Empowering States to Innovate Act

H.R. 25 - Fair Tax Act of 2009 Legislation to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and enact a national retail sales tax. NSBA supported. H.R. 275 - Withholding Tax Relief Act of 2009 A bill to repeal the mandatory three-percent withholding requirement on all payments for goods and services made to federal, state and local contractors. NSBA supported. H.R. 933 Family-Friendly Workplace Act of 2009 To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide compensatory time for employees in the private sector. NSBA supported. H.R. 946 - The Plain Language Act of 2009 Bill would establish plain language as the standard style for Government documents issued to the public, and for other purposes. NSBA supported. H.R. 1409 - Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 To amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes. NSBA opposed. H.R. 1470 - Equity for Our Nations Self-Employed Act of 2009 The bill would allow self-employed individuals to fully-deduct the cost of their health insurance, thus eliminating the self-employed tax on health care. NSBA supported. H.R. 2151 Fair Pay Act To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin, and for other purposes. NSBA is monitoring this legislation. H.R. 2460 Healthy Families Act Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. NSBA opposed. H.R. 2965 Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act of 2009 Bill would amend and reauthorize the Small Business Act with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program. NSBA opposed. H.R. 3032 The Climate Change Center and Clearinghouse Act of 2009 Bill would establish within the SBA an Office of Environment, Energy, and Climate Change and a Climate Change Center and Clearinghouse to provide support and information on climate change to small businesses. NSBA supported. H.R. 3380 Promoting Lending to Americas Small Business Act Bill would 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. NSBA supported. H.R. 3457 Small Business Credit Card Act of 2009 Bill would amend the Truth in Lending Act to provide coverage under such Act for credit cards issued to small businesses, and for other purposes. NSBA supported. H.R. 3615 - Home Office Tax Deduction Act of 2009 It amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer who uses a residence to conduct a trade or business a standard tax deduction equal to the lesser of $1,500 or the taxpayer's gross trade or business income derived from the business use of such residence. NSBA supported. H.R. 3905 - The Estate Tax Relief Act of 2009 Bill increases the estate tax exemption level to $5 million, and reduces the rate to 35 percent, both phased-in over ten years. NSBA supported. H.R. 4067 The Business Checking Fairness Act Bill would authorize interest-bearing transaction accounts at depository institutions. NSBA supported. H.R. 4302 The Small Business Job Creation and Access to Capital Act Bill would increase loan limits for small business concerns, to provide for low interest refinancing for small business concerns. NSBA supported. H.R.4549 the Small Business Innovation to Job Creation Act of 2010 Bill would authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to make grants to small business concerns to assist the commercialization of research developed with funds received under the second phase of the Small Business Innovation Research Program. NSBA supported. H.R. 4853 Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010 It extends the Bush Tax cuts and provides temporary estate tax reform: an estate tax rate of 35 percent and a $5 million exemption for individuals, for two years. NSBA supported. H.R. 4855 Work-Life Balance Awards Act of 2010 To establish the Work-Life Balance Award for employers that have developed and implemented work-life balance policies. NSBA is monitoring this legislation. H.R. 4936 The Faster Access and Shorter Transaction Time for Checks Act Bill would make funds deposited in large depository institutions available more quickly to account holders. NSBA supported. H.R. 5107 Employee Misclassification Prevention Act of 2010 To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require persons to keep records of non-employees who perform labor or services for remuneration and to provide a special penalty for persons who misclassify employees as non-employees, and for other purposes. NSBA opposed. H.R. 5141 - Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act Repeal section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that requires any business that purchases more than $600 of goods or services from another business to submit a 1099 form to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). NSBA supported. H.R.5193 The Startup Visa Act Bill would establish an employment-based immigrant visa for alien entrepreneurs who have received significant capital from investors to establish a business in the United States. NSBA supported. H. R. 5249 The Capital Access for Main Street Act of 2010 Bill would provide amortization authority in certain situations, for purposes of capital calculation under the Financial Institutions Examination Council's Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income. NSBA supported. H.R.5411 The Early-Stage Business Investment and Incubation Act Bill would establish an early-stage business investment and incubation grant program at the Department of Commerce. NSBA supported. H.R.5412 The Small Business Asset Investment and Modernization (AIM) Act Bill would allow qualified small-business owners to refinance their existing debt through Fiscal Year 2012 through the SBA 504 lending program. NSBA supported. H.R. 5486 Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act of 2010 Bill amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for small business job creation. NSBA supported. H.R. 5982 Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2010 Bill repeals the provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that amends the Internal Revenue Code to apply to corporations reporting requirements for payments of $600 or more to persons engaged in a trade or business. NSBA supported. H.R. 6384 (No short title) To repeal a limitation in the Labor-Management Relations Act regarding requirements for labor organization membership as a condition of employment. NSBA opposed S. 292 - Withholding Tax Relief Act of 2009 A bill to repeal the mandatory three-percent withholding requirement on all payments for goods and services made to federal, state and local contractors. NSBA supported. S. 296 Fair Tax Act of 2009 Legislation to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and enact a national retail sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services. It sets the sales tax rate at 23 percent in 2011, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. NSBA supported. S. 515 The Patent Reform Act of 2009 Bill would reform U.S. patent system. NSBA opposed. S. 560 Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 To amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes. NSBA opposed. S. 574 - Plain Writing Act of 2009 Bill would establish plain language as the standard style for Government documents issued to the public, and for other purposes. NSBA supported. S. 725 - Equity for Our Nations Self-Employed Act of 2009 The bill would allow self-employed individuals to fully-deduct the cost of their health insurance, thus eliminating the self-employed tax on health care. NSBA supported. S. 904 Fair Pay Act To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin, and for other purposes. NSBA is monitoring this legislation. S. 988 SIMPLE Cafeteria Plan Act of 2009 Bill would update the tax code to allow small business employees to purchase employer-provided health insurance with pre-tax dollars. It also strengthens current law for all cafeteria plans by expanding dependent flexible spending accounts (DCFSA) and including coverage for long-term care benefits. NSBA has not taken a position on the legislation. S. 1152 Healthy Families Act Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. NSBA opposed. S. 1233 SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2009 Bill would reauthorize and improve the SBIR and STTR programs. NSBA supported. S. 1615 Next Step for Main Street Credit Availability Act of 2009 Bill would amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to stop the small business credit crunch, and for other purposes. NSBA supported. S. 1617 The Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act Bill would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program for the award of grants to states to establish revolving loan funds for small and medium-sized manufacturers to improve energy efficiency and produce clean energy technology. NSBA supported. S. 1754 - Home Office Deduction Simplification Act of 2009 It amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer who uses a residence to conduct a trade or business a standard tax deduction equal to the lesser of $1,500 or the taxpayer's gross trade or business income derived from the business use of such residence. NSBA supported. S. 2784 Carper-Voinovich Estate Tax Proposal Bill would freeze the estate tax at the 2009 levelsany estate above $7 million per couple or $3.5 million per individual would be taxed at a 45 percent rate. NSBA supports permanent reform of the estate tax. S. 2919 The Small Business Lending Enhancement Act Bill would amend the Federal Credit Union Act to advance the ability of credit unions to promote small business growth and economic development opportunities. NSBA supported. S. 3018 Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2010 A comprehensive tax reform legislation with provisions consolidating tax brackets for individuals and businesses while at the same time lowering federal tax obligations, in part through a single, flat 24 percent corporate rate. NSBA supported. S. 3024 Job Impact Analysis Act of 2010 Bill to ensure that the creation of jobs by small businesses is considered during the Federal legislative and rulemaking process. NSBA supported. S. 3029 The Startup Visa Act Bill would establish an employment-based immigrant visa for alien entrepreneurs who have received significant capital from investors to establish a business in the United States. NSBA supported. S. 3089 Small Business Patent Data Collection Act of 2010 Bill would require a study and report by the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration regarding the effects of proposed changes in patent law. NSBA opposed. S. 3254 Employee Misclassification Prevention Act of 2010 To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require persons to keep records of non-employees who perform labor or services for remuneration and to provide a special penalty for persons who misclassify employees as non-employees, and for other purposes. NSBA opposed. S.3533 Responsible Estate Tax Act The bill will permanently fix the estate tax by combining the 2009 exemption levels with progressive rates for larger estates, including a new billionaires surtax. NSBA supports permanent reform of the estate tax. S. 3578 - Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act Repeal section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that requires any business that purchases more than $600 of goods or services from another business to submit a 1099 form to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). NSBA supported. S. 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes. NSBA is opposed. S. 3783 Information Reporting Modernization Act of 2010 Bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $600 to $5,000 the threshold amount for reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payments made to corporations. It also adjusts such increased amount for inflation, beginning after 2012. NSBA is monitoring this legislation. S. 3793 The Job Creation and Tax Cuts Act Bill would extend expired business and individual tax provisions including the research and development tax credit, through the end of 2010. NSBA supported. S. 3932 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 A bill to provide comprehensive immigration reform, and for other purposes. NSBA is monitoring this legislation. S. 3946 Small Business Paperwork Relief Act Bill would undo a key revenue raiser used in two bills signed into law during 2010the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Small Business Jobs Act. Including the 1099 provision requiring businesses that purchase more than $600 of goods or services from another business to submit two 1099 formsone to the IRS and one to the service or goods provider. NSBA supported. S. 3958 Empowering States to Innovate Act of 2010 To allow an earlier start for State health care coverage innovation waivers under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. NSBA supported. S. 4757 Health Insurance Rate Authority Act of 2010 To provide for the establishment of a Health Insurance Rate Authority to establish limits on premium rating, and for other purposes. NSBA is monitoring this legislation. Third-Party Comments on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act NSBA filed comments with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, charged with providing advice and consultation to the Department of Health and Human Resources, on the development of American Health Benefits Exchanges. Third-Party Comments on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act NSBA filed comments with the Institute of Medicine, charged with providing advice and consultation to the Department of Health and Human Resources, on the defining of essential health benefits in qualified health plans required under PPACA.

Client expense: $55,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Reserve System, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office