday of each month unless otherwise directed by the 
Chair. All other meetings may be called by the Chair as he or 
she deems necessary, on 3 business days' notice where 
practicable. If at least three Members of the Committee desire 
the Chair to call a special meeting, they may file in the 
office of the Committee a written request therefore, addressed 
to the Chair. Immediately thereafter, the Clerk of the 
Committee shall notify the Chair of such request. If, within 3 
calendar days after the filing of such request, the Chair fails 
to call the requested special meeting, which is to be held 
within 7 calendar days after the filing of such request, a 
majority of the Committee Members may file in the Office of the 
Committee their written notice that a special Committee meeting 
will be held, specifying the date, hour and place thereof, and 
the Committee shall meet at that time and place. Immediately 
upon the filing of such notice, the Clerk of the Committee 
shall notify all Committee Members that such special meeting 
will be held and inform them of its date, hour and place. If 
the Chair is not present at any regular, additional or special 
meeting, such member of the Committee as the Chair shall 
designate shall preside. For any meeting or hearing of the 
Committee, the Ranking Member may delegate to any Minority 
Member the authority to serve as Ranking Member, and that 
Minority Member shall be afforded all the rights and 
responsibilities of the Ranking Member for the duration of that 
meeting or hearing. Notice of any designation shall be provided 
to the Chief Clerk as early as practicable.
    (b) It shall not be in order for the Committee to consider 
any amendment in the first degree proposed to any measure under 
consideration by the Committee unless thirty written copies and 
an electronic copy, with a summary page attached, of such 
amendment has been delivered to the Clerk of the Committee at 
least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Following receipt of all 
amendments, the Clerk shall disseminate the amendments to all 
Members of the Committee. This subsection may be waived by 
agreement of the Chair and Ranking Member or by a majority vote 
of the members of the Committee.

                                QUORUMS

    (a)(1) A majority of the Members of the Committee shall 
constitute a quorum for reporting any legislative measure or 
nomination.
    (2) One-third of the Members of the Committee shall 
constitute a quorum for the transaction of routine business, 
provided that one Minority Member is present. The term 
``routine business'' includes, but is not limited to, the 
consideration of legislation pending before the Committee and 
any amendments thereto, and voting on such amendments, and 
steps in an investigation including, but not limited to, 
authorizing the issuance of a subpoena.
    (3) In hearings, whether in public or closed session, a 
quorum for the asking of testimony, including sworn testimony, 
shall consist of one Member of the Committee. (b) Proxies will 
be permitted in voting upon the business of the Committee. A 
Member who is unable to attend a business meeting may submit a 
proxy vote on any matter, in writing, or through oral or 
written personal instructions to a Member of the Committee or 
staff. Proxies shall in no case be counted for establishing a 
quorum.

                              NOMINATIONS

    In considering a nomination, the Committee shall conduct an 
investigation or review of the nominee's experience, 
qualifications, suitability, and integrity to serve in the 
position to which he or she has been nominated. In any hearings 
on the nomination, the nominee shall be called to testify under 
oath on all matters relating to his or her nomination for 
office. To aid in such investigation or review, each nominee 
may be required to submit a sworn detailed statement including 
biographical, financial, policy, and other information which 
the Committee may request. The Committee may specify which 
items in such statement are to be received on a confidential 
basis.

                                HEARINGS

    (a)(1) The Chair of the Committee may initiate a hearing of 
the Committee on his or her authority or upon his or her 
approval of a request by any Member of the Committee. If such 
request is by the Ranking Member, a decision shall be 
communicated to the Ranking Member within 7 business days. 
Written notice of all hearings, including the title, a 
description of the hearing, and a tentative witness list shall 
be given at least 5 business days in advance, where 
practicable, to all Members of the Committee.
    (2) Hearings of the Committee shall not be scheduled 
outside the District of Columbia unless specifically authorized 
by the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member or by consent of a 
majority of the Committee. Such consent may be given 
informally, without a meeting, but must be in writing.
    (b)(1) Any Member of the Committee shall be empowered to 
administer the oath to any witness testifying as to fact.
    (2) The Chair and Ranking Member will negotiate the number 
of witnesses for each hearing, but in the absence of an 
agreement between the Chair and the Ranking Member the ratio 
between the majority and minority witnesses will be no less 
than 3-2 or 2-1 when a smaller panel is justified. 
Interrogation of witnesses at hearings shall be conducted on 
behalf of the Committee by Members of the Committee or such 
Committee staff as is authorized by the Chair or Ranking 
Minority Member.
    (3) Witnesses appearing before the Committee shall file 
with the Clerk of the Committee a written statement of the 
prepared testimony at least two business days in advance of the 
hearing at which the witness is to appear unless this 
requirement is waived by the Chair and the Ranking Minority 
Member.
    (c) Any witness summoned to a public or closed hearing may 
be accompanied by counsel of his or her own choosing, who shall 
be permitted while the witness is testifying to advise the 
witness of his or her legal rights. Failure to obtain counsel 
will not excuse the witness from appearing and testifying.
    (d) Subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses or the 
production of memoranda, documents, records, and other 
materials may be authorized by the Chair with the consent of 
the Ranking Minority Member or by the consent of a majority of 
the Members of the Committee. Such consent may be given 
informally, without a meeting, but must be in writing. The 
Chair may subpoena attendance or production without the consent 
of the Ranking Minority Member when the Chair has not received 
notification from the Ranking Minority Member of disapproval of 
the subpoena within 72 hours of being notified of the intended 
subpoena, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Subpoenas 
shall be issued by the Chair or by the Member of the Committee 
designated by him or her. A subpoena for the attendance of a 
witness shall state briefly the purpose of the hearing and the 
matter or matters to which the witness is expected to testify. 
A subpoena for the production of memoranda, documents, records, 
and other materials shall identify the papers or materials 
required to be produced with as much particularity as is 
practicable.
    (e) The Chair shall rule on any objections or assertions of 
privilege as to testimony or evidence in response to subpoenas 
or questions of Committee Members and staff in hearings.
    (f) Testimony may be submitted to the formal record for a 
period not less than two weeks following a hearing or 
roundtable, unless otherwise agreed to by Chair and Ranking 
Member.

                              DEPOSITIONS

    At the direction of the Chair, with notification to the 
Ranking Minority Member of not less than 72 hours, the staff is 
authorized to take depositions from witnesses. Such notices 
shall specify a time and place for examination, and the name of 
the Senator, staff officer or officers who will take the 
deposition. Any Committee member, or a member of the Committee 
staff designated by the Chair or Ranking Minority Member, shall 
be given the opportunity to attend and participate in the 
taking of any deposition. Witnesses at depositions shall be 
examined under oath administered by an individual authorized by 
law to administer oaths, or administered by any member of the 
Committee if one is present. The transcript of a deposition 
shall be filed with the committee clerk. The transcript or any 
portion of the transcript shall only be made public either by 
vote of the majority or at the direction of the Chair after 
notifying the Ranking Minority Member.

                        CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

    (a) No confidential testimony taken by, or confidential 
material presented to, the Committee in executive session, or 
any report of the proceedings of a closed hearing, or 
confidential testimony or material submitted pursuant to a 
subpoena, shall be made public, either in whole or in part or 
by way of summary, unless authorized by a majority of the 
Members. Other confidential material or testimony submitted to 
the Committee may be disclosed if authorized by the Chair with 
the consent of the Ranking Minority Member.
    (b) Persons asserting confidentiality of documents or 
materials submitted to the Committee offices shall clearly 
designate them as such on their face. Designation of 
submissions as confidential does not prevent their use in 
furtherance of Committee business.

                         MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

    (a) At the discretion of the Chair, public meetings of the 
Committee may be televised, broadcasted, or recorded in whole 
or in part by a member of the Senate Press Gallery or an 
employee of the Senate. Any such person wishing to televise, 
broadcast, or record a Committee meeting must request approval 
of the Chair by submitting a written request to the Committee 
Office by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting. Notice of 
televised or broadcasted hearings shall be provided to the 
Ranking Minority Member as soon as practicable.
    (b) During public meetings of the Committee, any person 
using a camera, microphone, or other electronic equipment may 
not position or use the equipment in a way that interferes with 
the seating, vision, or hearing of Committee members or staff 
on the dais, or with the orderly process of the meeting.

                             SUBCOMMITTEES

    The Committee shall not have standing subcommittees.

                           AMENDMENT OF RULES

    The foregoing rules may be added to, modified or amended; 
provided, however, that not less than a majority of the entire 
Membership so determined at a regular meeting with due notice, 
or at a meeting specifically called for that purpose.

  Staff of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship


                             FIRST SESSION

    Zak Baig, Republican Staff Director
    Ann Jacobs / Robert Diznoff, Democratic Staff Director

    Republican Staffers:
    Rachel Ledbetter, Staff Assistant
    Rachel Bourgeois, Research Assistant
    Dustin Davidson, Staff Assistant
    Drew Feeley, Majority Counsel
    Bryan Zumwalt, Majority Chief Counsel
    Sarah Veatch, Professional Staff
    Hillary MacInnes, Majority Research Staff
    Meredith West, Policy Director
    Luke Tomanelli, Deputy Staff Director
    John Steitz, Professional Staff
    Steven Newton, Research Assistant
    Ward Cormier, Senior Policy Advisor
    Cheyenne Klotz, Communications Director
    Arne Owens, Health Care Policy Advisor
    Katie Mitchell, Research Staff

    Democratic Staffers:
    Kevin Wheeler, Deputy Staff Director
    Ami Sanchez, General Counsel
    Chris Neary, Senior Professional Staff
    Harry Anastopulos, Professional Staff
    Brandon Locke, Professional Staff
    Debbie Kobrin, Professional Staff
    DeMarcus Finnell, Staff Assistant

    Non-Designated Staffers:
    Erik Olsen, Clermon Acklin, Systems Administrator
    Lena Postanowisc, Kathryn Eden, Chief Clerk

  Staff of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship


                             SECOND SESSION

    Skiffington E. Holderness, Republican Staff Director
    Robert Diznoff, Democratic Staff Director/Chris Neary, 
Acting Democratic Staff Director

    Republican Staffers:
    Devon Redfield, Professional Staff
    Skiffington Holderness, Senior Advisor
    Cheyenne Klotz, Communications Director
    Andree Miller, Professional Staff
    Luke Tomanelli, Deputy Staff Director
    John Steitz, Senior Professional Staff
    Steven Newton, Research Assistant
    Ward Cormier, Senior Policy Advisor
    Connor Smith, Staff Assistant
    Drew Walker, Staff Assistant
    Arne Owens, Health Care Policy Advisor
    Emery Boyer, Staff Assistant

    Democratic Staffers:
    Chris Neary, Policy Director and Acting Democratic Staff 
Director
    Kevin Wheeler, Deputy Staff Director
    Ami Sanchez, General Counsel
    Harry Anastopulos, Professional Staff
    Brandon Locke, Professional Staff
    DeMarcus Finnell, Staff Assistant
    Laura Foster, Detailee, Small Business Administration

    Non-Designated Staffers:
    Clermon Acklin, Steve Gingerich, Systems Administrator
    Kathryn Eden, Chief Clerk

                 Legislation Referred to the Committee

    H.R. 208, a bill to require the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration to establish a program to make loans to 
certain businesses, homeowners, and renters affected by 
Superstorm Sandy. Ms. Velazquez. Jan 8, 2015.
    H.R. 2670, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to 
provide for expanded participation in the microloan program, 
and for other purposes. Mr. Moulton. Jun 4, 2015.
    H.R. 3714, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to allow 
the Small Business Administration to establish size standards 
for small agricultural enterprises using the same process for 
establishing size standards for small business concerns, and 
for other purposes. Mr. Bost. Oct 8, 2015.
    H.R. 4284, a bill to require the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration to issue regulations providing examples 
of a failure to comply in good faith with the requirements of 
prime contractors with respect to subcontracting plans. Mr. 
Curbelo. Dec 17, 2015.
    H.R. 4325, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to modify 
the anticipated value of certain contracts reserved exclusively 
for small business concerns. Ms. Velazquez. Jan 6, 2016.
    H.R. 4326, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to expand 
the duties of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 
Utilization, and for other purposes. Ms. Adams. Jan 6, 2016.
    H.R. 4332, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to 
clarify the duties of procurement center representatives with 
respect to reviewing solicitations for a contract or task order 
contract. Mr. Kelly. Jan 6, 2016.
    S. 115, a bill to increase oversight of small business 
assistance programs provided by the Small Business 
Administration. Mr. Heller. Jan 7, 2015.
    S. 552, a bill to amend the Small Business Investment Act 
of 1958 to provide for increased limitations on leverage for 
multiple licenses under common control. Mr. Risch. Feb 24, 
2015.
    S. 956, a bill to clarify the collateral requirement for 
certain loans under section 7(d) of the Small Business Act, to 
address assistance to out-of-State small business concerns, and 
for other purposes. Ms. Heitkamp. Apr 15, 2015.
    S. 957, a bill to increase access to capital for veteran 
entrepreneurs to help create jobs. Mrs. Shaheen. Apr 15, 2015.
    S. 958, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to provide 
for team and joint venture offers for certain contracts. Mr. 
Enzi. Apr 15, 2015.
    S. 963, a bill to require the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration to submit a report on small 
business innovation. Ms. Hirono. Apr 15, 2015.
    S. 966, a bill to extend the low-interest refinancing 
provisions under the Local Development Business Loan Program of 
the Small Business Administration. Ms. Shaheen. Apr 15, 2015.
    S. 967, a bill to require the Small Business Administration 
to make information relating to lenders making covered loans 
publicly available, and for other purposes. Ms. Shaheen. Apr 
15, 2015.
    S. 999, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to provide 
for improvements to small business development centers. Mr. 
Vitter. Apr 16, 2015.
    S. 1000, a bill to strengthen resources for entrepreneurs 
by improving the SCORE program, and for other purposes. Mr. 
Risch. Apr 16, 2015.
    S. 1001, a bill to establish authorization levels for 
general business loans for fiscal years 2015 and 2016. Mr. 
Risch. Apr 16, 2015.
    S. 1011, a bill to establish a State Trade and Export 
Promotion Grant Program. Ms. Cantwell. Apr 20, 2015.
    S. 1266, a bill to expand the HUBZone program for 
communities affected by base realignment and closure, and for 
other purposes. Ms. Collins. May 11, 2015.
    S. 1292, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to treat 
certain qualified disaster areas as HUBZones and to extend the 
period for HUBZone treatment for certain base closure areas, 
and for other purposes. Mr. Vitter. May 12, 2015.
    S. 1400, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to direct 
the task force of the Office of Veterans Business Development 
to provide access to and manage the distribution of excess or 
surplus property to veteran-owned small businesses. Mr. Durbin. 
May 20, 2015.
    S. 1445, a bill to improve the Microloan Program of the 
Small Business Administration. Ms. Fischer. May 21, 2015.
    S. 1470, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to provide 
additional assistance to small business concerns for disaster 
recovery, and for other purposes. Mr. Vitter. May 31, 2015.
    S. 1546, a bill to establish an export credit insurance 
program in the Small Business Administration. Mr. Vitter. Jun 
10, 2015.
    S. 1756, a bill to help small businesses take advantage of 
energy efficiency. Ms. Shaheen. Jul 14, 2015.
    S. 1811, a bill to require the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration to establish a program to make loans to 
certain businesses, homeowners, and renters affected by 
Superstorm Sandy. Mr. Menendez. Jul 21, 2015.
    S. 1857, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to provide 
for expanded participation in the microloan program, and for 
other purposes. Ms. Fischer. Jul 23, 2015.
    S. 1859, a bill to assure equity in contracting between the 
Federal Government and small business concerns, and for other 
purposes. Mr. Udall of New Mexico. Jul 23, 2015.
    S. 1866, a bill to establish the veterans' business 
outreach center program, to improve the programs for veterans 
of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. 
Mr. Vitter. Jul 27, 2015.
    S. 1870, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to require 
the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to carry 
out a pilot program on issuing grants to eligible veterans to 
start or acquire qualifying businesses, and for other purposes. 
Mr. Moran. Jul 27, 2015.
    S. 1934, a bill to amend the Small Business Investment Act 
of 1958 to establish the Scale-up Manufacturing Investment 
Company (``SUMIC'') Program. Mr. Booker. Aug 4, 2015.
    S. 2116, a bill to improve certain programs of the Small 
Business Administration to better assist small business 
customers in accessing broadband technology, and for other 
purposes. Ms. Shaheen. Oct 1, 2015.
    S. 2125, a bill to make the Community Advantage Pilot 
Program of the Small Business Administration permanent, and for 
other purposes. Ms. Feinstein. Oct 1, 2015.
    S. 2126, a bill to reauthorize the women's business center 
program of the Small Business Administration, and for other 
purposes. Ms. Cantwell. Oct 1, 2015.
    S. 2136, a bill to establish the Regional SBIR State 
Collaborative Initiative Pilot Program, and for other purposes. 
Mr. Vitter. Oct 6, 2015.
    S. 2138, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to improve 
the review and acceptance of subcontracting plans, and for 
other purposes. Mr. Vitter. Oct 6, 2015.
    S. 2139, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to prohibit 
the use of reverse auctions for the procurement of covered 
contracts. Mr. Vitter. Oct 6, 2015.
    S. 2273, a bill to require the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration to establish an incubator and 
accelerator grant program for veterans and members of the Armed 
Forces. Mr. Booker. Nov 10, 2015.
    S. 2496, a bill to provide flexibility for the 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration to increase 
the total amount of general business loans that may be 
guaranteed under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act. Mr. 
Coons. Feb 3, 2016.
    S. 2751, a bill to create a pilot program permitting 
businesses receiving Phase II awards under the SBIR program to 
use not more than 5 percent of the amount of the award for 
commercialization-related services. Mr. Coons. Apr 6, 2016.
    S. 2793, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to 
permanently reauthorize and improve the Small Business 
Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology 
Transfer Program, and for other purposes. Ms. Shaheen. Apr 13, 
2016.
    S. 2812, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to 
permanently reauthorize and improve the Small Business 
Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology 
Transfer Program, and for other purposes. Mrs. Shaheen. Apr 18, 
2016.
    S. 2831, a bill to amend the Small Business Investment Act 
of 1958 to provide priority for applicants for a license to 
operate as a small business investment company that are located 
in a disaster area. Mr. Vitter. Apr 21, 2016.
    S. 2838, a bill to improve the HUBZone program. Mr. Vitter. 
Apr 21, 2016.
    S. 2836, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to expand 
intellectual property education and training for small 
businesses, and for other purposes. Mr. Peters. Apr 25, 2016.
    S. 2847, a bill to require greater transparency for Federal 
regulatory decisions that impact small businesses. Ms. Ernst. 
Apr 25, 2016.
    S. 2850, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to provide 
for expanded participation in the microloan program, and for 
other purposes. Ms. Fischer. Apr 26, 2016.
    S. 2855, a bill to increase outreach for women and 
minority-owned businesses under the Small Business Innovation 
Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, and 
for other purposes. Mr. Peters. Apr 26, 2016.
    S. 2992, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to 
strengthen the Office of Credit Risk Management of the Small 
Business Administration, and for other purposes. Mr. Vitter. 
May 25, 2016.
    S. 3009, a bill to support entrepreneurs serving in the 
National Guard and Reserve, and for other purposes. Ms. 
Shaheen. May 26, 2016.
    S. 3024, a bill to improve cyber security for small 
businesses. Mr. Vitter. Jun 6, 2016.
    S. 3301, a bill to amend the Small Business Act to ensure 
small businesses affected by the onset of transmissible 
diseases are eligible for disaster relief. Mr. Rubio. Sep 8, 
2016.
    S. 3375, a bill to amend the Small Business Investment Act 
of 1985 to enhance the Small Business Investment Company 
Program and provide for a small business early-stage investment 
program. Ms. Baldwin. Sep 21, 2016.
    S. RES. 243, a resolution celebrating the 35th anniversary 
of the Small Business Development Centers of the United States. 
Mr. Vitter. Aug 5, 2015.

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