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Legislative Progress
Momentum (last 30 days)
0
score
0 actions · 0 new cosponsors · 0 votes
Speed vs cohort
96pct
318d open
vs 6,526 other HR bills in the 114th — cohort avg 56d
Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 201 6 or the SCRUB Act of 201 6 TITLE I--RETROSPECTIVE REGULATORY REVIEW COMMISSION (Sec. 101) This bill establishes the Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission to conduct a review of the Code of Federal Regulations to identify rules and sets of rules that collectively implement a regulatory program that should be repealed to lower the cost of regulation. The Commission shall give priority to the review of rules or sets of rules that are major rules or that include major rules, that have been in effect more than 15 years, that impose paperwork burdens or unfunded mandates that could be reduced substantially without significantly diminishing regulatory effectiveness, that impose disproportionately high costs on small entities, or that could be strengthened in their effectiveness while reducing regulatory costs. The Commission's goal is to achieve a reduction of at least 15% in the cumulative costs of regulation with a minimal reduction in the overall effectiveness of such regulation. Criteria the Commission shall use in identifying which rules and sets of rules should be repealed include whether: the original purpose of the rules was achieved; the implementation, compliance, administration, enforcement, imposition of unfunded mandates, or other costs of the rules are not justified by a cost-benefit analysis; the rules have been rendered unnecessary or obsolete; the rules are ineffective at achieving their purposes; the rules overlap, duplicate, or conflict with other federal, state, or local rules; the rules have excessive compliance costs, impose unfunded mandates, or are otherwise excessively burdensome compared to possible alternatives; the rules inhibit innovation or harm competition; the rules limit or prevent an agency from applying new or emerging technologies to improve efficiency and effectiveness of government; and the rules harm wage growth, including wage growth for minimum wage and part-time workers. The Commission shall terminate on the later of 5 years and 180 days after the enactment date of this Act or 5 years after the date by which the terms of all members of the Commission have commenced. The bill requires congressional consideration and enactment of a joint resolution of approval of recommendations of the Commission for the repeal of a rule or rules prior to agency implementation of a repeal. An agency is prohibited from: (1) reissuing rules substantially similar to rules repealed by this Act without congressional approval, or (2) issuing a new rule that results in the same adverse effects of a repealed rule. The Commission shall establish a public website to provide information in a standard data format and shall receive and publish public comments at no cost to the public. The Federal Advisory Committee Act shall apply to the Commission and any subcommittees of the Commission. TITLE II--REGULATORY CUT-GO (Sec. 201) This title requires agencies, when making a new rule, to repeal rules or sets of rules classified by the Commission as recommended for repeal to offset the costs of the new rule (cut-go procedure). (Sec. 202) Agencies are exempted from cut-go requirements when the Commission has implemented the repeal of all rules and sets of rules that the Commission has recommended for repeal. (Sec. 203) The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget shall review and certify the accuracy of agency determinations of the cost of new rules subject to cut-go requirements. TITLE III--RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEW RULES (Sec. 301) This title requires an agency, when issuing a new rule, to include a plan for the review of such rule not later than 10 years after the date of such rule. TITLE IV--JUDICIAL REVIEW (Sec. 401) This title allows judicial review of repeals of regulations, cut-go procedures, and plans for future review. TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS (Sec. 501) A "major rule" is defined to mean any rule that OIRA determines is likely to impose: (1) an annual cost on the economy of $100 million or more, adjusted annually for inflation; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies, or geographic regions; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises; or (4) significant impacts on multiple sectors of the economy.
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Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 245 - 174 (Roll no. 20).
HousePassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 245 - 174 (Roll no. 20).
HouseOn motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 178 - 239 (Roll no. 19).
HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H150)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cicilline motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to report the same back to the House forthwith with an amendment to exempt from the underlying bill, any rule that prohibits discrimination by Federal contractors or subcontractors on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Mr. Cicilline moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on the Judiciary. (consideration: CR H150-151; text of motion: CR H150)
Bills with similar content found using semantic analysis.
Sources: Congress.gov
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 5982, Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act
Client expense: $1,760,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
Security in Bonding Act (H.R. 838) Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 427/S. 226) Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2015 (H.R. 1666) Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015 (H.R. 1444) Procurement related amendments to FY17 National Defense Authorization Act (also a BUD issue) NLRB & DOL related amendments to the FY17 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (also a LBR & BUD issue) Freedom from Government Competition Act (H.R. 2044/S.1116) Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 (H.R. 712/S. 378) Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act) (H.R. 1155/S. 1683) Other federal procurement process issues impacting the construction industry (reverse auctions, design build)
Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Education, Dept of, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Small Business
H.R. 8 - North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015 Legislation seeks to promote energy efficiency inside the federal government and improve the security of energy-related infrastructure primarily by expanding the Department of Energys authorities. NSBA supports H.R. 9 - Innovation Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes H.R. 25 - The Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports H.R. 1105 - Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 Bill would repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, as well as cut the top gift tax rate. NSBA supports H.R. 1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Protection Act of 2015 The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports H.R. 2045 - TROL Act Legislation would allow the FTC to go after patent trolls which often target small business patent holders. NSBA supports H.R. 2775 - The Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2015 The bill allows states that meet simplification requirements to require remote sellers to collect taxes due on items purchased by consumers in those states. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 2911 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports H.R. 3326 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports H.R. 4341 - Defending Americas Small Contractors Act of 2016 The bill introduces a number of reforms to increase transparency and the ability of small businesses to compete in the federal marketplace. NSBA supports H.R. 4377 - American Business Competitiveness Act The bill cuts the corporate income tax to 25 percent; limits the top tax rate on non-corporate business income to 25 percent; allows businesses to deduct investment costs when they occur (full expensing); eliminates most business tax credits and many deductions; and moves to a territorial tax system like most developed nations. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4612 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 Legislation would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports H.R. 4638 - Main Street Growth Act The legislation seeks to make small business offerings more attractive to investors by creating venture exchanges which will bring together buyers and sellers for of venture securities. NSBA supports H.R. 4773 - Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act Legislation would nullify the Department of Labors overtime exemption rule and would require DOL to perform an economic analysis of how changes to overtime regulations will impact nonprofits, small businesses, and employers in other vulnerable industry sectors before issuing a new rule. NSBA supports H.R. 4783 - Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would reauthorize the SBIR/STTR programs through 2022. NSBA supports H.R. 4831 - S-Corp Bill Legislation would amend the tax code to clarify that shareholders in an S-Corp. who acquired their shares through crowdfunding would not count against the 100 shareholder cap. NSBA supports H.R. 4850 - Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act Measure would create an exemption from registration requirements under the Securities Act for certain small securities offerings. NSBA supports H.R. 4852 - the Private Placement Improvement Act Would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to amend the requirements for Regulation D offerings. It would also direct the SEC to revise rules regarding 506 offerings of a private fund to characterize as an accredited investor a knowledgeable employee of that private fund or the funds investment advisor. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 5076 - Main Street Fairness Act Establishes that businesses that file their taxes as pass-through income-sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs and S corporations-will never pay a higher tax rate than their larger counterparts. NSBA supports H.R. 5156 - Small Business Credit Card Act of 2016 Legislation would further protect small-business owners credit cards from unfair and deceptive practices of credit card companies. NSBA supports H.R. 5813 - Overtime Reform and Enhancement Act Will initiate a reasonable three-year phase-in of the Department of Labors new overtime rule. NSBA supports H.J. Res. 71 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA Supports H.J. Res. 72 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA supports H.J.Res. 95 A resolution under the Congressional Review Act to protect workers, students, nonprofit organizations, and small-business owners from the consequences of the Department of Labors controversial overtime rule. NSBA supports S. 155 - the Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports S. 632 - STRONG Patent Act The bill introduces modest patent reforms that would afford small businesses greater protections for their patents. NSBA supports S.698 - Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 The bill would require eCommerce sellers who gross over $1million in remote (out-of-state) sales per year to collect sales tax from buyers in all 45 states (plus D.C.) that impose a sales tax. NSBA is monitoring S. 1137 - PATENT Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes S. 1140 - Federal Water Quality Protection Act The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports S. 1584 - Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act The bill would remove the renewable fuel standard. NSBA is monitoring S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015 Creates a procedure whereby the president can require independent regulatory agencies to comply with the same rulemaking requirements that other agencies do. NSBA supports S. 1683 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports S. 1697 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports S. 2006 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 Legislation amends the APA to require that regulating agencies do more thorough examinations of the costs and benefits of promulgating regulations. NSBA supports S. 2012 - Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 Measure would make a number of changes impacting the security and the reliability of the energy grid. NSBA supports S. 2582 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 The bill would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports S. 2696 - Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2016 Would create a six month grace period for first time regulations violations by small businesses which do not place anyone in imminent danger. NSBA supports S. 2707 - Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act Legislation would nullify the Department of Labors overtime exemption rule and would require DOL to perform an economic analysis of how changes to overtime regulations will impact nonprofits, small businesses, and employers in other vulnerable industry sectors before issuing a new rule. NSBA supports S. 2724 - Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 Legislation would effectively eliminate Chevron Deference when courts review agency actions. NSBA supports S. 2733 - Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 This legislation will make changes to existing venue requirements in patent infringement litigation. NSBA opposes S. 2792 - Rapid Innovation Fund Enhancement Act of 2016 Legislation would reform the RIF program to ensure small businesses are always able to participate. NSBA supports S. 2793 - SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016 The legislation would permanently reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The programs are currently set to expire in 2017. NSBA supports S. 2812 - SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016 Legislation would permanently reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs. NSBA supports S. 2847 - Prove It Act Legislation would allow the Chief Counsel of Advocacy to challenge an agency certification of no significant impact on small businesses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. NSBA is monitoring S. 2898 - the Small Business National Security Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would allow SBIR and STTR small businesses to more easily contract to do follow-on work. NSBA supports S. 3464 - the Overtime Reform and Review Act Bill would phase in the new salary overtime threshold over five years, and would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report during the rules first year to assess its economic effects. NSBA supports S.J.Res.34 A resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that would block implementation of the administrations overtime rule. NSBA supports
2016 · fourth_quarter · Small Business
S 426/HR 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 S 378/HR 712, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act S 1683/HR 1155, the "Searching for and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act S 2570, Unfunded Mandates Accountability Act of 2016 HR 4636, Preventing Overreach Within the Executive Rulemaking System (POWERS) Act
Client expense: $240,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), SENATE, U.S. Forest Service
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2029 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and amendments H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Act of 2016 (SOPA Act) H.R. 4612 Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 5063 Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 and Gosar Amendment No. 5 H.R. 2304 the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforcts Act of 2015 (SPEAK FREE Act) H.R. 5226 - Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016 H.R. 5982 Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 S.2997 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 Criminal Justice Reform Package Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014) CEQ, Finalized NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 81 Fed. Reg. 51866 (Aug. 2, 2016) Draft U.S. DOI Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2020 EPA, Environmental Justice Action Agenda 2016-2020 (EJ 2020)
The House adopted the amendment as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H150)
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 1155.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on adoption of amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H145-152)
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 1155 as unfinished business.
On motion that the Committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.
Mr. Chaffetz moved that the Committee rise.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Patrick Murphy (FL) Part B No. 11 substitute amendment.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Pocan amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Pocan demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Pocan Part B amendment No. 10.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Cicilline amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Cicilline demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cicilline Part B amendment No. 9.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the DelBene amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. DelBene demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the DelBene Part B amendment No. 8.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cicilline Part B amendment No. 7.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Cummings amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Cummings demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cummings Part B amendment No. 6.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10-minutes of debate on the Cummings Part B amendment No. 5.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Johnson (GA) amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Johnson (GA) demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Johnson (GA) Part B amendment No. 4.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Walberg Part B amendment No. 3.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Schweikert Part B amendment No. 2.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 580, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Foxx part B amendment No.1.
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 1155.
The Speaker designated the Honorable Chris Collins to act as Chairman of the Committee.
House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 580 and Rule XVIII.
Resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 712 and H.R. 1155.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 580. (consideration: CR H67-87; text of measure as reported in House: CR H73-76)
Rule H. Res. 580 passed House.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 580 Reported to House. Resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 712 and H.R. 1155.
Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 114-196, Part I.
Congress.gov source codes: 5000, H12200
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 17 - 12.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law Discharged.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law.
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congress.gov source codes: H11100, H11100-A
Introduced in House
Congress.gov source codes: 1000, Intro-H
| Referred to |
| February 27, 2015 |
| Oversight and Accountability Committee | House | Referred to | February 27, 2015 |
| Republican |
| WA |
| Doug Collins | Republican | GA |
| Randy Hultgren | Republican | IL |
| Ted Poe | Republican | TX |
| Tom Marino | Republican | PA |
| Trent Franks | Republican | AZ |
Client expense: $32,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Reserve System, Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Intl Trade Administration (ITA), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
Client expense: $77,176 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 5982, Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act
Client expense: $1,760,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Banking
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPB Proposals; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUAs budget; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; Impact of Federal Regulations on Credit Unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; CFPBs interim final rule amending Regulation Z; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; Federal Credit Union Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; Dodd-Frank 1022 Authority; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; Accuracy of advertising and notice of insured status; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF); CLF information collection; CLF modernization to obtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; prevent arbitration restrictions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; Student Loan Borrower Communication ;CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; NCUAs usury ceiling under the FCU Act; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; FCCs Declaratory Ruling and Order on TCPA; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA); Periodic Statements for Borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; Statement production systems and CFPBs servicing regulations; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Improve agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB and NCUA; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Repeal Durbin Amendment; H.R. 5465 - to repeal Durbin Amendment; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; FFIEC proposed revision to the Uniform Interagency Consumer Compliance Rating System; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, Department of Labor overtime Rule; Administrative Procedures Act; Regulatory Flexibility for credit unions; Promote Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy; Financial Technology (FinTech); FinTech and online marketplace lending; Transparency for NCUAs Overhead Transfer Rate methodology; Transparency for NCUAs Operating Fee methodology; FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill; Community Development Financial Institution funding (CDFI); CDFI certification and reporting requirements; Dept. of Treasurys National Strategy for financial literacy and education; NCUAs information collection on investment and deposit activities; allow credit unions to purchase loans from other originators for purposes of issuing securities; mortgage servicing rights; extend exemption for consumer credit cards from MLA Rule requirements; Secondary Capital for low-income designated credit unions(LICU); LICU information collection burdens; Loan Level Price adjustments and Guaranty Fees; HR5541, Financial Services for the Underserved Act of 2016; NCUAs proposed rule regarding FCU occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises; HR 1486, Taking Account of Bureaucrats Spending Act (TABS); HR 4773, the Protection Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act; HR 4538, the Senior$afe Act; NCUAs proposed rule on Incentive-Based Compensation Arrangement; NCUAs Exam Flexibility Initiative; issues related to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Funds Equity Ratio; NCUAs Regulatory Review; seeking guidance from NCUA on interpretation of overall financial performance; NCUAs Revised Examiner Guidance; NCUA to revise CUSO reporting requirements; CUSO accounting standards, Amend NCUA thresholds for supervisory committee audits and verifications; NCUA to address duplicative nature of Fair Credit Reporting regulations; Incidental Powers; requirements for share insurance; Update call reports; DOJs ANPR on accessibility of web information and services of State and Local Government entities; CFPBs amendment to Regulation Ps Annual Privacy Notice Requirement; NCUAs modernization of data collection for regulatory oversight of credit unions; CFPBs proposed rule on arbitration agreements; Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loans; NCUAs proposed amendments to the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund; modernization of Federal Credit union Bylaws; FHFAs development of a Common Securitization Platform; NIST request for comment on current and future states of cybersecurity in the digital economy; DOD to give better guidance and extend effective date on Military Lending Act Rule; comments on CFPBs Outline of Proposals Under Consideration and Alternatives Considered regarding Third-Party debt collection practices; comments on Consumer Response Company Response Survey; H.R. 5983, the Financial CHOICE Act; H.R. 4038, the Community Financial Institution Exemption Act; H.R. 6094, Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Non-Profits Act; CFPBs proposed rule related to Payday, Vehicle Title and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans; Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer and proposals to adopt additional front-end credit risk transfer structures; rebates to credit unions related to the Temporary Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund; CFPB request for comment on Amendments Relating to Disclosure of Records and Information; NCUAs 2017 and 2018 proposed budgets; NCUAs Equity Fund Ratio and 2017 Projections; Changes to NCUAs Chartering and Field of Membership Manual.
Client expense: $640,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPB Proposals; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUAs budget; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; Impact of Federal Regulations on Credit Unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; CFPBs interim final rule amending Regulation Z; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; Federal Credit Union Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; Dodd-Frank 1022 Authority; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; Accuracy of advertising and notice of insured status; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF); CLF information collection; CLF modernization to obtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; prevent arbitration restrictions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; Student Loan Borrower Communication ;CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; NCUAs usury ceiling under the FCU Act; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; FCCs Declaratory Ruling and Order on TCPA; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA); Periodic Statements for Borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; Statement production systems and CFPBs servicing regulations; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Improve agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB and NCUA; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Repeal Durbin Amendment; H.R. 5465 - to repeal Durbin Amendment; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; FFIEC proposed revision to the Uniform Interagency Consumer Compliance Rating System; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, Department of Labor overtime Rule; Administrative Procedures Act; Regulatory Flexibility for credit unions; Promote Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy; Financial Technology (FinTech); FinTech and online marketplace lending; Transparency for NCUAs Overhead Transfer Rate methodology; Transparency for NCUAs Operating Fee methodology; FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill; Community Development Financial Institution funding (CDFI); CDFI certification and reporting requirements; Dept. of Treasurys National Strategy for financial literacy and education; NCUAs information collection on investment and deposit activities; allow credit unions to purchase loans from other originators for purposes of issuing securities; mortgage servicing rights; extend exemption for consumer credit cards from MLA Rule requirements; Secondary Capital for low-income designated credit unions(LICU); LICU information collection burdens; Loan Level Price adjustments and Guaranty Fees; HR5541, Financial Services for the Underserved Act of 2016; NCUAs proposed rule regarding FCU occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises; HR 1486, Taking Account of Bureaucrats Spending Act (TABS); HR 4773, the Protection Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act; HR 4538, the Senior$afe Act; NCUAs proposed rule on Incentive-Based Compensation Arrangement; NCUAs Exam Flexibility Initiative; issues related to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Funds Equity Ratio; NCUAs Regulatory Review; seeking guidance from NCUA on interpretation of overall financial performance; NCUAs Revised Examiner Guidance; NCUA to revise CUSO reporting requirements; CUSO accounting standards, Amend NCUA thresholds for supervisory committee audits and verifications; NCUA to address duplicative nature of Fair Credit Reporting regulations; Incidental Powers; requirements for share insurance; Update call reports; DOJs ANPR on accessibility of web information and services of State and Local Government entities; CFPBs amendment to Regulation Ps Annual Privacy Notice Requirement; NCUAs modernization of data collection for regulatory oversight of credit unions; CFPBs proposed rule on arbitration agreements; Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loans; NCUAs proposed amendments to the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund; modernization of Federal Credit union Bylaws; FHFAs development of a Common Securitization Platform; NIST request for comment on current and future states of cybersecurity in the digital economy; DOD to give better guidance and extend effective date on Military Lending Act Rule; comments on CFPBs Outline of Proposals Under Consideration and Alternatives Considered regarding Third-Party debt collection practices; comments on Consumer Response Company Response Survey; H.R. 5983, the Financial CHOICE Act; H.R. 4038, the Community Financial Institution Exemption Act; H.R. 6094, Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Non-Profits Act; CFPBs proposed rule related to Payday, Vehicle Title and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans; Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer and proposals to adopt additional front-end credit risk transfer structures; rebates to credit unions related to the Temporary Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund; CFPB request for comment on Amendments Relating to Disclosure of Records and Information; NCUAs 2017 and 2018 proposed budgets; NCUAs Equity Fund Ratio and 2017 Projections; Changes to NCUAs Chartering and Field of Membership Manual.
Client expense: $640,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.)
Marketing food to children; school food; menu labeling; food safety; nutrition; S.3136 & H.R.5003 Child Nutrition Reauthorization; S.2936 & H.R.5232 Stop Subsidizing Childhood Obesity Act; S.621 Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act; H.R.1552 Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment; S.287 & H.R.609 Safe Food Act; S.1653 & H.R.3147 Food Labeling Modernization Act; Supporting voluntary FDA sodium targets; H.R.2303 Pathogen Reduction and Testing Reform Act; S.2217 & H.R.2017 Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015; S.764 Require FDA or USDA to have oversight over food safety of GE crops; Address labeling of foods made from or avoiding GE crops; S.497 & H.R.932 Healthy Families Act; H.R.3564 Interstate Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3563 Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3187 Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act; H.R.712 Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act; H.R.1155 SCRUB Act; S.2947 & H.R.5298 Food Date Labeling Act; S.1653 & H.R. 3147 Food Labeling Modernization Act; Bottled water; Sodium standards; Soda warning labels; Supporting Dietary Guidelines.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · fourth_quarter · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code
The organization supports replacing the current federal income tax with a system that is simple, transparent, revenue-neutral and equitable. As such, we are closely monitoring discussions in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. We are also supportive of extending certain temporary tax provisions and maintaining the like-kind exchange provision in the Internal Revenue Code. Jobs and Premium Protection Act (S.183/H.R.928): Legislation that would repeal the tax levied on a health insurance company's net premium. The tax was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Farm Bureau opposed. The organization supports S.183/H.R.928. Death Tax Repeal Act (S.860/H.R.1155): Legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The organization opposes the estate tax and therefore supports S.860/H.R.1155. Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 (S.698): Legislation that would allow each member state under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to require all sellers not qualifying for a small-seller exception to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to internet sales. Remote sellers with less than $1 million annual sales are excluded; those who are above the threshold would be provided software for collecting the tax. The organization supports fair competition between local and main street retailers and internet-only sellers. The House companion bill is H.R.2775, the Remote Transactions Parity Act. Farm Equipment Depreciation (S.2202/H.R.4474): Legislation to permanently reinstate five-year depreciation for farm equipment. The organization supports this change since agriculture is an equipment-heavy industry. The Protect Family Farms and Businesses Act (H.R.6100/S.3436): Legislation to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from finalizing and implementing its proposed regulations on liquidation of an interest with respect to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The organization opposes the rulemaking because it would make it more difficult for farmers and ranchers who operate family-owned partnerships, LLCs or corporations to transfer their farms and ranches to the next generation. Comments were filed during the public comment period. Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension Act of 2016 (H.R.5240): Legislation that would extend the $1-per-gallon tax credit for biodiesel through the end of 2019 and reform the credit from a blenders credit to a producers credit for fuel using U.S. commodities. The organization supports the bill.
Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
Regulatory Reform: This issue is a strategic priority for our organization. As such, we support the bills below and are working to carry the discussion forward in 2017. Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R.185): The bill would amend the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) to require agencies to be more open and transparent on data used to justify a rule. The organization supports H.R. 185. Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (S.226): Legislation would require Congress to vote on every new major rulemaking proposed by the Executive Branch, which has an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. The organization supports S. 226. The Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act (H.R.690): Legislation would require each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to include a link to 100 word plain language summary of the proposed in regulations.gov. The organization supports H.R. 690. The Searching For and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act)(H.R.1155): Legislation that would establish a bi-partisan commission to review the Code of Federal Regulations and specify rules that should be repealed based on certain criteria. The organization supports H.R. 1155.
Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. General lobbying with regard to altering the requirement of complete diversity. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 5111 (Consumer Review Fairness Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services offered in interstate commerce that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. General lobbying with regard to regulatory reform issues. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S. 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. H.R. 5063 (Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016); prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. S. 3446/H.R. 3765 (ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action. H.R. 241 (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services (ACCESS) Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. H.R. 4719 (Correcting Obstructions to Mediate, Prevent, and Limit Inaccessibility (COMPLI) Act); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit persons aggrieved by certain public accommodation violations from commencing a civil action for discrimination unless they: (1) provide the owner or operator of the accommodation with a written notice that is specific enough to identify the violation; (2) specify in the notice that the owner or operator has 90 days to remove or correct the violation before an action will be brought; and (3) refrain from sending demand letters, requests for settlement, or other communications to the owner or operator during such 90-day period. General lobbying with respect to diversity jurisdiction and potential changes to the jurisdiction rules. S. 3155/H.R. 889 (Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act); to amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title) S. 2763/H.R. 6130 (Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016); to provide the victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by the Nazis.
Client expense: $1,150,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Vice President of the United States, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
Security in Bonding Act (H.R. 838) Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 427/S. 226) Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2015 (H.R. 1666) Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015 (H.R. 1444) Procurement related amendments to FY17 National Defense Authorization Act (also a BUD issue) NLRB & DOL related amendments to the FY17 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (also a LBR & BUD issue) Freedom from Government Competition Act (H.R. 2044/S.1116) Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 (H.R. 712/S. 378) Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act) (H.R. 1155/S. 1683) Other federal procurement process issues impacting the construction industry (reverse auctions, design build)
Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Education, Dept of, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Small Business
H.R. 8 - North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015 Legislation seeks to promote energy efficiency inside the federal government and improve the security of energy-related infrastructure primarily by expanding the Department of Energys authorities. NSBA supports H.R. 9 - Innovation Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes H.R. 25 - The Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports H.R. 1105 - Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 Bill would repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, as well as cut the top gift tax rate. NSBA supports H.R. 1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Protection Act of 2015 The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports H.R. 2028 - FY 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill The legislation would appropriate over $37 billion to federal programs across the agencies, an increase of $355 million over 2016 levels. However, the spending increases are largely attributed to defense-related programs, while nondefense programs, including those at the Army Corps of Engineers, received cuts. NSBA supported amendments to the bill. H.R. 2045 - TROL Act Legislation would allow the FTC to go after patent trolls which often target small business patent holders. NSBA supports H.R. 2187 - The Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to rewrite the accredited investor definition and would codify the current financial thresholds so that they may not be raised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) except by statute. NSBA supports H.R. 2775 - The Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2015 The bill allows states that meet simplification requirements to require remote sellers to collect taxes due on items purchased by consumers in those states. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 2911 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports H.R. 3326 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports H.R. 3784 - The SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 This bill would establish an Office of the Small Business Advocate within the SEC to advocate on behalf of small businesses and to be a resource for small businesses. NSBA supports H.R. 4168 - Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act The measure will require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to respond to recommendations made during the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. NSBA supports H.R. 4341 - Defending Americas Small Contractors Act of 2016 The bill introduces a number of reforms to increase transparency and the ability of small businesses to compete in the federal marketplace. NSBA supports H.R. 4377 - American Business Competitiveness Act The bill cuts the corporate income tax to 25 percent; limits the top tax rate on non-corporate business income to 25 percent; allows businesses to deduct investment costs when they occur (full expensing); eliminates most business tax credits and many deductions; and moves to a territorial tax system like most developed nations. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4612 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 Legislation would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports H.R. 4638 - Main Street Growth Act The legislation seeks to make small business offerings more attractive to investors by creating venture exchanges which will bring together buyers and sellers for of venture securities. NSBA supports H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 Legislation would effectively eliminate Chevron Deference when courts review agency actions. NSBA supports H.R. 4773 - Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act Legislation would nullify the Department of Labors overtime exemption rule and would require DOL to perform an economic analysis of how changes to overtime regulations will impact nonprofits, small businesses, and employers in other vulnerable industry sectors before issuing a new rule. NSBA supports H.R. 4783 - Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would reauthorize the SBIR/STTR programs through 2022. NSBA supports H.R. 4831 - S-Corp Bill Legislation would amend the tax code to clarify that shareholders in an S-Corp. who acquired their shares through crowdfunding would not count against the 100 shareholder cap. NSBA supports H.R. 4850 - Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act Measure would create an exemption from registration requirements under the Securities Act for certain small securities offerings. NSBA supports H.R. 4852 - the Private Placement Improvement Act Would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to amend the requirements for Regulation D offerings. It would also direct the SEC to revise rules regarding 506 offerings of a private fund to characterize as an accredited investor a knowledgeable employee of that private fund or the funds investment advisor. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4854 - Supporting Americas Innovators Act Legislation would amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to expand the investor limitation for qualifying venture capital funds under an exemption from the definition of an investment company. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4855 - Fix Crowdfunding Act Measure would amend the crowdfunding provisions included in the Jobs Act and would increase the crowdfunding limit from $1 million to $5 million. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4909 - FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act H.R. 4909 authorizes $610 billion in spending for the DOD and also makes a number of changes to the procurement process for small firms. NSBA supports H.R. 5064 - the Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016 Will allow Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to assist small businesses in developing or enhancing their cyber-security infrastructure, cyber threat awareness, and cyber training programs for employees. NSBA supports H.R. 5076 - Main Street Fairness Act Establishes that businesses that file their taxes as pass-through income-sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs and S corporations-will never pay a higher tax rate than their larger counterparts. NSBA supports H.R. 5156 - Small Business Credit Card Act of 2016 Legislation would further protect small-business owners credit cards from unfair and deceptive practices of credit card companies. NSBA supports H.R. 5813 - Overtime Reform and Enhancement Act Will initiate a reasonable three-year phase-in of the Department of Labors new overtime rule. NSBA supports H.R. 6094 - Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act Bill would delay by six months the Department of Labors (DOLs) overtime rule, which is set to take effect in December 2016 to June 2017. NSBA supports H.J. Res. 71 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA Supports H.J. Res. 72 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA supports H.J.Res. 95 A resolution under the Congressional Review Act to protect workers, students, nonprofit organizations, and small-business owners from the consequences of the Department of Labors controversial overtime rule. NSBA supports S. 155 - the Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports S. 632 - STRONG Patent Act The bill introduces modest patent reforms that would afford small businesses greater protections for their patents. NSBA supports S.698 - Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 The bill would require eCommerce sellers who gross over $1million in remote (out-of-state) sales per year to collect sales tax from buyers in all 45 states (plus D.C.) that impose a sales tax. NSBA is monitoring S. 1137 - PATENT Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes S. 1140 - Federal Water Quality Protection Act The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports S. 1584 - Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act The bill would remove the renewable fuel standard. NSBA is monitoring S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015 Creates a procedure whereby the president can require independent regulatory agencies to comply with the same rulemaking requirements that other agencies do. NSBA supports S. 1683 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports S. 1697 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports S. 1890 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports S. 2006 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 Legislation amends the APA to require that regulating agencies do more thorough examinations of the costs and benefits of promulgating regulations. NSBA supports S. 2012 - Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 Measure would make a number of changes impacting the security and the reliability of the energy grid. NSBA supports S. 2582 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 The bill would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports S. 2696 - Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2016 Would create a six month grace period for first time regulations violations by small businesses which do not place anyone in imminent danger. NSBA supports S. 2707 - Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act Legislation would nullify the Department of Labors overtime exemption rule and would require DOL to perform an economic analysis of how changes to overtime regulations will impact nonprofits, small businesses, and employers in other vulnerable industry sectors before issuing a new rule. NSBA supports S. 2724 - Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 Legislation would effectively eliminate Chevron Deference when courts review agency actions. NSBA supports S. 2733 - Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 This legislation will make changes to existing venue requirements in patent infringement litigation. NSBA opposes S. 2792 - Rapid Innovation Fund Enhancement Act of 2016 Legislation would reform the RIF program to ensure small businesses are always able to participate. NSBA supports S. 2793 - SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016 The legislation would permanently reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The programs are currently set to expire in 2017. NSBA supports S. 2812 - SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016 Legislation would permanently reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs. NSBA supports S. 2847 - Prove It Act Legislation would allow the Chief Counsel of Advocacy to challenge an agency certification of no significant impact on small businesses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. NSBA is monitoring S. 2898 - the Small Business National Security Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would allow SBIR and STTR small businesses to more easily contract to do follow-on work. NSBA supports S. 3464 - the Overtime Reform and Review Act Bill would phase in the new salary overtime threshold over five years, and would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report during the rules first year to assess its economic effects. NSBA supports S.J. Res. 22 - WOTUS Congressional Review Act Resolution This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the WOTUS rule which EPA finalized in May 2015. NSBA supports S.J.Res.34 A resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that would block implementation of the administrations overtime rule. NSBA supports
Client expense: $34,500 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Reserve System, Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Intl Trade Administration (ITA), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2029 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and amendments H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Act of 2016 (SOPA Act) H.R. 4612 Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 5063 Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 and Gosar Amendment No. 5 H.R. 2304 the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforcts Act of 2015 (SPEAK FREE Act) H.R. 5226 - Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016 H.R. 5982 Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 S.2997 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 Criminal Justice Reform Package Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014) CEQ, Finalized NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 81 Fed. Reg. 51866 (Aug. 2, 2016) Draft U.S. DOI Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2020 Environmental Justice Action Agenda 2016-2020 (EJ 2020)
Client expense: $79,453 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R.185): The bill would amend the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) to require agencies to be more open and transparent on data used to justify a rule. The organization supports H.R. 185. Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (S.226): Legislation would require Congress to vote on every new major rulemaking proposed by the Executive Branch, which has an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. The organization supports S. 226. The Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act (H.R.690): Legislation would require each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to include a link to 100 word plain language summary of the proposed in regulations.gov. The organization supports H.R. 690. The Searching For and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act)(H.R.1155): Legislation that would establish a bi-partisan commission to review the Code of Federal Regulations and specify rules that should be repealed based on certain criteria. The organization supports H.R. 1155.
Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code
The organization supports replacing the current federal income tax with a system that is simple, transparent, revenue-neutral and equitable. As such, we are closely monitoring discussions in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. We are also supportive of extending certain temporary tax provisions and maintaining the like-kind exchange provision in the Internal Revenue Code. Jobs and Premium Protection Act (S.183/H.R.928): Legislation that would repeal the tax levied on a health insurance company's net premium. The tax was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Farm Bureau opposed. The organization supports S.183/H.R.928. Death Tax Repeal Act (S.860/H.R.1155): Legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The organization opposes the estate tax and therefore supports S.860/H.R.1155. Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 (S.698): Legislation that would allow each member state under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to require all sellers not qualifying for a small-seller exception to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to internet sales. Remote sellers with less than $1 million annual sales are excluded; those who are above the threshold would be provided software for collecting the tax. The organization supports fair competition between local and main street retailers and internet-only sellers. The House companion bill is H.R.2775, the Remote Transactions Parity Act. Farm Equipment Depreciation (S.2202/H.R.4474): Legislation to permanently reinstate five-year depreciation for farm equipment. The organization supports this change since agriculture is an equipment-heavy industry. The Protect Family Farms and Businesses Act (H.R.6100/S.3436): Legislation to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from finalizing and implementing its proposed regulations on liquidation of an interest with respect to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The organization opposes the rulemaking because it would make it more difficult for farmers and ranchers who operate family-owned partnerships, LLCs or corporations to transfer their farms and ranches to the next generation. Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension Act of 2016 (H.R.5240): Legislation that would extend the $1-per-gallon tax credit for biodiesel through the end of 2019 and reform the credit from a blenders credit to a producers credit for fuel using U.S. commodities. The organization supports the bill.
Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 5111 (Consumer Review Fairness Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services offered in interstate commerce that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S. 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. H.R. 5063 (Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016); prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. S. 3446/H.R. 3765 (ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action. H.R. 241 (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services (ACCESS) Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. H.R. 4719 (Correcting Obstructions to Mediate, Prevent, and Limit Inaccessibility (COMPLI) Act); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit persons aggrieved by certain public accommodation violations from commencing a civil action for discrimination unless they: (1) provide the owner or operator of the accommodation with a written notice that is specific enough to identify the violation; (2) specify in the notice that the owner or operator has 90 days to remove or correct the violation before an action will be brought; and (3) refrain from sending demand letters, requests for settlement, or other communications to the owner or operator during such 90-day period. General lobbying with respect to diversity jurisdiction and potential changes to the jurisdiction rules. S. 3155/H.R. 889 (Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act); to amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title) S. 2763/H.R. 6130 (Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016); to provide the victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by the Nazis.
Client expense: $1,750,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Vice President of the United States, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 1927, Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 1818, Principled Rulemaking Act of 2015 S. 1820, Early Participation in Regulations Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act S. 708, H.R. 1407, Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015
Client expense: $2,820,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Security Council (NSC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · third_quarter · Small Business
S 426/HR 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 S 378/HR 712, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act S 1683/HR 1155, the "Searching for and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act S 2570, Unfunded Mandates Accountability Act of 2016 HR 4636, Preventing Overreach Within the Executive Rulemaking System (POWERS) Act
Client expense: $260,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), SENATE, U.S. Forest Service
2016 · third_quarter · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPB Proposals; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUAs budget; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; Impact of Federal Regulations on Credit Unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; CFPBs inerim final rule amending Regulation Z; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; Federal Credit Union Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; Dodd-Frank 1022 Authority; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; Accuracy of advertising and notice of insured status; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF); CLF information collection; CLF modernization to obtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; prevent arbitration restrictions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; Student Loan Borrower Communication ;CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission clarification regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; FCCs Declaratory Ruling and Order on TCPA; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA); Periodic Statements for Borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; Statement production systems and CFPBs servicing regulations; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Improve agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB and NCUA; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Repeal Durbin Amendment; H.R. 5465 - to repeal Durbin Amendment; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; FFIEC proposed revision to the Uniform Interagency Consumer Compliance Rating System; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, Department of Labor overtime Rule; Administrative Procedures Act; Regulatory Flexibility for credit unions; Promote Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy; Financial Technology (FinTech); FinTech and online marketplace lending; Transparency for NCUAs Overhead Transfer Rate methodology; Transparency for NCUAs Operating Fee methodology; FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill; Community Development Financial Institution funding (CDFI); CDFI certification and reporting requirements; Dept. of Treasurys National Strategy for financial literacy and education; NCUAs information collection on investment and deposit activities; allow credit unions to purchase loans from other originators for purposes of issuing securities; mortgage servicing rights; extend exemption for consumer credit cards from MLA Rule requirements; Secondary Capital for low-income designated credit unions(LICU); LICU information collection burdens; Loan Level Price adjustments and Guaranty Fees; HR5541, Financial Services for the Underserved Act of 2016; NCUAs proposed rule regarding FCU occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises; HR 1486, Taking Account of Bureaucrats Spending Act (TABS); HR 4773, the Protection Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act; HR 4538, the Senior$afe Act; NCUAs proposed rule on Incentive-Based Compensation Arrangement; NCUAs Exam Flexibility Initiative; issues related to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Funds Equity Ratio; NCUAs Regulatory Review; seeking guidance from NCUA on interpretation of overall financial performance; NCUAs Revised Examiner Guidance; NCUA to revise CUSO reporting requirements; CUSO accounting standards, Amend NCUA thresholds for supervisory committee audits and verifications; NCUA to address duplicative nature of Fair Credit Reporting regulations; Incidental Powers; requirements for share insurance; Update call reports; DOJs ANPR on accessibility of web information and services of State and Local Government entities; CFPBs amendment to Regulation Ps Annual Privacy Notice Requirement; NCUAs modernization of data collection for regulatory oversight of credit unions; CFPBs proposed rule on arbitration agreements; Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loans; NCUAs proposed amendments to the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund; modernization of Federal Credit union Bylaws; FHFAs development of a Common Securitization Platform; NIST request for comment on current and future states of cybersecurity in the digital economy; DOD to give better guidance and extend effective date on Military Lending Act Rule; comments on CFPBs Outline of Proposals Under Consideration and Alternatives Considered regarding Third-Party debt collection practices; comments on Consumer Response Company Response Survey; H.R. 5983, the Financial CHOICE Act; H.R. 4038, the Community Financial Institution Exemption Act; H.R. 6094, Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Non-Profits Act.
Client expense: $590,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · third_quarter · Banking
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPB Proposals; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUAs budget; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; Impact of Federal Regulations on Credit Unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; CFPBs inerim final rule amending Regulation Z; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; Federal Credit Union Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; Dodd-Frank 1022 Authority; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; Accuracy of advertising and notice of insured status; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF); CLF information collection; CLF modernization to obtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; prevent arbitration restrictions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; Student Loan Borrower Communication ;CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission clarification regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; FCCs Declaratory Ruling and Order on TCPA; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA); Periodic Statements for Borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; Statement production systems and CFPBs servicing regulations; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Improve agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB and NCUA; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Repeal Durbin Amendment; H.R. 5465 - to repeal Durbin Amendment; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; FFIEC proposed revision to the Uniform Interagency Consumer Compliance Rating System; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, Department of Labor overtime Rule; Administrative Procedures Act; Regulatory Flexibility for credit unions; Promote Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy; Financial Technology (FinTech); FinTech and online marketplace lending; Transparency for NCUAs Overhead Transfer Rate methodology; Transparency for NCUAs Operating Fee methodology; FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill; Community Development Financial Institution funding (CDFI); CDFI certification and reporting requirements; Dept. of Treasurys National Strategy for financial literacy and education; NCUAs information collection on investment and deposit activities; allow credit unions to purchase loans from other originators for purposes of issuing securities; mortgage servicing rights; extend exemption for consumer credit cards from MLA Rule requirements; Secondary Capital for low-income designated credit unions(LICU); LICU information collection burdens; Loan Level Price adjustments and Guaranty Fees; HR5541, Financial Services for the Underserved Act of 2016; NCUAs proposed rule regarding FCU occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises; HR 1486, Taking Account of Bureaucrats Spending Act (TABS); HR 4773, the Protection Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act; HR 4538, the Senior$afe Act; NCUAs proposed rule on Incentive-Based Compensation Arrangement; NCUAs Exam Flexibility Initiative; issues related to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Funds Equity Ratio; NCUAs Regulatory Review; seeking guidance from NCUA on interpretation of overall financial performance; NCUAs Revised Examiner Guidance; NCUA to revise CUSO reporting requirements; CUSO accounting standards, Amend NCUA thresholds for supervisory committee audits and verifications; NCUA to address duplicative nature of Fair Credit Reporting regulations; Incidental Powers; requirements for share insurance; Update call reports; DOJs ANPR on accessibility of web information and services of State and Local Government entities; CFPBs amendment to Regulation Ps Annual Privacy Notice Requirement; NCUAs modernization of data collection for regulatory oversight of credit unions; CFPBs proposed rule on arbitration agreements; Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loans; NCUAs proposed amendments to the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund; modernization of Federal Credit union Bylaws; FHFAs development of a Common Securitization Platform; NIST request for comment on current and future states of cybersecurity in the digital economy; DOD to give better guidance and extend effective date on Military Lending Act Rule; comments on CFPBs Outline of Proposals Under Consideration and Alternatives Considered regarding Third-Party debt collection practices; comments on Consumer Response Company Response Survey; H.R. 5983, the Financial CHOICE Act; H.R. 4038, the Community Financial Institution Exemption Act; H.R. 6094, Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Non-Profits Act.
Client expense: $590,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · third_quarter · Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.)
Marketing food to children; school food; menu labeling; food safety; nutrition; S.3136 & H.R.5003 Child Nutrition Reauthorization; S.2936 & H.R.5232 Stop Subsidizing Childhood Obesity Act; S.621 Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act; H.R.1552 Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment; S.287 & H.R.609 Safe Food Act; S.1653 & H.R.3147 Food Labeling Modernization Act; Supporting voluntary FDA sodium targets; H.R.2303 Pathogen Reduction and Testing Reform Act; S.2217 & H.R.2017 Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015; S.764 Require FDA or USDA to have oversight over food safety of GE crops; Address labeling of foods made from or avoiding GE crops; S.497 & H.R.932 Healthy Families Act; H.R.3564 Interstate Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3563 Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3187 Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act; H.R.712 Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act; H.R.1155 SCRUB Act; S.2947 & H.R.5298 Food Date Labeling Act; S.1653 & H.R. 3147 Food Labeling Modernization Act; Bottled water; Sodium standards; Soda warning labels; Supporting Dietary Guidelines.
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · second_quarter · Small Business
H.R. 8 - North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015 Legislation seeks to promote energy efficiency inside the federal government and improve the security of energy-related infrastructure primarily by expanding the Department of Energys authorities. NSBA supports H.R. 9 - Innovation Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes H.R. 25 - The Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports H.R. 1105 - Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 Bill would repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, as well as cut the top gift tax rate. NSBA supports H.R. 1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Protection Act of 2015 The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports H.R. 2028 - FY 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill The legislation would appropriate over $37 billion to federal programs across the agencies, an increase of $355 million over 2016 levels. However, the spending increases are largely attributed to defense-related programs, while nondefense programs, including those at the Army Corps of Engineers, received cuts. NSBA supported amendments to the bill. H.R. 2045 - TROL Act Legislation would allow the FTC to go after patent trolls which often target small business patent holders. NSBA supports H.R. 2187 - The Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to rewrite the accredited investor definition and would codify the current financial thresholds so that they may not be raised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) except by statute. NSBA supports H.R. 2775 - The Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2015 The bill allows states that meet simplification requirements to require remote sellers to collect taxes due on items purchased by consumers in those states. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 2911 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports H.R. 3326 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports H.R. 3784 - The SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 This bill would establish an Office of the Small Business Advocate within the SEC to advocate on behalf of small businesses and to be a resource for small businesses. NSBA supports H.R. 4168 - Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act The measure will require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to respond to recommendations made during the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. NSBA supports H.R. 4341 - Defending Americas Small Contractors Act of 2016 The bill introduces a number of reforms to increase transparency and the ability of small businesses to compete in the federal marketplace. NSBA supports H.R. 4377 - American Business Competitiveness Act The bill cuts the corporate income tax to 25 percent; limits the top tax rate on non-corporate business income to 25 percent; allows businesses to deduct investment costs when they occur (full expensing); eliminates most business tax credits and many deductions; and moves to a territorial tax system like most developed nations. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4612 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 Legislation would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports H.R. 4638 - Main Street Growth Act The legislation seeks to make small business offerings more attractive to investors by creating venture exchanges which will bring together buyers and sellers for of venture securities. NSBA supports H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 Legislation would effectively eliminate Chevron Deference when courts review agency actions. NSBA supports H.R. 4773 - Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act Legislation would nullify the Department of Labors overtime exemption rule and would require DOL to perform an economic analysis of how changes to overtime regulations will impact nonprofits, small businesses, and employers in other vulnerable industry sectors before issuing a new rule. NSBA supports H.R. 4783 - Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would reauthorize the SBIR/STTR programs through 2022. NSBA supports H.R. 4831 - S-Corp Bill Legislation would amend the tax code to clarify that shareholders in an S-Corp. who acquired their shares through crowdfunding would not count against the 100 shareholder cap. NSBA supports H.R. 4850 - Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act Measure would create an exemption from registration requirements under the Securities Act for certain small securities offerings. NSBA supports H.R. 4852 - the Private Placement Improvement Act Would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to amend the requirements for Regulation D offerings. It would also direct the SEC to revise rules regarding 506 offerings of a private fund to characterize as an accredited investor a knowledgeable employee of that private fund or the funds investment advisor. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4854 - Supporting Americas Innovators Act Legislation would amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to expand the investor limitation for qualifying venture capital funds under an exemption from the definition of an investment company. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4855 - Fix Crowdfunding Act Measure would amend the crowdfunding provisions included in the Jobs Act and would increase the crowdfunding limit from $1 million to $5 million. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4909 - FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act H.R. 4909 authorizes $610 billion in spending for the DOD and also makes a number of changes to the procurement process for small firms. NSBA supports H.R. 5076 - Main Street Fairness Act Establishes that businesses that file their taxes as pass-through income-sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs and S corporations-will never pay a higher tax rate than their larger counterparts. NSBA supports H.R. 5156 - Small Business Credit Card Act of 2016 Legislation would further protect small-business owners credit cards from unfair and deceptive practices of credit card companies. NSBA supports H.J. Res. 71 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA Supports H.J. Res. 72 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA supports H.J.Res. 95 A resolution under the Congressional Review Act to protect workers, students, nonprofit organizations, and small-business owners from the consequences of the Department of Labors controversial overtime rule. NSBA supports S. 155 - the Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports S. 632 - STRONG Patent Act The bill introduces modest patent reforms that would afford small businesses greater protections for their patents. NSBA supports S.698 - Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 The bill would require eCommerce sellers who gross over $1million in remote (out-of-state) sales per year to collect sales tax from buyers in all 45 states (plus D.C.) that impose a sales tax. NSBA is monitoring S. 1137 - PATENT Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes S. 1140 - Federal Water Quality Protection Act The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports S. 1584 - Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act The bill would remove the renewable fuel standard. NSBA is monitoring S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015 Creates a procedure whereby the president can require independent regulatory agencies to comply with the same rulemaking requirements that other agencies do. NSBA supports S. 1683 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports S. 1697 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports S. 1890 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports S. 2006 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 Legislation amends the APA to require that regulating agencies do more thorough examinations of the costs and benefits of promulgating regulations. NSBA supports S. 2012 - Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 Measure would make a number of changes impacting the security and the reliability of the energy grid. NSBA supports S. 2582 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 The bill would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports S. 2696 - Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2016 Would create a six month grace period for first time regulations violations by small businesses which do not place anyone in imminent danger. NSBA supports S. 2707 - Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act Legislation would nullify the Department of Labors overtime exemption rule and would require DOL to perform an economic analysis of how changes to overtime regulations will impact nonprofits, small businesses, and employers in other vulnerable industry sectors before issuing a new rule. NSBA supports S. 2724 - Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 Legislation would effectively eliminate Chevron Deference when courts review agency actions. NSBA supports S. 2733 - Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 This legislation will make changes to existing venue requirements in patent infringement litigation. NSBA opposes S. 2792 - Rapid Innovation Fund Enhancement Act of 2016 Legislation would reform the RIF program to ensure small businesses are always able to participate. NSBA supports S. 2793 - SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016 The legislation would permanently reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The programs are currently set to expire in 2017. NSBA supports S. 2812 - SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2016 Legislation would permanently reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs. NSBA supports S. 2847 - Prove It Act Legislation would allow the Chief Counsel of Advocacy to challenge an agency certification of no significant impact on small businesses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. NSBA is monitoring S. 2898 - the Small Business National Security Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would allow SBIR and STTR small businesses to more easily contract to do follow-on work. NSBA supports S.J. Res. 22 - WOTUS Congressional Review Act Resolution This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the WOTUS rule which EPA finalized in May 2015. NSBA supports S.J.Res.34 A resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that would block implementation of the administrations overtime rule. NSBA supports
Client expense: $43,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Reserve System, Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Intl Trade Administration (ITA), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
Security in Bonding Act (H.R. 838) Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 427/S. 226) Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2015 (H.R. 1666) Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015 (H.R. 1444) Procurement related amendments to FY17 National Defense Authorization Act (also a BUD issue) NLRB & DOL related amendments to the FY17 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (also a LBR & BUD issue) Freedom from Government Competition Act (H.R. 2044/S.1116) Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 (H.R. 712/S. 378) Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act) (H.R. 1155/S. 1683) Other federal procurement process issues impacting the construction industry (reverse auctions, design build)
Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Education, Dept of, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Small Business
S 426/HR 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 S 378/HR 712, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act S 1683/HR 1155, the "Searching for and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act S 2570, Unfunded Mandates Accountability Act of 2016 HR 4636, Preventing Overreach Within the Executive Rulemaking System (POWERS) Act
Client expense: $240,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), SENATE, U.S. Forest Service
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2029 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and amendments H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Act of 2016 (SOPA Act) H.R. 4612 Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 5063 Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 H.R. 2304 the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforcts Act of 2015 (SPEAK FREE Act) S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 S.2997 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 Criminal Justice Reform Package Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014) Draft U.S. DOI Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2020 Environmental Justice Action Agenda 2016-2020 (EJ 2020)
Client expense: $127,981 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, SENATE, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R.185): The bill would amend the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) to require agencies to be more open and transparent on data used to justify a rule. The organization supports H.R. 185. Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (S.226): Legislation would require Congress to vote on every new major rulemaking proposed by the Executive Branch, which has an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. The organization supports S. 226. The Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act (H.R.690): Legislation would require each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to include a link to 100 word plain language summary of the proposed in regulations.gov. The organization supports H.R. 690. The Searching For and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act)(H.R.1155): Legislation that would establish a bi-partisan commission to review the Code of Federal Regulations and specify rules that should be repealed based on certain criteria. The organization supports H.R. 1155.
Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code
The organization supports replacing the current federal income tax with a system that is simple, transparent, revenue-neutral and equitable. As such, we are closely monitoring discussions in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. We are also supportive of extending certain temporary tax provisions and maintaining the like-kind exchange provision in the Internal Revenue Code. Jobs and Premium Protection Act (S.183/H.R.928): Legislation that would repeal the tax levied on a health insurance company's net premium. The tax was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Farm Bureau opposed. The organization supports S. 183/H.R. 928. Death Tax Repeal Act (S.860/H.R.1155): Legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The organization opposes the estate tax and therefore supports S. 860/H.R. 1155. Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 (S.698): Legislation that would allow each member state under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to require all sellers not qualifying for a small-seller exception to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to internet sales. Remote sellers with less than $1 million annual sales are excluded; those who are above the threshold would be provided software for collecting the tax. The organization supports fair competition between local and main street retailers and internet-only sellers. The House companion bill is H.R. 2775, the Remote Transactions Parity Act. Farm Equipment Depreciation (S. 2202/H.R. 4474): Legislation to permanently reinstate five-year depreciation for farm equipment. The organization supports this change since agriculture is an equipment-heavy industry.
Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 1818, Principled Rulemaking Act of 2015 S. 1820, Early Participation in Regulations Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act S. 708, H.R. 1407, Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015
Client expense: $1,990,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Maritime Commission, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Archives & Records Administration (NARA), Natl Security Council (NSC), Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · second_quarter · Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.)
Marketing food to children; school food; menu labeling; food safety; nutrition; S.3136 & H.R.5003 Child Nutrition Reauthorization; S.2936 & H.R.5232 Stop Subsidizing Childhood Obesity Act; dietary supplements; powdered caffeine; GRAS; S.621 Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act; H.R.1552 Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment; S.287 & H.R.609 Safe Food Act; S.1653 & H.R.3147 Food Labeling Modernization Act; Supporting voluntary FDA sodium targets; H.R.2303 Pathogen Reduction and Testing Reform Act; S.2217 & H.R.2017 Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015; S.764 & H.R.1599 Require FDA or USDA to have oversight over food safety of GE crops; Address labeling of foods made from or avoiding GE crops; S.497 & H.R.932 Healthy Families Act; H.R.3564 Interstate Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3563 Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3187 Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act; H.R.712 Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act; H.R.1155 SCRUB Act; Bottled water; Sodium standards; Soda warning labels; Supporting Dietary Guidelines.
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 5111 (Consumer Review Fairness Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services offered in interstate commerce that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. H.R. 5063 (Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016); prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. H.R. 3765 (ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action. H.R. 241 (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services (ACCESS) Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. H.R. 4719 (Correcting Obstructions to Mediate, Prevent, and Limit Inaccessibility (COMPLI) Act); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit persons aggrieved by certain public accommodation violations from commencing a civil action for discrimination unless they: (1) provide the owner or operator of the accommodation with a written notice that is specific enough to identify the violation; (2) specify in the notice that the owner or operator has 90 days to remove or correct the violation before an action will be brought; and (3) refrain from sending demand letters, requests for settlement, or other communications to the owner or operator during such 90-day period.
Client expense: $1,500,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Vice President of the U.S.
2016 · second_quarter · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPB Proposals; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUA budget transparency; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; CFPBs inerim final rule amending Regulation Z; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; Federal Credit Union Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; Dodd-Frank 1022 Authority; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF); CLF information collection; CLF modernizationobtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; prevent arbitration restrictions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; Student Loan Borrower Communication ;CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission clarification regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA); Periodic Statements for Borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; Statement production systems and CFPBs servicing regulations; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Improve agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB and NCUA; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Repeal Durbin Amendment; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, Department of Labor overtime Rule; Administrative Procedures Act; Regulatory Flexibility for credit unions; Promote Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy; Financial Technology (FinTech); Transparency for NCUAs Overhead Transfer Rate methodology; Transparency for NCUAs Operating Fee methodology; FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill; Community Development Financial Institution funding (CDFI); CDFI certification and reporting requirements; Dept. of Treasurys National Strategy for financial literacy and education; NCUAs information collection on investment and deposit activities; allow credit unions to purchase loans from other originators for purposes of issuing securities; mortgage servicing rights; extend exemption for consumer credit cards from MLA Rule requirements; Secondary Capital for low-income designated credit unions(LICU); LICU information collection burdens; Loan Level Price adjustments and Guaranty Fees; HR5541, Financial Services for the Underserved Act of 2016; NCUAs proposed rule regarding FCU occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises; HR 1486, Taking Account of Bureaucrats Spending Act (TABS); HR 4773, the Protection Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act; HR 4538, the Senior$afe Act.
Client expense: $810,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · second_quarter · Banking
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPB Proposals; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUA budget transparency; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; CFPBs inerim final rule amending Regulation Z; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; Federal Credit Union Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; Dodd-Frank 1022 Authority; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF); CLF information collection; CLF modernizationobtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; prevent arbitration restrictions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; Student Loan Borrower Communication ;CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission clarification regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA); Periodic Statements for Borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy; Statement production systems and CFPBs servicing regulations; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Improve agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB and NCUA; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Repeal Durbin Amendment; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, Department of Labor overtime Rule; Administrative Procedures Act; Regulatory Flexibility for credit unions; Promote Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy; Financial Technology (FinTech); Transparency for NCUAs Overhead Transfer Rate methodology; Transparency for NCUAs Operating Fee methodology; FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill; Community Development Financial Institution funding (CDFI); CDFI certification and reporting requirements; Dept. of Treasurys National Strategy for financial literacy and education; NCUAs information collection on investment and deposit activities; allow credit unions to purchase loans from other originators for purposes of issuing securities; mortgage servicing rights; extend exemption for consumer credit cards from MLA Rule requirements; Secondary Capital for low-income designated credit unions(LICU); LICU information collection burdens; Loan Level Price adjustments and Guaranty Fees; HR5541, Financial Services for the Underserved Act of 2016; NCUAs proposed rule regarding FCU occupancy, planning, and disposal of acquired and abandoned premises; HR 1486, Taking Account of Bureaucrats Spending Act (TABS); HR 4773, the Protection Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act; HR 4538, the Senior$afe Act.
Client expense: $810,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Small Business
H.R. 8 - North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015 Legislation seeks to promote energy efficiency inside the federal government and improve the security of energy-related infrastructure primarily by expanding the Department of Energys authorities. NSBA supports H.R. 9 - Innovation Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes H.R. 25 - The Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports H.R. 644 - the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act The legislation authorizes the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and improves the flow of legitimate trade by modernizing the automated import and export system. NSBA supports H.R. 703 - Renewable Fuel Standard Elimination Act Would remove the renewable fuel standard. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 1105 - Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 Bill would repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, as well as cut the top gift tax rate. NSBA supports H.R. 1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Protection Act of 2015 The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports H.R. 2045 - TROL Act Allows the FTC to go after patent trolls which often target small business patent holders. NSBA supports H.R. 2187 - The Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to rewrite the accredited investor definition and would codify the current financial thresholds so that they may not be raised by the SEC except by statute. NSBA supports H.R. 2775 - the Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2015 The bill allows states that meet simplification requirements to require remote sellers to collect taxes due on items purchased by consumers in those states. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 2911 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports H.R. 3326 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports H.R. 3784 - The SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 This bill would establish an Office of the Small Business Advocate within SEC to advocate on behalf of small businesses and to be a resource for small businesses. NSBA supports H.R. 4168 - Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act Will require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to respond to recommendations made during the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. NSBA supports H.R. 4341 - Defending Americas Small Contractors Act of 2016 Introduces a number of reforms to increase transparency and the ability of small businesses to compete in the federal marketplace. NSBA supports H.R. 4377 - American Business Competitiveness Act The bill cuts the corporate income tax to 25 percent; limits the top tax rate on non-corporate business income to 25 percent; allows businesses to deduct investment costs when they occur (full expensing); eliminates most business tax credits and many deductions; and moves to a territorial tax system like most developed nations. NSBA is monitoring H.R. 4498 - Helping Angels Lead our Startups (HALOS) Act The measure is designed to make it easier for businesses to notify potential investors of their offerings as well as provide a statutory definition for angel investor group. NSBA supports H.R. 4612 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 Would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports H.R. 4638 - Main Street Growth Act The legislation seeks to make small business offerings more attractive to investors by creating venture exchanges which will bring together buyers and sellers for of venture securities. NSBA supports H.R. 4783 - Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016 Legislation would reauthorize the SBIR/STTR programs through 2022. NSBA supports H.R. 4831 - S-Corp Bill Would amend the tax code to clarify that shareholders in an S-Corp. who acquired their shares through crowdfunding would not count against the 100 shareholder cap. NSBA supports H.R. 4850 - Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act Would create an exemption from registration requirements under the Securities Act for certain small securities offerings. NSBA supports H.J. Res. 71 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA Supports H.J. Res. 72 - Clean Power Plan - Congressional Review Act This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the Clean Power Plan regulations promulgated by the EPA to cut carbon emissions. NSBA supports S. 155 - the Fair Tax Act To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. NSBA supports S. 632 - STRONG Patent Act Introduces modest patent reforms that would afford small businesses greater protections for their patents. NSBA supports S.698 - Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 The bill would require eCommerce sellers who gross over $1million in remote (out-of-state) sales per year to collect sales tax from buyers in all 45 states (plus D.C.) that impose a sales tax. NSBA is monitoring S. 1137 - PATENT Act Reforms the patent system and introduces measures that would make it more difficult for small businesses to defend their patents. NSBA opposes S. 1140 - Federal Water Quality Protection Act The legislation would require the EPA to rewrite the waters of the U.S. rule. NSBA supports S. 1584 - Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act Would remove the renewable fuel standard. NSBA is monitoring S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015 Creates a procedure whereby the president can require independent regulatory agencies to comply with the same rulemaking requirements that other agencies do. NSBA supports S. 1683 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015 This bill would create a special commission to review and repeal regulatory requirements which could be removed without significant impact to the regulations overall effectiveness. NSBA supports S. 1697 - Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. NSBA supports S. 1890 - Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Creates a right of action in federal court for trade secrets violations and creates mechanisms to prevent the release of trade secret information. NSBA supports S. 2006 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the APA to require that regulating agencies do more thorough examinations of the costs and benefits of promulgating regulations. NSBA supports S. 2012 - Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 Would make a number of changes impacting the security and the reliability of the energy grid. NSBA supports S. 2582 - Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 Would prevent agencies from proposing or finalizing regulations from the day after elections to the day of the next presidential inauguration. NSBA supports S. 2696 - Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2016 Would create a six month grace period for first time regulations violations by small business which do not place anyone in imminent danger. NSBA supports S. 2733 - Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 This legislation will make changes to existing venue requirements in patent infringement litigation. NSBA opposes S.J. Res. 22 - WOTUS Congressional Review Act Resolution This resolution would invoke the Congressional Review Act and roll back the WOTUS rule which EPA finalized in May 2015. NSBA supports S.Con. Res. 25 This expressed the sense of Congress that no deal reached during the Paris climate change conference would have force in the U.S. unless it was approved by Congress. NSBA is monitoring.
Client expense: $37,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Reserve System, Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Intl Trade Administration (ITA), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
Security in Bonding Act (H.R. 838) Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 427/S. 226) Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2015 (H.R. 1666) Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015 (H.R. 1444) Procurement related amendments to FY17 National Defense Authorization Act (also a BUD issue) NLRB & DOL related amendments to the FY17 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (also a LBR & BUD issue) Freedom from Government Competition Act (H.R. 2044/S.1116) Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 (H.R. 712/S. 378) Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act) (H.R. 1155/S. 1683) Other federal procurement process issues impacting the construction industry (reverse auctions, design build)
Client expense: $30,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Education, Dept of, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · first_quarter · Clean Air and Water (quality)
Issues related to the health impacts of air pollution including the following legislation: H.J.Res.70, Disapproving a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone".; H.J.Res.71, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".; H.J.Res.72, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".; H.J.Res.74, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone".; H.R.712, Sunshine for Regulatory Degrees and Settlements Act; H.R.1155, SCRUB Act of 2016; H.R.1320, Commonsense Legislative Exceptional Events Reforms Act of 2015; H.R.1327, ORDEAL Act of 2015; H.R.1388, Clean Air, Strong Economies Act; H.R.1759, ALERT Act of 2015; H.R.3797, SENSE Act; H.R.4000, Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard Deadline Harmonization Act of 2015; H.R.4544, Energy Sovereignty Act; H.R.4557, Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns Act of 2016; H.R.4768, Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016; H.R.4775, Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016; H.R.8, North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015; S.1607, Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015; S.1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015; S.1818, Principled Rulemaking Act of 2015; S.1820, Early Participation in Regulations Act of 2015; S.2012, Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015; S.2072, A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program under which the Administrator shall defer the designation of an area as a nonattainment area for purposes of the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard if the area achieves and maintains certain standards under a voluntary early action compact plan.; S.2194, Clean Cookstoves and Fuels Support Act; S.638, Commonsense Legislative Exceptional Events Reforms Act of 2015; S.640, ORDEAL Act of 2015; S.751, CASE Act; S.J.Res.23, A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".; S.J.Res.24, A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units".; S.J.Res.25, A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone".; Issues related to Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations; Issues related to Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations; Issues related to air pollution and health; Issues related to air pollution from vehicles and fuels; Issues related to air pollution from power plants and other stationary sources; Issues related to the President's Budget; Issues related to the Budget Control Act; Issues related to regulatory reform
Client expense: $100,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Natl Institutes of Health (NIH), Navy, Dept of, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk Act 2015 (H.R. 2896); Justice for Victims of Confidential Informant Crime Act of 2015 (H.R. 2986); Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act (H.R.1155); Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2016 (H.R.712); Independent Agency Regulatory Accountability Act (S. 1607); Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 (S. 708); Regulatory Accountability Act (S. 2006); Early Participation in regulation Act of 2015 (S. 1820); Smarter Regs Act of 2015 (S. 1817)
Client expense: $20,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 1927, Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1607, Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015 S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 1818, Principled Rulemaking Act of 2015 S. 1820, Early Participation in Regulations Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act S. 280, Federal Permitting Improvement Act of 2015 S. 708, H.R. 1407, Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 S. 846, Small Business Regulatory Sunset Act of 2015
Client expense: $1,920,014 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Library of Congress (LOC), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Natl Security Council (NSC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Small Business
S 426/HR 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 S 378/HR 712, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act S 1683/HR 1155, the "Searching for and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act S 2570, Unfunded Mandates Accountability Act of 2016 HR 4636, Preventing Overreach Within the Executive Rulemaking System (POWERS) Act
Client expense: $210,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), SENATE, U.S. Forest Service
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014)
Client expense: $99,930 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SENATE, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
HR 4612 - all sections dealing with slowing down regulations at end of term; HR 712 - court access and settlement decrees provisions; HR 1155 - regulatory reform provisions; regulatory reform issues: cost/benefit analysis, regulatory lookback, regulatory cut-go budget.
Client expense: $239,076 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses.
Client expense: $1,380,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Vice President of the United States, SENATE, Vice President of the U.S.
2016 · first_quarter · Small Business
Access to Capital and Capital Formation: H.R. 4168, Small Business Access to Capital Enhancement Act: Supported House passage, voiced support for legislation in Senate. H.R. 1675, Capital Markets Improvements Act: Supported House passage. H.R. 4498, Helping Angels Lead Our Startups Act (HALOS Act): Advocated for and supported committee passage on legislation. H.R. 4638, Main Street Growth Act: Advocated for and supported committee passage. Tax Reform and Relief: Tax Reform: Advocated for broad-based tax reform focused on lowering rates for small business/individual and corporate taxpayers, full expensing, closing loopholes, and simplifying the tax system. Death Tax Repeal: Advocated for the Senate to act on House-passed repeal legislation (H.R. 1105). Trade and Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Trade Facilitation and Enforcement Act of 2015 Conference Report (H.R. 644): Supported Senate passage of the legislation, which included the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act. Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement: Educated members of Congress and policymakers about TPPs content, specifically its small business provisions and responded to general myths about the agreement. Regulation and Regulatory Reform: Regulatory Reform: Continued to support action for broad-based regulatory reform and activity related to advancing such, including the formation of the Senate Regulations Caucus, support for the National Regulatory Budget Act of 2014, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS Act), a Regulatory Cost Budget and legislation as detailed below: Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 (H.R. 1407, S. 708): Support this bill to develop a commission to identify outdated and duplicative regulations. Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act (S. 1607): Support this bill to require agencies to publish cost-benefit analysis, private sector impact of rules and more information on regulations they intend to publish. H.R. 712, Sunshine and Regulatory Decrees and Settlement Act: Supported House passage. H.R. 2017, Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act: Supported House passage. H.R. 4612, S.2582, Midnight Rule Relief Act: Voiced support for legislation and committee passage in the House. H.R. 4596, Small Business Broadband Deployment Act: Supported House passage. Resolution of Disapproval on EPA's Waters Rule: Supported House passage. H.R. 1155: Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act (SCRUB Act): Supported House passage. Specific Regulations and Comments Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Advocated for keeping the standard as is, rather than increasing due to the economic and environmental damage caused by the ethanol mandate. Also support RFS repeal. EPAs New Ozone Standard: Voiced concern about the new standard, and continue to educate the public and policymakers about its impact on small businesses, local economies, workers and various sectors, especially as it relates to implementation and the complexity of "background ozone." Submitted Comments to EPA on "background ozone" DOLs Proposed Fiduciary Regulation: Continue to educate Congress about the harm the proposed rule would have for small businesses trying to provide retirement accounts for their employees. Met with OMB to discuss concerns about final DOL proposal. DOLs Proposed Overtime Regulations: Continue to educate Congress about the harm the proposed rule would have for the workplace, employees and small businesses. Joint Employer Standard: Continued to support legislation (H.R. 3459 and S. 2015) that would modify the NLRBs decision on the standard, which disproportionately harms small businesses and franchises. Legal Reform: H.R. 1927, Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act: Supported House passage. Healthcare Reform: Small Business Healthcare Relief Act (H.R. 2911, S.1698): Continue to support House and Senate passage of this bill to fix Health Reimbursement Account contributions that have been made illegal in the Affordable Care Act. S.2499 and H.R. 4469, Health Savings Act of 2016: Voiced support for the bills in House and Senate. Government Procurement: H.R. 1671, Voiced support for Government Neutrality in Contracting Act Government Accountability and Reform: H.R. 598, Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act: Supported House passage. H.R. 653, FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act: Supported House passage. S.2232, Federal Reserve Transparency Act: Voiced support for legislation. H.R. 3442, Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act: Supported House passage. Affordable Energy and Reform: Energy Policy Modernization Act: Voiced support of the bill in U.S. Senate. H.R. 3797, Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act (SENSE Act): Supported House passage. DOE Comments on LNG: Supported the department's findings on the economic impact of liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. Oil Tax in President's Budget: Expressed concerns about the $10 per barrel proposed tax. Intellectual Property: S.1890 Defend Trade Secrets Act: Voiced support for legislation and Senate passage. H.R. 1283, Songwriters Equity Act: Voiced support for the legislation.
Client expense: $80,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPBs Outline of Proposals Under Consideration; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUA budget transparency; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility; obtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission clarification regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; Department of Labor Overtime Rule; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule.
Client expense: $420,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Banking
Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) Notice and Request for Comment on Web-Based Quantitative Testing Point of Sale/ATM (POS/ATM) Overdraft Disclosure Forms; Comments responding to request for information on the FHFAs proposed collection of information relating to the NSEMB; Comments on Regulatory Impact Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, RIN 1506-AB25; Concerns with CFPB future payday lending rulemakings; payday lending as related to the CFPBs Outline of Proposals Under Consideration; H.R. 3192: Homebuyers Assistance Act; H.R. 2769: Risk-Based Capital Study Act; National Credit Union Administrations (NCUA) risk-based capital proposal; H.R. 2205: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; EMV chip technology is what makes the new cards more secure - PIN is a distraction from the real issue that is data security; party responsible for breached data should be liable for costs associated with breach; NCUA budget transparency; H.R. 1176: NCUA Budget Transparency Act/ GAO Study of NCUA budgeting practices; H.R. 1188: Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act/ raising MBL cap; H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act; H.R. 1210: Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act; H.R. 2473: Preserving Capital Access and Mortgage Liquidity Act of 2015; H.R. 2896: the TAILOR Act of 2015; S. 754: Cyber Security Information Sharing Act; NAFCUs Five Point Plan for Regulatory Relief (capital reforms for credit unions; field of membership improvements for credit unions; reduced consumer financial protection bureaus on credit unions; operational improvements for credit unions; 21st century data security standards); Regulatory relief for credit unions; S. 961: Data Security Act of 2015/ Subjects retailers to robust federal safekeeping standard; NCUAs efforts to allow credit unions to better serve rural areas; H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act; H.R. 1261: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act/ Subjects CFPB to Congressional appropriations process; S. 774: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; S. 871: HELP Rural Communities Act of 2015/ CFPB Rural Definition; H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015/ Points and Fees; H.R. 1408: Mortgage Servicing Asset Capital Requirements Act; H.R. 1422: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; H.R. 1529: Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2015; H.R. 1941: Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act; Regulatory Burdens; Qualified Mortgage Rule; S. 1484: Financial Regulatory Improvement Act; S. 2028: A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act, to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities, and for other purposes; H.R. 3738: the Office of Financial Research Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 3557: the FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act; H.R. 1660: the Federal Savings Association Charter Flexibility Act; Improve the federal charter of credit unions through the FCU Act; H.R. 989: Capital Access for Small Businesses and Jobs Act/ Supplemental Capital; H.R. 1133: To exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan under the Federal Credit Union Act; NCUA proposed rulemaking on a federal insured credit unions member business lending; NCUAs exam scheduling policy; NAFCUs Top Ten Regulations for Eliminate of Amend (improve process for credit unions seeking changes to their field of membership; provide more meaningful exemptions for small institutions; expand credit union investment authority; allowing more transfers per month from savings accounts per Federal Reserve Regulation D; flexibility for credit unions making member business loans; NCUAs member business lending rule: update requirement to disclose account numbers to protect privacy of members; update advertising requirements for loan products and share accounts; seek improvements to the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility; obtain flexibility for federal credit unions to determine their choice of law; update simplify and make improvements to regulations governing check processing funds); S. 423: Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015; H.R. 22: the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015; NCUAs proposed Field of Membership Amendments; H.R. 2995: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act; Require the CFPB to conduct a fair, comprehensive study before adopting a rule that would restrict arbitration and open the door to abusive class actions; NCUA third party vendor authority; CFPB request for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a national web-based survey relative to overdraft protection services; CFPB consumer complaint narrative database; CFPB and the student loan servicing market; CFPB integration of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosures, consider good faith efforts to comply with TRID; financial regulators must level the playing field and promulgate rules that require non-traditional market lenders to meet basic consumer protection requirements such as those of TILA, underwriting standards for loans, and applicable state usury laws; FSOC should facilitate regulatory coordination among its member regulators; preserve the credit union tax exemption; regulatory relief including CFPB using their exemption authority more; Housing Finance Reform - it is vital that credit unions continue to have unfettered access to the secondary mortgage market and any reforms should have emphasis on fair pricing that reflects loan quality rather than quantity; Department of Labors proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act for certain full-time salaried works to be eligible for overtime protections; Federal Communication Commission clarification for free end user calls made by financial institutions; Federal Communication Commission clarification regarding clarifications to the interpretations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; H.R. 1155: the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act; prepaid cards - CFPB efforts to ensure that consumers using prepaid products are sufficiently informed and protected - they should find appropriate balance between adequate consumer protection and allowing consumers access to products they demand; compliance burdens related to CFPB amendments to Regulation C, HMDA; Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) business loan program; H.R. 2499: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015; FY 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill; H.R. 427: Regulations for the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015; Agency use of regulatory guidance; Protect responsible overdraft services; Changes to requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; H.R. 957: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Inspector General Reform Act; Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Credit risk-guarantee fees; Military Lending Act; H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; Cost-benefit analysis at federal regulatory agencies; Regulatory coordination; Regulations related to remittance transfers; Legal opinion letters at the CFPB; H.R. 9: Innovation Act; H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015; H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015; H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act; H.R. 766: Financial Institution Customer Protection Act/ Ending Operation Choke Point; H.R. 1262: Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; H.R. 1263: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act/ Changes veto authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council; H.R. 1265: Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act/ Making credit union advisory council meetings public; H.R. 1266: Financial Product Safety Commission Act/ Replacing CFPB Director with Commission; H.R. 1309: Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015; S. 881: Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2015; S. 924: To require public hearings on NCUA's budget; S. 1137: PATENT Act; S. 1440: Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act/ MBL 1-4 exemption; Ensure an Effective Payments system; Fairness under FCC ruling on autodialing and FCC oversight; modernize online lending laws and regulations; give NCUA greater flexibility with credit union lending including the ability to establish longer maturities for certain loans; preventing g-fees charged by Fannie and Freddie from being used as funding offset; NCUA 18-month Exam Cycle; Military Lending Act Database; Credit Losses Accounting Standard; FASB Accounting Standards; CFPBs expansion of data collection under Reg C, Privacy protections for data collected by CFPB; NIST notice and request for information on views on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; Comments on Notice of proposed rulemaking regarding field of membership and chartering; CBSA population limit, combined statistical area, well defined local communities, rural population limits, multiple common bond charters, underserved areas, TIP charters; CFPB information collection on compliance costs and other effects of regulation; Duty to serve underserved markets; interchange rates as related to the Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank; Federal Reserves EGRPRA review process; FHFAs principal reduction consideration; FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool; Department of Labor Overtime Rule; Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule.
Client expense: $420,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Government Accountability Office (GAO), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.)
Marketing food to children; school food; menu labeling; food safety; nutrition; child nutrition reauthorization; dietary supplements; powdered caffeine; GRAS; S.621 Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act; H.R.1552 Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment; S.287 & H.R.609 Safe Food Act; S.1653 & H.R.3147 Food Labeling Modernization Act; Supporting voluntary FDA sodium targets; H.R. 2303 Pathogen Reduction and Testing Reform Act; S.2217 & H.R. 2017 Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015; H.R.1599 Require FDA or USDA to have oversight over food safety of GE crops; Address labeling of foods made from or avoiding GE crops; Supporting 2015 DGAC report; S.540 & H.R.3316 School Food Modernization Act; S.569 & H.R.1061 Farm to School Act; H.R.2407 School Milk Nutrition Act; S.1833 & H.R.3886 Access to Healthy Food for Young Children Act/CACFP Bill; S.497 & H.R.932 Healthy Families Act; H.R.3564 Interstate Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3563 Milk Freedom Act; H.R.3187 Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act; H.R.712 Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act; H.R.1155 SCRUB Act; Public information about medical research; Soda warning labels.
Client expense: $20,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R.185): The bill would amend the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) to require agencies to be more open and transparent on data used to justify a rule. The organization supports H.R. 185. Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (S.226): Legislation would require Congress to vote on every new major rulemaking proposed by the Executive Branch, which has an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. The organization supports S. 226. The Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act (H.R.690): Legislation would require each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to include a link to 100 word plain language summary of the proposed in regulations.gov. The organization supports H.R. 690. The Searching For and Cutting Regulations That Are Unnecessarialy Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act)(H.R.1155): Legislation that would establish a bi-partisan commission to review the Code of Federal Regulations and specify rules that should be repealed based on certain criteria. The organization supports H.R. 1155.
Client expense: $70,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · first_quarter · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code
The organization supports replacing the current federal income tax with a system that is simple, transparent, revenue-neutral and equitable. As such, we are closely monitoring discussions in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. We are also supportive of extending certain temporary tax provisions. Jobs and Premium Protection Act (S.183/H.R.928): Legislation that would repeal the tax levied on a health insurance company's net premium. The tax was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Farm Bureau opposed. The organization supports S. 183/H.R. 928. Death Tax Repeal Act (S.860/H.R.1155): Legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The organization opposes the estate tax and therefore supports S. 860/H.R. 1155. Marketplace Fairness Act of 2015 (S.698): Legislation that would allow each member state under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to require all sellers not qualifying for a small-seller exception to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to internet sales. Remote sellers with less than $1 million annual sales are excluded; those who are above the threshold would be provided software for collecting the tax. The organization supports fair competition between local and main street retailers and internet-only sellers. The House companion bill is H.R. 2775, the Remote Transactions Parity Act. Farm Equipment Depreciation (S. 2202/H.R. 4474): Legislation to permanently reinstate five-year depreciation for farm equipment. The organization supports this change since agriculture is an equipment-heavy industry.
Client expense: $70,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · first_quarter · Consumer Issues/Safety/Products
HR 1155-SCRUB Act of 2016, HR 712-Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlement act of 2016, Regulatory reform, S 708-Regulatory improvement act of 2015, S 1607-Independent agency regulatory analysis act of 2015, S 1817-Smarter Regulations Act of 2015, S 1818-Principled rulemaking act of 2015, S 1820 Early participation in regulations act of 2015, HR 4612-Midnight rule relief act of 2016, stopping anti-regulatory legislation, HR 1927-Fairness in class action litigation and furthering asbestos claims transparency act of 2016 (FACT act), Education arbitration bill, Product safety, FCC Robocall meeting, HR 3624-Fraudulent Joinder Prevention act of 2016,
Client expense: $60,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Education, Dept of, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Treasury, Dept of