,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #acba  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ba1 #bjac    
,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,oversight and ,government
 ,reform1 and in addition to the        
,committee on ,small ,business1 for a   
period to be subsequently determined by 
the ,speaker1 in each case for          
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #dd of the ,united ,states  
,code1 to provide for the suspension of 
fines under certain circumstances for   
first-time paperwork violations by small
 business concerns4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,small   
,business ,paperwork ,relief ,act of    
#bjac4  #b4 ,suspension of fines for    
first-time paperwork violations by small
 business concerns ,section #cejf of    
title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code        
7commonly referred to as the ,paperwork 

,reduction ,act71 is amended by adding  
at the end the following3  7j7 ,small   
businesses  7#a7 ,small business concern
 ,in this subsection1 the term small    
business concern has the meaning given  
that term under section #c of the ,small
 ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74   
7#b7 ,in general ,in the case of a      
first-time violation by a small business
 concern of a requirement regarding the 
collection of information by an agency1 
the head of the agency shall not impose 
a civil fine on the small business      
concern unless the head of the agency   
determines that--  7,a7 the violation   
has the potential to cause serious harm 
to the public interest2  7,b7 failure to
 impose a civil fine would impede or    
interfere with the detection of criminal
 activity2  7,c7 the violation is a     
violation of an internal revenue law or 
a law concerning the assessment or      
collection of any tax1 debt1 revenue1 or
 receipt2  7,d7 the violation was not   
corrected on or before the date that is 

#f months after the date on which the   
small business concern receives         
notification of the violation in writing
 from the agency2 or  7,e7 except as    
provided in paragraph 7#c71 the         
violation presents a danger to the      
public health or safety4  7#c7 ,danger  
to public health or safety  7,a7 ,in    
general ,in any case in which the head  
of an agency determines under paragraph 
7#b77;,e7 that a violation presents a   
danger to the public health or safety1  
the head of the agency may1             
notwithstanding paragraph 7#b77;,e71    
determine not to impose a civil fine on 
the small business concern if the       
violation is corrected not later than   
#bd hours after receipt by the owner of 
the small business concern of           
notification of the violation in        
writing4  7,b7 ,considerations ,in      
determining whether to allow a small    
business concern #bd hours to correct a 
violation under subparagraph 7,a71 the  
head of an agency shall take into       

account all of the facts and            
circumstances regarding the violation1  
including--  7i7 the nature and         
seriousness of the violation1 including 
whether the violation is technical or   
inadvertent or involves willful or      
criminal conduct2  7ii7 whether the     
small business concern has made a good  
faith effort to comply with applicable  
laws and to remedy the violation within 
the shortest practicable period of time2
 and  7iii7 whether the small business  
concern has obtained a significant      
economic benefit from the violation4    
7,c7 ,notice to congress ,in any case in
 which the head of an agency imposes a  
civil fine on a small business concern  
for a violation that presents a danger  
to the public health or safety and does 
not allow the small business concern #bd
 hours to correct the violation under   
subparagraph 7,a71 the head of the      
agency shall notify ,congress regarding 
the determination not later than #fj    
days after the date on which the civil  

fine is imposed by the agency4  7#d7    
,limited to first-time violations  7,a7 
,in general ,this subsection shall not  
apply to any violation by a small       
business concern of a requirement       
regarding collection of information by  
an agency if the small business concern 
previously violated any requirement     
regarding collection of information by  
the agency4  7,b7 ,other agencies ,for  
purposes of making a determination under
 subparagraph 7,a71 the head of an      
agency shall not take into account any  
violation of a requirement regarding    
collection of information by another    
agency4  4