Farm-state senators Joni Ernst and Heidi Heitkamp have introduced the Prove It Act to improve transparency and strengthen the voices of small businesses in the rulemaking process by giving the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy - the small business watchdog for federal rules and regulations - an opportunity to ask agencies to prove their regulatory analysis when proposing a rule that may be economically harmful to small businesses.

“Small businesses make up 97% of all of Iowa’s employers, meaning their success is our state’s success,” said Ernst, an Iowa Republican. “The bipartisan Prove It Act serves as a check on the federal agency certification and analysis process, allowing the small business community the opportunity to question a rule, and, if a discrepancy is found, allowing for it to be re-evaluated before it’s finalized. I am grateful to have the support of Sen. Heitkamp as we work to rein in burdensome regulations to foster a more thoughtful and efficient rulemaking process for our small businesses.” 

“Small businesses are the backbone of North Dakota’s economy, and we need to make sure they have a level playing field to grow, thrive, and create jobs,” said Heitkamp, a North Dakota Democrat. “The needs of small businesses have to be considered as regulations are created so we can prevent red tape and burdensome rules from unfairly impacting them. That’s why Sen. Ernst and I are introducing this bipartisan legislation to give small businesses a bigger seat at the table and a stronger voice if a proposed regulation could hurt their ability to grow.”  

For example, the proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule drastically expanded federal authority over land and water to the point that the Environmental Protection Agency could regulate water on 97% of the land in Iowa.  The SBA’s Office of Advocacy found that the EPA and Army Corps improperly certified this rule, and, despite the EPA claiming otherwise, the rule would indeed have a costly and direct impact on small businesses. Provisions in the Prove It Act would have allowed for a review or reconsideration of the proposed rule before it is put into action.

Other examples of areas the Prove It Act could be applied include: the EPA’s Risk Management Program Rule, the Department of Energy’s energy conservation standards for manufactured housing, and the Department of Energy’s energy conservation standards for vending machines. 

In Fiscal Year 2016, the Office of Advocacy provided 20 official public comment letters to federal agencies on a variety of proposed rules. Most frequently, the concerns were raised over the inadequacy of an agency’s analysis of a proposed rule.

Ernst first introduced the Prove It Act in the 114th Congress, where it was approved by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

View the bill text here.

Key points in the Prove It Act:

Source: Sen. Joni Ernst