We've heard from quite a few members this year who tell us they
have been visited more frequently—and treated more
harshly—by Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) inspectors. We haven't yet heard from members who are found
in violation of new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules
governing lead paint (implementation was delayed). But we expect
to. And at last count, there are 744 new federal regulations and
rulemakings in the pipeline that could directly affect all small
businesses.
A decade-old study by the Small Business Administration (SBA)
set the cost of regulatory compliance for businesses with fewer
than 500 employees at $5,000 per employee per year. According to
SBA, firms with 20 to 49 employees spend, on average, 19 cents of
every revenue dollar on regulatory costs. Other studies have
estimated federal regulations cause $1.5 trillion in economic
output to be lost each year. That's trillion with a "t," and that
stands for trouble.
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