July 30, 2002

The Honorable Kit Bond
Ranking Republican Member
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Bond:

     I am writing in response to your request for the Office
of Advocacy's views on S. 2483, the National Small Business
Regulatory Assistance Act and H.R. 2666, the Vocational and
Technical Entrepreneurship Development Act.
     
     It is my understanding that both these bills were
discussed at a mark-up last week and will be the topic of a
roundtable discussion this week.  I appreciate your interest
in our views and I apologize for not being able to present
them in person because of a scheduling conflict.
     
     First, let me start by explaining that as an office
charged with independently representing the views of small
business, these opinions do not necessarily reflect the
positions of SBA Administrator Hector Barreto, or the
Administration.

     The Office of Advocacy promotes a small business agenda
by publishing research on the economic benefits of small
business and by ensuring agency compliance with the
Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended in 1996 by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.  Additionally,
my office is required by law to help small business
understand rules and regulations mandated by federal
agencies.  It is that obligation, codified in 15 U.S.C.
634(b), which prompted me to respond to your request for
comment on the legislation before the Committee on Small
Business and Entrepreneurship.
     
     
     H.R. 2666, the Vocational and Technical
Entrepreneurship Development Act
     
     The Office of Advocacy does not believe that H.R. 2666
would affect our programs and ability to advocate
effectively on behalf of small business.  Nor do we believe
that H.R. 2666 in any way affects the statutory obligations
of the Office of Advocacy.  We therefore respectively
decline to comment on the legislation.
     
      S. 2483, the National Small Business Regulatory
Assistance Act
     
     The Office of Advocacy strongly endorses any cost-
effective method of providing small-business owners with
federal regulatory compliance information.  We are
supportive of S. 2483 to the extent that it encourages the
sharing of information between compliance assistance
providers and we are pleased to understand that this
legislation does not favor one avenue of information
dissemination over another.

     It is an honor for me to serve the President and I am
grateful that you regularly solicit my office's views while
considering legislation that will benefit small business.
Most importantly, I am pleased that you thoroughly consider
my views as an independent advocate for small business when
balancing the various interests that affect the outcome of
legislation.  Please do not hesitate to call if I may
clarify any of the statements or positions outlined in this
correspondence.

                    Sincerely,


                    Thomas M. Sullivan
                    Chief Counsel for Advocacy


cc:  The Honorable John Kerry, Chairman