John Tierney: “I again just reiterate the long road that this bill has taken and the fine work of the gentleman from Ohio in trying to…”

“I again just reiterate the long road that this bill has taken and the fine work of the gentleman from Ohio in trying to make sure that it in fact does what everybody expresses is their intention, and that is aid small businesses. Let me quote for my colleagues from a letter from the NFIB, the voice of small business, the Nation's largest small business organization. In their letter they point out that this bill will build on past efforts to reduce the flow of government red tape by taking steps to reduce the paperwork burden for small business. Importantly, the bill requires Federal agencies to waive civil fines for first-time paperwork violations so that small businesses can correct the violation. This provision provides small business owners with a one-time warning that they should comply with paperwork requirements, not a blank check to disregard government rules and endanger the welfare of their employees. Small businesses must still correct the violation under this legislation.”