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

JOBS Act 4.0: Support this legislative package of access to capital measures and regulatory improvements introduced by Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA).

TAX AND SPENDING POLICY

Build Back Better Act (BBB): Opposed new variations of BBB that raise taxes on small-to-mid size businesses and fuel inflationary pressures through government spending.

Specifically, in Build Back Better: Expressed concern and opposition to: the various tax increases on SMBs including death and new wealth taxes, eliminating stepped-up basis, increasing the personal rates, and applying the Net Investment Income Tax to active owners of small businesses; the size of the spending package and its impact on inflation and fiscal condition of the federal government; 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.

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): Continue to express 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: Continue to support this bill introduced by Senator Tim Scott to protect the status of independent contractors.

New Overtime Rules: Continue to express concern about changing overtime rules.

Independent Contractor Rule: Continue to express general support for streamlining and modernizing the independent contractor rule, and oppose proposals that would make many independent workers inappropriately (and against their will and wishes) categorized at employees.

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Filed comments expressing concern to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice about potential changes to the regulatory framework governing M&A review and how this would impact the innovation and startup ecosystem in the United States.

Private Fund Advisers Rule: Submitted comments to the Securities and Exchange Commission that urged the agency to refrain from moving forward with a proposed rule, as the Commission did not cite any instance of market failure, and the fact that the new rule would curtail investment activity and disproportionately harm smaller, and women and minority-owned firms.

The Franchise Rule: Expressed support for the current rule, as the Federal Trade Commission embarks upon a decennial review of the rule.

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 re-writes at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) aimed at big tech and how it would 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 legislation.

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

Energy and Gas Prices: Continue to express concern about restrictive energy policies with respect to developing energy in the U.S. and how such restrictions are contributing to higher energy prices. For example, expressed concern about the potential for higher taxes on this sector via a "windfall profits tax," restrictions and limitations placed on energy development on public lands, and red tape and lengthy reviews for permits and energy infrastructure projects.

Electronic Payments: Continue to voice 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 and payments options for small businesses and startups.

Privacy Policy and Legislation: Support a national framework for privacy that is inclusive and equitable to all industries. Expressed areas where the "American Data Privacy and Protection Act" (H.R. 8152) could be improved for small businesses.

Re-regulation of Railroads: Delivered our views to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members about how rules promoting forced/switching - forced/access - and crew sizes will disrupt this sector and the healing of supply chains.

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 like improved health savings accounts, support for transitional plans and local-direct health care. 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

Extending America's Spectrum Leadership Act (H.R. 7783): SBE Council supports the legislation.

NTIA Rules on the Infrastructure Package: Following our filing of 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, we continue to urge 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: Continue 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 American IP rights for U.S.-made innovations.

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 misuse of march-in rights to take away IP protections.

TRADE & GLOBAL MARKET ACCESS

Trade Agreements: Continue to push for U.S. leadership on trade deals and opening global markets for U.S. businesses.

Moratorium on Customs Duties and Electronic Transmissions: SBE Council supported the renewing of the moratorium before the World Trade Organization (WTO).

NOMINATIONS

Don Cravens as Undersecretary of the Minority Business Development Agency: Support the Nomination currently before the U.S. Senate.

GOOD GOVERNMENT

Improve the SBA Act (H.R. 7628): SBE Council supports the legislation.

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

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, President of the U.S., Labor - Dept of (DOL), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Justice - Dept of (DOJ)

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