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

H.J.Res. 117 - Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013: Resolution prevents a government shutdown and fund federal programs until March 27, 2013. NSBA supported.
H.R. 8 - Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012: Bill would extend for an additional year, through 2013, the Bush-era tax reductions originally enacted in 2001 and 2003, and set to expire at the end of this year. NSBA supported.


H.R. 9 The Small Business Tax Cut Act: Bill will allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percentfor one yearof their active business income. This deduction also would apply to pass-through entities, which compose the majority of small businesses. NSBA supported.
H.R. 25 Fair Tax Act of 2011: Legislation to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and enact a national retail sales tax. NSBA supported.
H.R. 436 Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2012: Bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the medical device excise tax that is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2013. NSBA supported.
H.R. 679 - Berry Amendment Extension Act: This bill would require that any items purchased by the Sec. of the Department of Homeland Security directly related to national security interests are grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the US, except with regard to issues of necessary quality and quantity. NSBA supported
H.R. 880 - Equity for Our Nations Self-Employed Act of 2011: 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. 942 American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2011: Bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the research credit through 2012 and to increase and make permanent the alternative simplified research credit. NSBA supported.
H.R. 1259 Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011: Bill to repeal the estate tax. The effective date is the date of enactment, and the bill retains step-up basis. NSBA supported.
H.R. 1418 - Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011: Bill would increase the cap for credit union lending from 12.25 percent to 27.5 percent of total assets of the credit union. NSBA supported.
H.R. 1663 Small Business Encouragement Act: Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow small business employers whose gross receipts in the preceding taxable year did not exceed $20 million, or who did not employ more than 100 full time employees, a work opportunity tax credit for hiring unemployed individuals as full-time employees during 2012 and 2013. NSBA opposed.
H.R. 1697 Communities First Act: Bill would provide community bank regulatory relief. NSBA supported.
H.R. 1827 Home Office Deduction Simplification Act: Bill would allow home-based businesses to take a standard $1,500 deduction for home office expenses. NSBA supported.
H.R. 2312 - Department of Defense Textile and Apparel Procurement Fairness Act: Among other things, prohibits DoD from purchasing more than 5 percent of any one textile or apparel product from the Federal Prison Industries (FPI). NSBA supported.
H.R. 2501, H.R. 1113 Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011: Would make unemployed a protected class for discrimination law purposes. NSBA opposed.
H.R. 2885 Legal Workforce Act: This bill would make the use of E-Verify Mandatory for all employers. NSBA opposed.
H. R. 2941 Startup Expansion and Investment Act: Bill would address SarbanesOxley internal control reporting for small entities. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act: Would eliminate the per-country numerical cap on the number of employment-based immigrant visas and increase the per-country numerical limitation for family-sponsored immigrant visas from 7 percent to 15 percent annually. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 3476 AGREE Act: Bill would address SarbanesOxley internal control reporting for small entities. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3634 - Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act: Require the Federal Prison Industries (FPI) to compete for government contracts, requires FPI to provide a detailed analysis of the probable impact on the private sector, prohibit FPI from selling products commercially, and require agencies to research private sector products based on price, quality, and time of delivery, among other things. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 3786 Plain Regulations Act of 2012: This bill would reform the regulatory process to require the use of clear and concise language in all new government regulations. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3850 - Government Efficiency Through Small Business Contracting Act of 2012: Raise the government-wide small business contracting goal from 23% to 25%, the small business subcontracting goal from 35.9% to 40%, and also prevent senior officials from receiving bonuses in subsequent years where their respective agencies failed to meet the established small business contracting goals. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3851 - Small Business Advocate (SBAA): This bill would enhance the role of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) by elevating the OSDBU Director to a Senior Executive Service position and would prohibit them from holding another position at the same time. NSBA supported.



H.R. 3893 - Subcontracting Transparency and Reliability (STAR) Act of 2012: Ensure that small businesses are the ones actually benefiting from the contracts set aside on their behalf. It would also allow more small businesses to partner and compete for federal contracts. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3980 - Small Business Opportunity Act of 2012: Enhance the role of small-business advocates in the federal acquisition and procurement processes, create small-business contracting classes, and ensure that small business concerns are properly utilized in all applicable federal procurement and acquisition planning processes. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3985 - Building Better Business Partnerships Act of 2012: This bill would allow the SBA to oversee all civilian mentor protege programs, improve small-businesses ability to win and perform on government contracts. NSBA supported.
H.R. 3987 - Small Business Protection Act of 2012: Would ensure that the size standards assigned to each industry group are appropriate for each NAICS code and do not make it more difficult for small-business to compete for federal contracting opportunities. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4032 - Help Entrepreneurs Create American Jobs Act: Amends Section 195 of the Internal Revenue Code to increase the allowable deduction for business start-up expenses from $5,000 to $10,000, extending the 2010 temporary increase in the maximum deduction for start-up expenditures for ten years. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4081 - Contractor Opportunity Protection (COP) Act of 2012: Protects small business contractors from unfair contract bundling by allowing the SBA (or a third party group) to appeal an agencys decision to bundle contracts, clarifies statutory limits on contract bundling, and requires publication of bundling justification to increase transparency. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4118 - Small Business Procurement Improvement Act of 2012: Requires federal agencies to include small business concerns in multiple award contracts, carry out a program to increase small business participation in multiple award contracts, and provide the SBA with representation on the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4121 - Early Stage Small Business Contracting Act of 2012: Requires SBA administrator to create and carry out a program to provide improved access to federal contract opportunities for early-stage small business concerns. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4191 - Credit Union Small Business Lending Act: Establishes a separate process by which credit unions participating in the 7(a) loan program may receive approvals and repurchases regarding loan guarantees under that program, creates a credit union outreach program, and authorizes the SBA Administrator to simplify the application process for credit union participation. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 4196 Bonus Depreciation: Bill extends 100 percent bonus depreciation through the rest of this year. Bonus depreciation allows businesses of all sizes to immediately expense the cost of property purchased and placed into service. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4203 - Womens Procurement Program Improvement Act of 2012: This bill would expand contracting opportunities for women-owned small business concerns. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4206 - Contracting Oversight for Small Business Jobs Act of 2012: Addresses contracting fraud by helping small businesses comply with complicated contracting and size rules, and providing a safe harbor for small businesses making a good faith effort to comply with those rules. NSBA supported.
H.R. 4310 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): Reauthorizes our national defense programs and includes contracting reform provisions that will help small businesses. NSBA is monitoring this legislation, but supports the specific contracting reform provisions.
H.R. 4377 RAPID Act: Would improve the environmental review and permitting process by providing concurrent reviews, allow state-level environmental reviews to be used in certain situations, consolidate the process into a single Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and impose fixed deadlines for completion of an EIS or an Environmental Assessment (EA). NSBA supported.
H.R. 4409 Reforming and Consolidating government Act of 2012: This bill would define President Obamas proposed efficiency-enhancing plan as a reorganization plan and also expands the Presidents executive authority to reorganize federal agencies. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 4471 Gasoline Regulations Act of 2012: Bill would establish an interagency committee to analyze and report on the cumulative impact of certain EPA regulations and actions that affect gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas prices, jobs, and the economy. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 4480 Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012: Bill would require the development of a plan to increase oil and gas exploration, development and production under oil and gas leases on Federal lands to offset any drawdown of petroleum reserves from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. NSBA is monitoring.




H.R. 5187 IMPACT Act: Bill would extend Production Tax Credits for renewable energy, extend the 1603 Grant Program, extend energy efficiency tax credits, provide incentives for heavy duty natural gas vehicles, and would eliminate certain tax breaks for major integrated oil companies. NSBA supported.
H.R. 5893 Startup Act 2.0: This bill will provide capital gains and income tax incentives to incentivize entrepreneurs and facilitate the growth of new start-ups, creates a new STEM visa for up to foreign students and establishes a new category of visas for immigrant entrepreneurs. NSBA supported.
H.R. 6102 America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2012: The bill's aim is to help small business owners by instituting eight permanent tax deductions that not only provide fiscal clarity for the business-owners, but also, provide them with equity in the tax code. NSBA supported.
H.R. 6132 American Clothing for American Olympians Act: This bill requires the U.S. Olympic Committee to ensure that all goods to be donated or supplied to any amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator, or official of the U.S. Olympic team, the Paralympic team, or the Pan-American team are substantially made in the United States. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 6169 The Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012: The measure establishes an expedited process for tax reform in 2013 that will direct the committees of jurisdiction to consider and act on comprehensive tax reform next year. NSBA supported.
H.R. 6245 - Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes Act: This bill would require non-practicing entities (i.e. patent trolls) to pay a defendants computer hardware and software patent litigation costs if the court determines that the non-practicing entity did not have a reasonable likelihood of succeeding. NSBA is monitoring.
H.R. 6397 - Defending American Taxpayers From Abusive Government Takings Act: This bill would prohibit Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD from purchasing, guaranteeing, making, issuing, or insuring any mortgage (small business loan) secured by a structure or dwelling unit located within a county that contains any structure or dwelling unit that secures or secured a residential mortgage loan that the state or any territory, including any agency or political subdivision, obtained during the preceding 120 months by eminent domain. NSBA is monitoring this legislation.
H.R. 6412 Attracting the Best and Brightest Act of 2012: Bill would provide up to 55,000 green cards to foreign-born students graduating from an American university with an advanced degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics). NSBA supported.
H.R. 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012: Bill would provide up to 55,000 green cards to foreign-born students graduating from an American university with an advanced degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics). NSBA supported.
S. 13 Fair Tax Act of 2011: 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. NSBA supported.
S. 474 Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act: Bill would reform the regulatory process and ensure that job creation by small businesses is considered during the Federal legislative and rulemaking process. NSBA supported.
S. 509 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.727 Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2011: 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 is monitoring.
S. 1289 Taxpayer Advocacy and Government Accountability Promotion Act: Bill targets noncompliant tax filers with provisions to improve tax forms and tax administration and decrease tax avoidance by contractors, as a way to reduce the tax gap. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 1471 Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011: Would make unemployed a protected class for discrimination law purposes. NSBA opposed.
S. 1590 Fairness for Small Businesses in Federal Contracting Act of 2011: Requires the SBA and Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to replace the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) with a new small business size classification system. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 1600 Communities First Act: Bill would provide community bank regulatory relief. NSBA supported.





S. 1736 Acquisition Savings Reform Act of 2011: Bill aims to streamline the federal procurement process by requiring online reverse auctions, consider strategic sourcing vehicles in procurement of commercial items, and direct the FAR council to amend the FAR to reflect the government-wide policy to pay small business concerns as quickly as possible. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 1866 AGREE Act: Bill would address SarbanesOxley internal control reporting for small entities. NSBA supported.
S. 1965 Startup Act: Provides capital gains and income tax incentives to incentivize entrepreneurs and facilitate the growth of new start-ups, creates a new STEM visa for up to foreign students and establishes a new category of visas for immigrant entrepreneurs. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 2114 - Berry Amendment Extension Act: Requires that any items purchased by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security directly related to national security interests are grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the US, except with regard to issues of necessary quality and quantity. NSBA supported.
S. 2129 Reforming and Consolidating Government Act of 2012: This bill would define President Obamas proposed efficiency-enhancing plan as a reorganization plan and also expands the Presidents executive authority to reorganize federal agencies NSBA is monitoring.
S. 2172 Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act of 2012: Bill would eliminate the cap on women entrepreneurs and allow women-owned businesses to receive sole source contracts, among other things. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 2231 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 is monitoring.
S. 2237 Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act of 2012: Bill is designed to give small businesses a 10-percent income tax credit on new payroll for hiring new workers or increasing employee wages and will allow businesses to fully deduct the cost of significant investments made this year. The $26 billion in tax cuts would be temporary and apply only to 2012 wages and investments. NSBA is monitoring.
S.2242 Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2012: Bill to repeal the estate tax. The effective date is the date of enactment, and the bill retains step-up basis. NSBA supported.
S. 2337 Plain Writing Act for Regulations for 2012: Bill would reform the regulatory process to require the use of clear and concise language in all new government regulations. NSBA supported.
S. 2264 Domestic Fuels Act: By streamlining the regulatory process, developing new criteria, and providing liability protection for retailers, this bill would make it easier for retailers to provide multiple fuels (traditional and renewable) to consumers and businesses using the same equipment. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3217 Startup Act 2.0: This bill will provide capital gains and income tax incentives to incentivize entrepreneurs and facilitate the growth of new start-ups, creates a new STEM visa for up to foreign students and establishes a new category of visas for immigrant entrepreneurs. NSBA supports.
S. 3194 Small Business Common Application Act: Bill would require a 12-member executive committee to review the feasibility of a common (or single) application for small businesses to use when applying for federal funding opportunities. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3275 Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) Parity Act: Bill would allow MLPs to invest in renewable energy projects. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3352 Expanding Industrial Energy and Water Efficiency Incentives Act of 2012:
This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to: increase megawatt and horsepower capacity limitations for the combined heat and power system property energy tax credit; allow new tax credits to improve advanced motor system energy efficiency, to replace chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant chillers, and for investment in any qualifying efficient industrial process water use project; and allow an energy tax credit for investment in biomass heating property. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3387 Team USA Made in America Act of 2012: This bill requires the U.S. Olympic Committee to adopt a policy with respect to uniforms to be worn by athletes during ceremonies that are part of the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, or the Pan-American Games that requires it to: purchase or otherwise obtain only uniforms, including accessories that meet the standards of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for labeling as "Made in USA"; or make publicly available a detailed justification of the reasons the Committee obtained uniforms that do not meet that requirement. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3412 Middle Class Tax Cut Act: Bill would extend for one year current individual tax rates for individuals with income below $200,000, and joint filers with income below $250,000. NSBA opposed.




S. 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012: The bill provides for a flexible and voluntary, incentives-based system (or set of standards) to encourage owners and operators of the countrys most critical infrastructure systems to meet much-needed cyber-security requirements. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3438 Offshore Petroleum Expansion Now (OPEN) Act of 2012: This bill would seek to expand offshore energy production via an alternative to the Department of Interiors five-year leasing plan and permit revenue sharing with the participating coastal states. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3444 Wear American Act: This bill would direct the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require federal agencies to procure textiles and apparel articles that are manufactured in the United States wholly from articles, materials, or supplies mined, produced or manufactured in the United States. NSBA is monitoring.
S. 3468 Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2012: This bill would, among other things, authorize the President to require an independent regulatory agency to comply with basically the same regulatory analysis requirements as an executive agency (including cost-benefit analysis). NSBA supported.
S. 3521 Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012: The bill would extend certain expired and expiring business and individual tax provisions through the end of 2013. The proposed tax extenders package includes a two-year extension of many tax provisions that expired at the end of 2011 including the research credit, CFC look-through, active financing, and leasehold improvement depreciation and a one-year extension of a modified renewable electricity production tax credit and certain other tax provisions that are set to expire at the end of 2012. NSBA supported.
S. 3553 Benefits to Research and American Innovation through Nationality Statutes: Act of 2012 (BRAINS Act): Bill would provide up to 55,000 green cards to foreign-born students graduating from an American university with an advanced degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics). NSBA supported.

EEOC - NSBA opposes efforts to treat educational attainment requirements as discrimination. NSBA opposes efforts to limit employer criminal background checks.
SEC NSBA supports reasonable regulations implementing the JOBS Act (in particular relating to general solicitation, crowdfunding and emerging growth companies).
DOL, HHS, IRS NSBA opposes efforts to restrict employer provided health care benefit self-insurance with stop loss.
HHS Federally Facilitated Exchanges. NSBA supports health insurance exchanges and is seeking rapid implementation and adequate guidance. NSBA supports allowing any QHP that meets all certification standards to sell insurance on the exchanges.
USCIS Deferred Action policy. NSBA seeks clear rules that do not pose additional legal risk for or burden employers.
IRS Health care FSAs. NSBA supports elimination of the so-called use-it or lose-it rule. NSBA also supports revision of the uniform coverage rule if the use-it or lose-it rule is changed.
SBA NSBA filed comments with SBA re: SBA Proposed Rule on SBIR/STTR programs, and NSBA supported letter submitted by SBTC re: SBIR/STTR Policy Directive
USPTO NSBA filed comments with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office regarding proposed rule implementing changes of the first to file provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.
DOL NSBA opposes proposed rule under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act that would require employers to report on consultants assisting with speech-writing, public relations advice, labor campaigns, web sites, emails or other materials for employer communication to employees or the public, no matter how minor or indirect the relation to any labor dispute. In addition, modification of personnel policies and practices fall under the persuader activities list. Therefore, arrangements with and the content of the work by attorneys, insurance agents, HR consultants, pension consultants, accountants or financial advisers who review benefits packages or other personnel practices would be reportable.

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

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, 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), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Federal Reserve System, Health & Human Services - Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor - Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Homeland Security - Dept of (DHS), Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Adminstration (SBA), Treasury - Dept of, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office, Patent & Trademark Office (PTO)

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