by Major Clark, Deputy Chief Counsel
The Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) advances the views and concerns of small businesses before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. As the voice for small businesses in the federal government, there are lots of ways we can help. However, Advocacy can’t do it alone. We can only succeed in our mission with the help of small businesses like yours.
Advocacy knows that dealing with the federal government can, at times, be long and arduous, but we want small businesses to know that there are ways they can participate and make change. Below is a list of the things your business can do.
Contact Us: If you are worried about a pending regulation that might impact your business, contact Advocacy staff. Our regional advocates are always available to relay your concerns to the Advocacy team in Washington, DC, and may be able to refer you to other agencies as needed. Our attorneys are also available to hear your concerns about pending regulations. While Advocacy staff cannot offer legal advice, your input could help Advocacy when working with federal regulators.
Attend an event or roundtable: Advocacy staff try to spend as much time in the field listening to small business concerns as they can manage. Our small business roundtable series, which moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic, allows small businesses across the country to talk to Advocacy staff and share their concerns. In addition, our regional advocates conduct outreach all over the country and are always happy to speak with small business owners about how Advocacy can help.
Schedule an EO 12866 meeting: Any American who can be impacted by a federal regulation can request what is known as a “12866 meeting” to voice their concerns directly to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and the agency responsible for writing a regulation. These are listening sessions, meaning agencies do not respond to your comments. Still, they are an excellent opportunity to talk directly to regulators. Advocacy also encourages you to invite us so that we can listen to your comments and feedback too.
Write a comment letter: You have the right to send written feedback to a regulatory agency when they issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking or a proposed rule. Advocacy has a handy guide detailing what makes an effective comment letter, and we encourage small businesses to follow our Regulatory Alert page or check the Federal Registerfor proposals that might impact their businesses.
Keep up to date with Advocacy: The Advocacy team works diligently to ensure that we are up to date on regulations impacting small businesses. We also produce timely research on small business issues. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, or Facebook for live updates.