Today, Public Policy Director, Awesta Sarkash, submitted a letter of support for SB 580, The Family Care Act. SB 580 would create a paid family and medical leave insurance fund in Pennsylvania. This program would allow small business owners to access and offer this benefit to their employees, helping them overcome challenges in the workforce.
Policy Statements
On June 12, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights outlining the importance of competition in today’s economy and how rising rates of concentration have disproportionately impacted small businesses ability to compete with their larger counterparts.
On June 11, Small Business Majority and Evan Starr, economist and Associate Professor of Management and Organization at the University of Maryland’s Robert M. Smith School of Business, filed an Amicus Brief in a case before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in support of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rule to ban non-compete agreements. On July 23, the court ultimately declined to block the FTC’s ban, citing that the FTC does in fact have authority to issue the rule.
On June 10, Small Business Majority, Main Street Alliance and 21 small business advocacy and service oriented organizations sent a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee’s in opposition to the cuts proposed within the House’s fiscal year 2025 Financial Services and General Government funding bill.
On June 5, Small Business Majority and Evan Starr, economist and Associate Professor of Management and Organization at the University of Maryland’s Robert M. Smith School of Business, filed an Amicus Brief in the U.S.
On June 4, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging Congress to pass the Right to Contraception Act, which would expand and protect access to reproductive healthcare tools like contraceptives.
On May 29, Small Business Majority submitted written testimony to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs’ Subcommittee on Economic Policy examining how threats and restrictions to reproductive freedom across the country have impacted women entrepreneurs’ ability to start and grow their businesses. For more information, check out our research on reproductive healthcare access here.
On May 22, Small Business Majority network member and spokesperson Alap Vora, owner of Concord Market in New York City, testified before the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy to discuss the impact of shrinkflation, price discrimination, and consolidation on small grocers and small businesses. To watch a recording of the hearing and Mr.
On May 21st, Small Business Majority, alongside Main Street Alliance and the American Sustainable Business Council, filed an Amicus Brief in support of the recent Final Rule issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which outlines guidance on how employers and employees can comply with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA, which went into effect in June 2023, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
On May 20, Midwest Director Tasha Brown testified infront of the Illinois House Financial Institutions and Licensensing Committee on behalf of SB 2234, which would enact critical protections for small business borrowers in Illinois that are falling prey to predatory lending practices.