NRA Focuses On Small Business Bills

The National Restaurant Association is calling on members of the U.S. House of Representatives to co-sponsor the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011. HR 527 would require the federal government to evaluate any regulation’s impact on small businesses and look for less-burdensome alternatives where possible.

“The restaurant and foodservice industry is composed predominately of small businesses, the backbone of our nation’s economy,” said Angelo Amador, v.p.-Labor & Workforce Policy for the association. “Their ability to operate efficiently and free of unnecessary regulatory burdens is critical for our country’s economic recovery.”

The association, joined by 156 national, state and local organizations, sent a letter to all House members urging co-sponsorship of the bill. It would further protect small businesses by strengthening existing law, known as the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Each time a federal agency writes a regulation affecting small businesses, it must comply with the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

On a similar front, the NRA is pushing for passage of the “Legal Workforce Act,” legislation that would establish one federal E-Verify system, instead of today’s existing patchwork of inconsistent state and local rules that are unworkable for multi-state employers and their prospective employees. The bill recently passed out of the House Judiciary Committee.