Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page

9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code SMB

16. Specific lobbying issues

ACCESS TO CAPITAL

Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, S. 2155. Supported House passage and the President's signing of the bill.

Working on various capital formation and access bills as part of a "JOBS Act 3.0" package including: Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act (H.R. 79), Fostering Innovation Act (H.R. 1645), Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales and Brokerage Simplification Act of 2017 (H.R. 477), Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act (H.R. 2201), SEC Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 78), Small Business Credit Availability Act (H.R. 4267), Regulation A+ Improvement Act of 2017 (H.R. 4263), Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2017 (H.R. 3312), and Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act (H.R. 4821).

H.R. 6130, Helping Startups Continue to Grow Act. Support.

House Financial Services Committee, provided testimony on Empowering a Pro-Growth Economy through Tax Cuts and regarding the benefits of the tax cuts and the need to move legislation that would improve capital access.

Supported Securities and Exchange Commission action to increase the threshold smaller reporting company definition to allow more small companies to take advantage of certain regulatory relief.

Testified before Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in support of specific bills to improve capital formation and access for entrepreneurs, including: S. 588, Helping Angels Lead Our Startups Act; S. 2126, Fostering Innovation Act; S. 2347, Encouraging Public Offerings Act; S. 3004, Small Business Audit Correction Act; S. 2765, RBIC Advisers Relief Act.

Small Business Stock: Urging Congress to update the threshold (last updated in 1978) to Section 1224 Small Business Stock, which allows investors to deduct losses taken on investments in C Corp startups.

Other issues: Continue to advocate for reforms to improve the rules governing equity and debt-based crowdfunding, and policies that lighten the regulatory burden on community banks and the financial system in general to improve capital formation and capital access for startups and entrepreneurs. This includes changes to Dodd-Frank, reform of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and SEC regulatory reforms to reduce red tape and costs for small firms.

TAX REFORM & TAX POLICY

H.R. 3717, Small Business Tax Simplification Act of 2017. Continue to support legislation.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Section 199A: Requested that U.S. Treasury allow for aggregating or grouping of business entities for purposes of calculating the new 20 percent small business deduction in the new tax law.


REGULATORY REFORM, RELIEF & FEDERAL PROGRAM REFORM, Financial Regulatory Reform

Continue to support reforms that make the regulatory process more transparent, accountable and that provide for meaningful input from small businesses. Also support: cost-benefit analysis, look-back provisions, and sunsetting.

Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (S.584): Support full Senate passage.
Regulatory Accountability Act (S.951): Support full Senate passage.
Midnight Rules Relief Act (S.34): Support full Senate passage.
Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (S.21): Support full Senate passage.
Provide Accountability Through Transparency Act (S.577): Support full Senate passage.
Early Participation in Regulations Act (S.579): Support full Senate passage.

SBA Chief Counsel for Advocacy - Supported the nomination and support the pending confirmation of David C. Tryon to be the next Chief Counsel of the Office of Advocacy.

H.R. 5266, the Financial Product Safety Commission Act of 2018. Support.

H.R. 3825, Harmonization of Coverage Act. Support.

Congressional Review Act Resolution to Overturn the FCCs Restoring Internet Freedom Order. Opposed Senate passage and continue to oppose in the House.

Support announcement by the National Labor Relations Board on forthcoming efforts to fix the joint employer standard.

Support of Federal Communication Commission (FCC) agenda and orders related to 5G, which will accelerate deployment and investment of this technology.

Opposed Congressional Review Act (CRA) action by the U.S. Senate to overturn the FCCs Internet Freedom order, which will bring back Title II regulation of the internet and carve big tech companies out of privacy policy rules.

Support FCC action (on TV White Spaces) to dedicate at least three usable channels (below 700 MHZ) to remain available in markets across the country.

The Foxx-Davis Amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill to Modernize the Outdated Sugar Program. SBE Council supported.

H.R. 4265/S. 2086, the Sugar Policy Modernization Act. Support.

Postal Service: Support President Trumps executive order to establish a Task Force on the U.S. Postal Service.

Schedule B Filing for 501(c) Organizations: Voiced support to the Administration for advancing a rule that would protect free speech by eliminating Schedule B Form filing.


HEALTH CARE REFORM

Continue to support reform efforts to fix provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that are driving costs higher and making the marketplace less competitive for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Including:

Repeal of taxes within the ACA including the Health Insurance Tax (HIT Tax), net investment tax and Cadillac tax. Also support repealing the employer mandate and liberalizing the mandates and types of coverage required of health plans.

Improving and expanding health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), short-term limited duration plans.

Employer Mandate Penalties in the Affordable Care Act: Expressed concerns to the U.S. Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services regarding how tax penalties are being assessed under the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act. Urged suspension of the assessment and a full repeal of the mandate.

Supported the final Department of Labor Rule on Association Health Plans.

Continue to urge Senators to develop a consensus bill that provides marketplace stability, and small businesses with cost relief and affordable health coverage choices.


INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Continue to educate and advocate on the importance of protecting and strengthening IP for small businesses.

The Music Modernization Act of 2017, H. R. 4706. Supported House passage.

The Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Protection Act (STOP ACT), H.R. 1057 and S.372. Support the legislation and House passage.

Support keeping NAFTA, and making sure modernization includes stronger IP protections and fixes related to cross-border data issues.

The STRONGER Patents Act of 2017 (S.1390 and H.R. 5340). Support the legislation.

TRADE & GLOBAL MARKETS

Continue to support trade expansion and trade agreements to open overseas markets to small businesses. Continue to educate about the benefits of NAFTA, and the need to update some of the provisions (with respect to intellectual property, for example) but to maintain the core agreement to encourage commerce and business growth for U.S. small businesses.

Testified before the U.S. House Small Business Committee on The State of Trade and Small Business, April 11, 2018. Voiced general support for NAFTA, resuming activity to develop new trade agreements, and outlined concerns about tariffs proposed by Administration.

Submitted Comments to the United States Trade Representative expressing concerns regarding proposed Section 301 actions - specifically tariffs - in response to Chinese acts and policies on technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation.

NAFTA Re-Negotiation: Continue to urge the Administration to stay in NAFTA and to elevate the priority of intellectual property issues within the agreement.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), White House Office, Labor - Dept of (DOL), Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Treasury - Dept of, Health & Human Services - Dept of (HHS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

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Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.

20. Client new address

21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)

22. New General description of client’s business or activities

LOBBYIST UPDATE

23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client

ISSUE UPDATE

24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains

AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)

Internet Address:

26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client

FOREIGN ENTITIES

27. Add the following foreign entities:

28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization