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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 200 Lawyers Road NW #1506 |
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| City | Vienna |
State | VA |
Zip Code | 22183 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
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5. Senate ID# 35627-12
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6. House ID# 327060000
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| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2018 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
| 10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
| INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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| 12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
| INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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| Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
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Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
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| Signature | Digitally Signed By: Karen Kerrigan |
Date | 10/22/2018 5:19:37 PM |
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
Advocated for various capital formation and access bills as part of House-passed "JOBS Act 3.0" (S. 488, JOBS and Investor Confidence Act) 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). Support Action by the Senate
H.R. 6130, Helping Startups Continue to Grow Act. Support.
Unlocking Small Business Access to Capital Act, H.R. 6127: Support.
Title III Crowdfunding: Expressed support to Securities and Exchange Commission to lift the fundraising cap from $1 million to $20 million.
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, 20% Small Business Deduction: Supportive of proposed regulations by the Internal Revenue Service.
REGULATORY REFORM, WORKPLACE AND HUMAN CAPITAL ISSUES
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.
Association Retirement Plans: Supported President Trumps Executive Order to create a framework for these plans.
Small Business Regulatory Improvements Act (S. 584): Testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on the importance of fundamental regulatory reform and passing S. 584.
Support forthcoming action by the National Labor Relation Board on the joint employer standard.
House Joint Resolution 129 Congressional Review Act to Restore Internet Regulation: Oppose the CRA in the U.S. House.
Telecommunications Policy and Access to Broadband
Comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on action to reaffirm the national framework for regulating cable infrastructure, which includes facilities used to deliver broadband. SBE Council supported the action.
5G: Supported various actions and votes by the FCC to help transition to 5G including a NPRM on freeing up 3.7-4.2 GHz of mid-band spectrum, streamlining rules (and establishing a time limit) on small-cell site approvals and limiting what local governments could charge service providers for such sites.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991: Urged the FCC to make changes to update and fix the outdated TCPA.
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.
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.
Final Rule from the Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services and Labor on Short-Term Limited-Duration Health Plans: Supported the final rule.
Durbin-Grassley Amendment on Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Mandate: Opposed this proposed amendment to the Defense-Labor-HHS Appropriations package.
Continue to urge Senators to develop a consensus bill that provides marketplace stability, and small businesses with cost relief, more choices and affordable health coverage options.
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 and Senate passage.
The Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Protection Act (STOP ACT), H.R. 1057 and S.372. Supported the legislation and House/Senate passage.
Comments to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding proposed changes to the claim construction standard used in Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) hearings. SBE Council supports the proposed changes.
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. Continued 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.
Section 232 Automobile Parts Imports Investigation: Comments and verbal testimony to United States Trade Representative expressing concern about tariffs/increasing tariffs in the automobile sector.
Trade Agreements: Voiced support for advancing trade agreements with the European Union, finishing up the new NAFTA agreement with strong IP protections and keeping the agreement a trilateral one.
The U.S. Postal Service and Shipping Rates
Comments to the Postal Rate Commission on global postal rate parity and reforming terminal dues rates at the Universal Postal Union. SBE Council supports reforms to modernize terminal dues to create level playing field for U.S. small businesses.
Supportive of President Trumps Memorandum - Modernizing the Monetary Reimbursement Model for the Delivery of Goods Through the International Postal System and Enhancing the Security and Safety of International Mail - to bring global shipping rate parity to small businesses.
Legal Reform and Judges
Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court: Expressed support for Judge Kavanaugh.
Government Procurement
Project Labor Agreements (PLA): Expressed support and urged President Donald Trump to repeal Obama-era PLA executive order, which is a cost barrier for small businesses to compete on government contracts.
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
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Karen |
Kerrigan |
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Raymond |
Keating |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)
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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
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
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Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
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Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |