The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business association, announced today that the U.S. House vote on H.R. 6113, the Paperwork Assistance Act, will be an official NFIB “key vote” for small business owners.

“We commend Congresswoman Boyda for her leadership on this important legislation that will directly help small businesses. Government regulation and paperwork is complicated and time consuming, and places an especially difficult burden on our nation’s smallest firms,” said Brad Close, director of federal public policy at NFIB. “This legislation will allow small businesses to spend less time on ‘government overhead’ and more time on improving and growing their business, so they can continue to create jobs and grow America’s economy.”

According to NFIB’s recent “Problems & Priorities” survey, dealing with unreasonable government regulations has been a top 10 issue for the past eight years. The bill, introduced by Rep. Nancy Boyda, would provide small business owners with easy access to federal agencies for assistance and guidance with government paperwork.

“Most government forms are obscure and incomprehensible, and most don’t give you a clue of how to get help completing the form…Not even a telephone number to call for advice. This is a very real problem. The federal government requires that every ‘I’ be dotted and every ‘T’ crossed, but offers zero help in the process,” said Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. “I’m pleased to say that my bill changes that. H.R. 6113 requires a contact phone number on all forms disbursed by federal agencies. It's good, common-sense legislation that will help cut through some of the red tape in dealing with the government.”

It costs small businesses on average $48.72 per hour to deal with paperwork. Due to the sheer volume and complexity of federal regulations, even the most diligent small business owner may inadvertently make an error or miss deadlines associated with government paperwork. H.R. 6113 would require that all federal paperwork include contact information of the agency issuing the paperwork.