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Congressmen Bob Latta (R-OH) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) have authored bipartisan legislation, the Small Entity Regulatory Relief Opportunity Act (SERRO), to provide regulatory relief for small businesses and entities under the jurisdiction of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. Any entity that qualifies as a small business as defined by the Small Business Administration would be able to seek this regulatory relief.

SERRO seeks to reduce the regulatory burden for these entities in several ways.

The bill directs the FCC to establish streamlined procedures for small businesses seeking relief through petition waivers.
The legislation also would provide a one-year grace period before new regulations apply to small entities after they become effective for larger businesses, except in certain cases where statute specifically bans deferment or to protect public safety.

SERRO would also direct the FCC to review all existing regulations applicable to operations of service providers to determine whether there is a good cause for relief to be granted to smaller entities.
“Small businesses are the engines of our economy — creating two out of every three new jobs,” said Rep. Latta. “We also know small businesses are the most susceptible to burdensome regulations that harm their ability to grow, expand, and hire new employees. In the telecommunications sector, smaller entities often do not require the same level of regulatory oversight as large entities — as both Congress and the FCC have recognized. While the FCC has provided regulatory relief on a case-by-case basis, small businesses and their customers would benefit from greater certainty, fewer costs, and more administrative efficiency that this legislation would provide.”

“As a former small business owner, I know how burdensome many rules and regulations from Washington, D.C. can be to a small business’s ability to grow and innovate,” said Rep. Schrader. “By establishing streamlined procedures for obtaining waivers from regulations that are often unnecessary and not designed for small entities, we are providing relief for our small telecommunications providers while creating greater certainty and efficiency to help them continue to provide vital services to many of our smaller and often rural communities. I’ve always said DC should be in the business of producing outcomes, not micromanaging, and our bill will help to do just that.”

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