§ 3520. Establishment of task force on information collection and dissemination

(a) There is established a task force to study the feasibility of streamlining requirements with respect to small business concerns regarding collection of information and strengthening dissemination of information (in this section referred to as the “task force”).

(b)

(1) The Director shall determine—

(A) subject to the minimum requirements under paragraph (2), the number of representatives to be designated under each subparagraph of that paragraph; and

(B) the agencies to be represented under paragraph (2)(K).

(2) After all determinations are made under paragraph (1), the members of the task force shall be designated by the head of each applicable department or agency, and include—

(A) 1 representative of the Director, who shall convene and chair the task force;

(B) not less than 2 representatives of the Department of Labor, including 1 representative of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and 1 representative of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration;

(D) not less than 1 representative of the Department of Transportation;

(E) not less than 1 representative of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration;

(F) not less than 1 representative of the Internal Revenue Service;

(G) not less than 2 representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services, including 1 representative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;

(H) not less than 1 representative of the Department of Agriculture;

(I) not less than 1 representative of the Department of the Interior;

(J) not less than 1 representative of the General Services Administration; and

(K) not less than 1 representative of each of 2 agencies not represented by representatives described under subparagraphs (A) through (J).

(1) identify ways to integrate the collection of information across Federal agencies and programs and examine the feasibility and desirability of requiring each agency to consolidate requirements regarding collections of information with respect to small business concerns within and across agencies, without negatively impacting the effectiveness of underlying laws and regulations regarding such collections of information, in order that each small business concern may submit all information required by the agency—

(A) to 1 point of contact in the agency;

(B) in a single format, such as a single electronic reporting system, with respect to the agency; and

(C) with synchronized reporting for information submissions having the same frequency, such as synchronized quarterly, semiannual, and annual reporting dates;

(2) examine the feasibility and benefits to small businesses of publishing a list by the Director of the collections of information applicable to small business concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)), organized—

(A) by North American Industry Classification System code;

(B) by industrial sector description; or

(C) in another manner by which small business concerns can more easily identify requirements with which those small business concerns are expected to comply;

(3) examine the savings, including cost savings, and develop recommendations for implementing—

(A) systems for electronic submissions of information to the Federal Government; and

(B) interactive reporting systems, including components that provide immediate feedback to assure that data being submitted—

(i) meet requirements of format; and

(ii) are within the range of acceptable options for each data field;

(4) make recommendations to improve the electronic dissemination of information collected under Federal requirements;

(5) recommend a plan for the development of an interactive Governmentwide system, available through the Internet, to allow each small business to—

(A) better understand which Federal requirements regarding collection of information (and, when possible, which other Federal regulatory requirements) apply to that particular business; and

(B) more easily comply with those Federal requirements; and

(6) in carrying out this section, consider opportunities for the coordination—

(A) of Federal and State reporting requirements; and

(B) among the points of contact described under section 3506 (i), such as to enable agencies to provide small business concerns with contacts for information collection requirements for other agencies.

(d) The task force shall—

(1) by publication in the Federal Register, provide notice and an opportunity for public comment on each report in draft form; and

(2) make provision in each report for the inclusion of—

(A) any additional or dissenting views of task force members; and

(B) a summary of significant public comments.

(e) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the task force shall submit a report of its findings under subsection (c) (1), (2), and (3) to—

(1) the Director;

(2) the chairpersons and ranking minority members of—

(A) the Committee on Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and

(B) the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives; and

(3) the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman designated under section 30(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657 (b)).

(f) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the task force shall submit a report of its findings under subsection (c) (4) and (5) to—

(1) the Director;

(2) the chairpersons and ranking minority members of—

(A) the Committee on Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and

(B) the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives; and

(3) the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman designated under section 30(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657 (b)).

(g) The task force shall terminate after completion of its work.

(h) In this section, the term “small business concern” has the meaning given under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

U.S. Code

§ 3520. Establishment of task force on information collection and dissemination