Bill > A1677

Introduced Session

This bill would suspend the assessment of fines against small businesses for certain minor first-time paperwork violations. Under the bill, a small business means a business entity that employs 50 full-time employees or fewer and qualifies as a small business concern as defined in the federal "Small Business Act." Under the bill, a fine would not be suspended if: · the violation has the potential to cause serious harm to the public interest; · failure to impose a fine or penalty would impede or interfere with the detection of criminal activity; · the violation concerns the assessment or collection of any tax, debt, revenue, or receipt; · the violation was not corrected within six months of the date the small business received notification of the violation; or · except as provided below, the violation presents a danger to public safety. If a State agency or regulatory authority determines that the violation presents a danger to the public safety, the agency or regulatory authority may nevertheless suspend the assessment of a fine under certain circumstances if the violation is corrected within 24 hours after notification to the business of the violation. This bill is based upon a federal bill that was sponsored in the 114th United States Congress, introduced on January 7, 2015. The federal bill provided for the suspension of fines under certain circumstances for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Tony Bucco (R)*,  Ronald Dancer (R)*,  JoAnn Downey (D)*,  Eric Houghtaling (D)*,  Craig Coughlin (D),  BettyLou DeCroce (R),  R. Bruce Land (D),  Angela Mcknight (D),  Matthew Milam (D),  Carol Murphy (D),  Kevin Rooney (R),  Parker Space (R),  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D),  Jay Webber (R),  Harold Wirths (R), 

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 11/14/2019)