Small Business Administration Policy Impact RoundTable

Small Business Administration (SBA) Policy Impact RoundTable

Please join us on Thursday, February 15th, 2024, for an in-person roundtable with the SBA Office of Advocacy on proposed federal regulations impacting manufacturers. The event will review specific rules, discuss their impact, and gather feedback and suggestions for regulators. This is an important step to ensuring that the regulatory environment is not overly burdensome to small manufacturers.

Roundtable Agenda:

1. Overview of the Federal Rule-Making Process / Role of Office of Advocacy
2. Impact/ importance of small entity participation / Success stories
3. Discussion of Proposed Regulations that will impact small manufacturers / hearing from Mantec’s small manufacturers.
4. Summarize next steps and adjourn.

Proposed Regulations for discussion:

Environment Protection Agency (EPA)

• EPA Requests Comments on Draft Tris (2-Chloroethyl) Phosphate (TCEP) Risk Evaluation – TCEP has been primarily used in paint and coating manufacturing, and polymers used in aerospace equipment and products. In the past, it has also been used in commercial and consumer products, including fabric and textile products, foam seating, and construction materials. Comments are due March 4, 2024
• EPA Seeks Comments On Requiring Farms To Report Animal Waste Air Emissions – EPA is asking the public about issues it must address in a future proposed rule, including implementation challenges, small farm definition, and potential reporting exemption. Comments are due February 15, 2024
• EPA published a notice identifying the next five chemicals it will designate as High-Priority Substances, for which it must conduct a risk evaluation and potentially regulate under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). These chemicals are:

1. 1. Acetaldehyde
   2. Acrylonitrile
   3. Benzenamine
   4. 4,4’-Methylenebis(2-chloroaniline), or MBOCA
   5. Vinyl chloride

These chemicals are mostly used in the production or manufacture of plastics. Comments are due March 18, 2024

• EPA is proposing to require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for certain manufacturing and processing of these chemicals (decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) and phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1)), two of the five persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals). EPA is proposing to require a label on shipping pallets containing decaBDE. And EPA is proposing to modify exclusions from the prohibitions on uses of PIP (3:1), including narrowing the scope of certain exclusions, adding prohibition phase-in dates, and in some cases creating new exclusions from prohibition for certain uses. Comments were due January 8, 2024
• EPA published a draft rule proposing improvements to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Lead and Copper. EPA would require water systems to replace lead service lines within 10 years, remove the lead trigger level, reduce the lead action level to 0.010 mg/L, and strengthen tap sampling procedures. Comments were due February 5, 2024

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

• The IRS published proposed amendments to the rules applicable to plans that include cash or deferred arrangements (CODAs) under Internal Revenue Code section 401(k) with respect to long-term, part-time employees. The proposed rule, which reflects statutory changes made by the SECURE Act and the SECURE 2.0 Act, would require a qualified CODA to permit participation by certain employees even if they do not have at least 1,000 hours of service in a 12-month period. If adopted, the proposed rule would apply to plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2024. Written comments and requests to speak at a public hearing on the proposed rule are due by January 26, 2024. The public hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2024.

Department of Defense (DOD)

• DOD – has set a 60-day comment period for the proposed rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. The proposed rule revises certain aspects of the program to address public concerns in response to DoD’s initial vision for the CMMC 1.0 program, providing for simplified compliance by allowing self-assessment for some requirements, Priorities for protecting DoD information and Reinforced cooperation between the DoD and industry in addressing evolving cyber threats. Comments are due 60 days from December 26, 2023, publication date.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

– FCC, is considering requiring all Commercial Mobile Radio Service providers to use location-based routing to route 911 to the closest dispatcher rather than routing through the closest cell tower site Improving Wireless 911 Call Routing – Improving Network Reliability, Resiliency, & Transparency in Disasters – Mitigating Orbital Debris to Support Space Innovation  – Modernizing and Expanding Access to the 70/80/90 GHz Bands. An open meeting is planned for January 25, 2024

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

• The CPSC published in the Federal Register a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPR) to promulgate a consumer product safety standard to address blade-contact injuries on table saws. The SNPR invited the public to submit written comments during a 60-day comment, Comments are due Feb 1, 2024

Please note that as proposed regulations comment periods expire typically, so does the ability for small entities who did not submit comments to influence that rule.

Date: Thursday, February 15th 2024
Time: 2 pm to 5 pm (Doors open at 1:30 pm)
Location: York College of PA, Alumni Hall

Presenters will include:

Office of Advocacy Regional and Regulatory Affairs Personnel:

• Mid-Atlantic Regional Advocate
• Assistant Chief Counsel EPA
• Assistant Chief Counsel DOL
• Assistant Chief Counsel IRS
• Assistant Chief Counsel USDA

Advocacy Attendees will be determined by MANTEC’s regulatory priorities.

About the US. SBA Office of Advocacy: The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. The watchdog of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and a source of small business statistics and research.  Advocacy advances the views and concerns of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers.

REGISTER HERE: https://mantec.org/training-registration-mantec/registration-for-small-business-administration-sba-policy-impact-roundtable/