Bill > HR746

This bill, the Protect Small Business Jobs Act of 2013, aims to provide small businesses with a grace period before facing penalties for regulatory violations. Specifically, before a federal agency can impose a sanction (a penalty or punishment) on a small business for breaking a rule or as a result of a legal proceeding, the agency must first notify the business. This notification triggers a grace period, initially lasting six months, during which the business can attempt to fix the violation. The agency must also delay further action for 15 days after the initial notification, and the six-month grace period can be extended by an additional three months if the small business can show they are making good-faith efforts to correct the issue. After the grace period, the agency will re-evaluate and, if the violation is resolved, waive the sanction. This grace period does not apply to violations that pose an immediate danger, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), a law designed to ensure safe working conditions. The bill also requires federal agencies to report annually to the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman (a designated official who helps small businesses with regulatory issues) on how they are using this directive and any penalties they have reduced for small businesses, and this information will then be included in the Ombudsman's annual report to Congress. A "small business" is defined in the bill by several criteria, including having less than $10 million in gross receipts or employing fewer than 200 individuals.