SMALL BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNCIL (SBE COUNCIL)

Tax and Budget, Tax Relief and Reform Senate Amendment to H.Con.Res. 14: Supported. Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034. The Family Business Legacy Act, H.R. 2918: Support Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017: Continued to express support for extending/making permanent expiring provisions of the TCJA, including: individual tax rates, 20% small business deduction, restoring immediate R&D expensing, and 100% bonus depreciation. Continue to express opposition to raising taxes on small businesses, C-corps and individual taxpayers, carried interest, capital gains and tax increases that would undermine investment and capital availability. Main Street Tax Certainty Act of 2025: Support House and Senate legislation to make permanent the 20% deduction for small- and family-owned businesses (Section 199A). American Innovation and Jobs Act of 2025: Support legislation in the House and Senate to restore immediate R&D expensing. Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025: Support House and Senate legislation to fully repeal the death tax. One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Supported advancement of legislation through House and Senate committees and House and Senate-passed versions, along with final passage of H.R. 1 Access to Capital Accredited Investor Definition: Continue to express support for efforts in the Congress to modernize the standard. Supported Financial Services Committee passage of the following legislation, and urging the full U.S. House to take action: The Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act (H.R. 1190) The Access to Small Business Investor Capital Act (H.R. 2225) A bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to specify certain registration statement contents for emerging growth companies, to permit issuers to file draft registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission for confidential review (H.R. 3301) The Helping Startups Continue to Grow Act (H.R. 3323) The Greenlighting Growth Act (H.R. 3343) Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act (H.R. 3394) The Improving Access to Small Business Information Act (H.R. 3351) The Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act of 2025 (H.R. 3352) The Encouraging Public Offerings Act of 2025 (H.R. 3381) The Small Entity Update Act (H.R. 3382) Improving Disclosures for Investors Act of 2025 (H.R. 2441) The Middle Market IPO Underwriting Cost Act (H.R. 3395) Regulation and Regulatory Reform Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act (H.R. 2965): Support the legislation. Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (H.R. 421): Support the legislation. PROVE It Act: Support House and Senate legislation on the PROVE It Act to strengthen regulatory accountability and transparency for small businesses. Privacy Framework: Continue to support a federal framework governing privacy rules for the United States. Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act (H.R. 1919): Support the legislation. Federal Trade Commissions Click-to-Cancel Rule: Filed a recommendation with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to rescind the rule. DOL Independent Contractor Rule: Urged the Department of Labor to rescind the independent contractor rule finalized by the Biden Administration, Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act. IRS Basis-Shifting Rule: Urged the U.S. Treasury to take additional steps to protect small businesses from the implementation of policies and procedures that carry out the rules intent even though it as been rescinded. FTCs Business Opportunity Rule and Earnings Claims Rule: Support the recession of these rules. FTCs 2023 Merger Guidelines and New Pre-Merger Filing Requirements: Continue to urge reform and clawing back the actions. Modern Worker Empowerment Act: Support this legislation in the House. Modern Worker Security Act: Support this legislation in the House. Faster Labor Contracts Act, S. 844: Oppose this Senate legislation. The Worker Enfranchisement Act, H.R. 2572: Support the legislation. Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act: Support the legislation. Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolutions: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Pre-Merger Notification Rule: Called for a CRA to overturn the FTC rulemaking. CRAs H.J. 87, H.J. 88 and H.J. 89: Supported these series of resolutions related to California waivers on environmental rules. Trade Policy and Global Markets Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act and National Security Investigation of Pharmaceutical Import: Filed comments with the Department of Commerce urging exemption from trade actions against Europe and Japan with respect to pharmaceutical imports. Affordable Health Coverage Health Savings Accounts (HSAs): Support efforts in the House and Senate to expand and improve the accounts. Telehealth and HSAs: Urged both the House and Senate to make permanent the telehealth provision that provides employers the flexibility to offer their employees with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) paired with a Health Savings Account (HSA) access to telehealth services pre-deductible. IP Rights and Protections Expressed concerns about a slate of bills being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee including: S. 1040, a bill to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to prohibit product hopping; S. 1041, a bill to amend Title 35 of the U.S. Code to address infringement of patents that claim biological products; S. 1097, the Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025; and S. 1096, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act. The RESTORE Patent Rights Act: Support House and Senate legislation. Trump Administration Nominations Dr. Casey Mulligans Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Continue to support the confirmation of Dr. Mulligan. Crystal Carey as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): Support nomination and confirmation. Presidential Executive Orders and Memorandums Related Executive Orders (Eos) released on April 9: SBE Council issued a supportive statement on the release of the following Eos and Memorandum: Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers, Zero-Based Budgeting to Unleash American Energy, Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads, and the Memorandum, Repeal of Regulations that are Unlawful Under 10 Recent Supreme Court Decisions. Education and Technical Training The New Start Act of 2025: Support