§ 634b. — Primary functions of Office of Advocacy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC634b]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 14A--AID TO SMALL BUSINESS
Sec. 634b. Primary functions of Office of Advocacy
The primary functions of the Office of Advocacy shall be to--
(1) examine the role of small business in the American economy
and the contribution which small business can make in improving
competition, encouraging economic and social mobility for all
citizens, restraining inflation, spurring production, expanding
employment opportunities, increasing productivity, promoting
exports, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, and providing
an avenue through which new and untested products and services can
be brought to the marketplace;
(2) assess the effectiveness of existing Federal subsidy and
assistance programs for small business and the desirability of
reducing the emphasis on such existing programs and increasing the
emphasis on general assistance programs designed to benefit all
small businesses;
(3) measure the direct costs and other effects of government
regulation on small businesses; and make legislative and
nonlegislative proposals for eliminating excessive or unnecessary
regulations of small businesses;
(4) determine the impact of the tax structure on small
businesses and make legislative and other proposals for altering the
tax structure to enable all small businesses to realize their
potential for contributing to the improvement of the Nation's
economic well-being;
(5) study the ability of financial markets and institutions to
meet small business credit needs and determine the impact of
government demands for credit on small businesses;
(6) determine financial resource availability and to recommend
methods for delivery of financial assistance to minority
enterprises, including methods for securing equity capital, for
generating markets for goods and services, for providing effective
business education, more effective management and technical
assistance, and training, and for assistance in complying with
Federal, State, and local law;
(7) evaluate the efforts of Federal agencies, business and
industry to assist minority enterprises;
(8) make such other recommendations as may be appropriate to
assist the development and strengthening of minority and other small
business enterprises;
(9) recommend specific measures for creating an environment in
which all businesses will have the opportunity to complete \1\
effectively and expand to their full potential, and to ascertain the
common reasons, if any, for small business successes and failures;
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\1\ So in original. Probably should be ``compete''.
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(10) determine the desirability of developing a set of rational,
objective criteria to be used to define small business, and to
develop such criteria, if appropriate;
(11) advise, cooperate with, and consult with, the Chairman of
the Administrative Conference of the United States with respect to
section 504(e) of title 5; and
(12) evaluate the efforts of each department and agency of the
United States, and of private industry, to assist small business
concerns owned and controlled by veterans, as defined in section
632(q) of this title, and small business concerns owned and
controlled by serviced-disabled \2\ veterans, as defined in such
section 632(q) of this title, and to provide statistical information
on the utilization of such programs by such small business concerns,
and to make appropriate recommendations to the Administrator of the
Small Business Administration and to the Congress in order to
promote the establishment and growth of those small business
concerns.
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\2\ So in original.
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(Pub. L. 94-305, title II, Sec. 202, June 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 668; Pub. L.
96-481, title II, Sec. 203(b), Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2327; Pub. L.
106-50, title VII, Sec. 702, Aug. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 250.)
Codification
Section was not enacted as part of the Small Business Act which
comprises this chapter.
Amendments
1999--Par. (12). Pub. L. 106-50 added par. (12).
1980--Par. (11). Pub. L. 96-481 added par. (11).
Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 96-481 effective Oct. 1, 1981, and applicable
to adversary adjudication as defined in section 504(b)(1)(C) of Title 5,
Government Organization and Employees, and to civil actions and
adversary adjudications described in section 2412 of Title 28, Judiciary
and Judicial Procedure, which are pending on, or commenced on or after
Oct. 1, 1981, see section 208 of Pub. L. 96-481, set out as an Effective
Date note under section 504 of Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees.
Termination of Administrative Conference of United States
For termination of Administrative Conference of United States, see
provision of title IV of Pub. L. 104-52, set out as a note preceding
section 591 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Advocacy Study of Paperwork and Tax Impact
Pub. L. 103-403, title VI, Sec. 613, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4205,
directed Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration
to conduct a study of the impact of all Federal regulatory, paperwork,
and tax requirements upon small business, and report its findings to
Congress not later than 1 year after Oct. 22, 1994.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 634d to 634g of this title.
