On March 11, Public Policy Director Awesta Sarkash sent a letter of support to the Tennessee Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor in support of HB 1859, legislation which would remove barriers to licensed occupations for those with prior criminal records. This is a critical proposal that will help support aspiring entrepreneurs and workers with criminal records to access the licenses they need to be successful in the workforce or launch their own businesses.
Policy Statements
Small Business Majority’s Illinois policy agenda outlines policies that advance and promote equitable pathways for entrepreneurship while centering small businesses as the key to a thriving and inclusive economy. The state’s 1.3 million small businesses employ 2.4 million people (about 44.1% of the private workforce), with firms without employees making up 80% of all owned businesses. Illinois small business owners are navigating workforce shortages, a childcare crisis and the end of a number of pandemic era programs that support entrepreneurship.
Small Business Majority is enacting a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is recognized as the lifeforce of a thriving and inclusive economy in California. Our state’s 4.1 million small businesses employ 7.5 million people, which amounts to nearly half of the private workforce.
On February 26, Small Business Majority submitted written testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services encouraging the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to prioritize the needs of small businesses during the roll out of the new Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirement, which went into effect on January 1, 2024.
On February 26, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer submitted a letter of support to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in favor of efforts to support the confirmation of Julie Su's nomination to serve as the next Secretary of Labor.
On Feburary 22, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Virgoda testfied before the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee in support of SB 24-080, legislation that will require health insurance carriers to comply with federal price transparency laws and pharmacy and drug cost reporting laws. If passed, this legislation will ensure insurance carriers adhere to federal regulations, increase healthcare price transparency and help small business owners and Coloradans make more informed decisions.
On February 21, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda provided comments before the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Senate Bill 24-073. This legislation would redefine sizing standards for the small group healthcare plans, limiting the market to businesses with 1-50 employees and pushing out businesses with 51-100 employees.
Today, Small Business Majority's Public Policy Director Awesta Sarkash testified before the Maryland House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee in support of HB 574, which would enact critical protections for small business borrowers in Maryland that are falling prey to predatory lending practices.
On February 16, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer provided feedback on the proposed rule to rescind the Department of Labor's (DOL's) 2018 Association Health Plan Rule. We applaud DOL for its proposal, in collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration, to rescind the previous Administration’s ‘Association Health Plan’ Rule, in order to address rising healthcare costs for America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Today, Small Business Majority Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda testified before the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee in support of Senate Bill 24-093, legislation concerning the continuity of healthcare benefits during the transition to a new health benefit plan. The bill would provide reasonable and necessary leeway so Colorado’s small businesses and employees can find a new provider.