Annual Report of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy on Implementation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Fiscal Year 2002

摘要

The Chief Counsel for Advocacy for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is pleased to present to Congress and the President this report on federal agency compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA). The RFA, as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA), requires federal agencies to consider the impact of their regulations on small entities, defined as small businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions. The RFA requires federal agencies, as a part of their rulemaking, to consider regulatory alternatives to minimize the impact on small entities while achieving the stated objective of the regulation. The Chief Counsel for Advocacy is responsible for monitoring agency compliance with the RFA and reporting the findings to Congress and the President. FY 2002 was an exciting year for the Office of Advocacy. Under President George W. Bush's leadership, the Office of Advocacy received additional tools to help reduce regulatory burdens through enhanced agency compliance with the RFA. In March, President Bush announced his Small Business Agenda. The President directed federal agencies to tear down regulatory barriers to job creation and to give small business owners a voice in the complex and confusing federal regulatory process. The President stressed the importance of a strong Office of Advocacy and called for improved coordination between this office and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget. Under a new memorandum of understanding, Advocacy and OIRA work in close coordination to implement the President's objectives without sacrificing environmental quality, travel safety, worker protection, and other important regulatory goals.