Press Releases
Democrats Work to Alleviate the Paperwork Burden for Small Firms
Washington, DC,
October 11, 2017
For a small business owner working to make ends meet, keeping up with federal paperwork is often costly and overbearing. Despite the passage of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), paperwork continues to be an overwhelming drain on resources for small firms. After a prior hearing with private industry leaders, Democrats today sought answers from public agency officials on how the federal paperwork burden can be reduced for America’s entrepreneurs.
“For a small business, resources are often already stretched and complying with paperwork takes time, money and staff,” said Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez. “Whether it is embracing technology, working to synchronize and coordinate at all levels of government, or improving communication – Congress needs to know what steps are needed to help agencies understand small business needs.”
Throughout the hearing, Democrats also stressed a place for regulatory paperwork in terms of protecting public health, the environment and employee protections.
“Agencies rely on data to make informed decisions, achieving important policy outcomes,” said Velázquez. “These goals include ensuring worker safety, preserving clean air and water, and safeguarding taxpayer dollars against fraud.”
The Paperwork Reduction Act or PRA was created in 1980, amended in 1995, and was intended to slow paperwork growth. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. In 2015, the public spent an estimated 9.78 billion hours responding to federal information collections. Furthermore, the burden has risen since 2014 by a net increase of 350 million additional hours spent on paperwork compliance. Velázquez pressed panelists on whether current law provides agencies with the tools and technology they need to curb the escalation of paperwork or if the PRA must be amended to fulfill its mission.
“It is crucial that Congress embrace the 21st century technologies that can help to streamline and reduce the paperwork burden for small firms,” said Velázquez. “Without an in-house lawyer or human resources staff, small firms often lack the resources they need to fully and adequately comply with requirements.”
###
|
