Bill Owens

Small Business

Small businesses are the backbone of the Upstate New York economy.  As a member of the House Small Business Committee, I am working in Washington to provide every opportunity for our community’s entrepreneurs to create jobs and grow the local economy.  The House Small Business Committee was established to protect and assist small businesses, and has oversight and legislative authority over the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its programs.  My work on this committee focuses on examining the impact of proposed and existing federal regulations on small businesses, ensuring access to federal contracts and improving access to capital for small business owners. 

To that end, I have worked across party lines with other Members of the Committee to introduce legislation to increase the percentage of federal contracts awarded to small businesses.  I also authored the Small Business Growth and Federal Accountability Act, H.R. 3779, which would hold federal agencies accountable for not meeting small business contracting goals.  If an agency fails to meet minimum small business contracting goals, they would see a portion of their budget cut.  I have also supported legislation to restrict the ability of federal agencies to impose harmful regulations and require additional scrutiny on the effects of business regulations. 

I also joined with New York business leaders in opposing regulations proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that added “noise reduction” efforts in local workplaces.  With the support of local businesses, I wrote to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and in the end, OSHA abandoned its plans to implement the regulation. 

Since being elected to Congress in 2009, I have helped secure over $7.5 million in Small Business Administration loan guarantees for local small businesses and worked to ensure approval for Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties to participate in the EB-5 program, which will attract foreign business development to the regional economy.

I have heard about many of these issues through meetings with constituents, and I hope to hear from entrepreneurs across Upstate about regulations that are unnecessary, cost money, and waste time.  To that end, I encourage small business owners to help me identify existing and proposed federal regulations that impede economic development and job creation by clicking here.