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.

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. 

Today, Awesta Sarkash, Public Policy Director, submitted a letter of support for HB 181, the Family Care Act. The bill would create a paid family and medical leave insurance fund in state and allow small business owners to access and offer this benefit to their employees, helping them overcome challenges in the workforce. 

Today, Public Policy Director, Awesta Sarkash, submitted a letter of support to Pennsylvania's House Judiciary Committee for HB 689, legislation that would expand Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate laws and ensure people who have served their time get at second chance. With small businesses facing an acute labor shortage and 1 in 3 American adults having some form of criminal or arrest record, there are major opportunities to change barriers to employment that would benefit the small business ecosystem. 

Mid-Atlantic Outreach Director Erik Rettig tesitified before the Senate Committee on Labor & Industry to provide the small business perspective on the Pennsylvania Family Medical Leave Act, or Joanne’s Law (SB 479), and its impact on the more than 2.4 million small businesses employees in Pennsylvania. Joanne’s Law would allow eligible employees to use up to six weeks of unpaid leave to care for their sibling, grandparent or grandchild, as long as that person has no living spouse, parent under 65 or child over 17.