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

TAX AND SPENDING POLICY

Build Back Better Act: Opposed the legislation, and variation of proposals that raise taxes on small-to-mid size businesses.

Specifically, in Build Back Better: Expressed concern and opposition to the various tax increases on SMBs, the size of the spending package and its impact on inflation, price controls on drugs in the legislation, and regulatory initiatives that would raise costs for small employers in the workplace.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA): Continue to express support for the permanency of various provisions of the TCJA including Section 199A, lower personal tax rates, expensing provisions and estate tax changes.

Main Street Certainty Act, H.R. 1381/S. 480: Continue to support the advancement of this bill to make permanent the 20% small business deduction in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Renewing Investment in American Workers and Supply Chains Act, H.R. 7229/S.4012: Support this legislation to allow accelerated depreciation for all structures.

Stepped-up Basis: Continue to oppose efforts to eliminate stepped-up basis, as included within the Sensible Taxation and Equity Promotion (STEP) Act in the Senate and House, H.R. 2286.

REGULATION AND COMPETITION POLICY

Fair and Open Competition Act, S. 403/H.R. 1284: Support the legislation, which would prevent the Administration from using project labor agreement (PLAs) in federal procurement contracts.

Project Labor Agreements (PLAs): Signaled opposition to President Bidens Executive Order on the use of PLAs on federal procurement projects, including the bipartisan infrastructure package.

Employee Rights Act, S.3889: Supported the bill introduced by Senator Tim Scott to protect the status of independent contractors.

New Overtime Rules: Expressed concern about the consideration of changing overtime rules, and urged Department of Labor Secretary and his team to engage small businesses on this issue as they consider revising rules.

DOLs Vax and Text Mandate: Expressed support for the Department of Labors (DOLs) Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announcement about the withdrawal of the vaccine and testing emergency temporary standard for employers with 100 or more workers as an enforceable emergency temporary standard.

President Biden Competition Executive Order: Continue to express concerns about the premise and actions behind the EO to regulate and micro-manage various sectors of the economy including technology, energy, bio-pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, railroads and other sectors that are dominated by small-to-mid-size businesses (SMBs).

Targeted Tech Legislation and Anti-Trust: Continue to express concerns about the impact and unintended consequences of legislation, regulation and anti-trust efforts at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) aimed at big tech and how it may impact small business access to markets and capital, and the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in general.

American Innovation and Online Choice Act, S.2992: Oppose the Senate legislation.

Platform Competition and Opportunity Act, H.R. 3826/S.3197: Oppose the Senate legislation.

5G in the C-Band: Expressed concerns about the delay of the rollout of 5G using the c-band, and encouraged federal agencies to communicate and resolve the issue.

Energy and Gas Prices: Expressed general concern that policies restricting development at home are contributing to higher energy prices.

Electronic Payments: Voiced concern about new regulations on the payments system, specifically credit routing requirements and how they undermine payment-systems innovation that has provided small businesses a lifeline during the pandemic.

Privacy Policy and Legislation: Support a national framework for privacy that is inclusive and equitable to all industries.

Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act, H.R. 963: Opposed this legislation that would which would effectively ban arbitration provisions in private contracts.

Reciprocal Switching: Filed comments before the Surface Transportation Board against the consideration of a rule promoting forced/switching - forced/access.

ITC Reform: Expressed support for reforming practices at the International Trade Commission (ITC) such as those embedded within the Advancing Americas Interests Act, which would help stop the abuse of the system by patent trolls.

AFFORDABLE AND COMPETITIVE HEALTH COVERAGE

Affordability/More Choices: Continue to urge members of Congress and the Administration to advance market-oriented reforms that will lower health coverage costs for small businesses and increase choices in the marketplace. Oppose efforts, generally, to impose new mandates and taxes that will add to small business costs and reduce access to health care.

Price Controls on Drugs: Continue to express opposition to efforts that place price controls on drugs either through Medicare negotiation, an international pricing mechanism, drug importation, and the misdirected effort to use march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act.

Virtual Health Care and Telehealth: Urged Congress to reinstate virtual care access advanced during COVID-19 that enabled employers and health plans to provide pre-deductible coverage for telehealth services for individuals with HDHP-HSAs.

ACCESS TO BROADBAND

NTIA Rules on the Infrastructure Package: Filed Comments before the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) and Digital Equity Planning Grant programs in the infrastructure package and urged the adoption of simple, transparent rules and common-sense principles to ensure the effectiveness of these programs in delivering broadband to those lacking access, and to avoid waste and abuse of funds.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS

World Health Organization COVID IP Waiver: Continued to express opposition to the Biden Administrations support of a petition before the World Trade Organization that would waive vital intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccines and US innovators, which would essentially undercut the American IP rights.

Bayh-Dole Act: Continue to express support for the principals and rational behind Bayh-Dole (which strengthened IP rights) and against effort to undermine its effectiveness such as the use of march-in rights to take away IP protections.

NOMINATIONS

DOL Wage and Hour Nominee: Continue to express opposition to and concern about the candidacy of David Weil as DOL Wage and Hour Administrator, and his Senate confirmation.

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

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA), Natl Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), President of the U.S., Labor - Dept of (DOL), Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

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

CONVICTIONS DISCLOSURE

29. Have any of the lobbyists listed on this report been convicted in a Federal or State Court of an offense involving bribery, extortion, embezzlement, an illegal kickback, tax evasion, fraud, a conflict of interest, making a false statement, perjury, or money laundering?
No Yes