In Limbo

Nearly two years after the passage of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA), small-business groups are restless. The law was supposed to open a new era of federal friendliness toward entrepreneurs. And while it's premature to call the law a bust, SBREFA's shortcomings are becoming readily apparent.

At various hearings last year, small-business groups revealed their complaints. "I see the same amount of effort made on [small-business regulatory enforcement] following the law's passage that we saw before: very little effort indeed," says Todd McCracken, president of National Small Business United (NSBU), a bipartisan small-business advocacy organization. McCracken spoke before the House Small Business Committee in July.

Stephen Barlas is a freelance business reporter who covers the Washington beat for 15 magazines.

This article was originally published in the December 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: In Limbo.