,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgeg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #ca1  
#bjai,mr4 ,lankford 7for himself1 ,ms4  
,hassan1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 and ,mr4 ,inhofe7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
waive the imposition of a civil fine for
 certain first-time paperwork violations
 by small business concerns4  #a4 ,short
 title ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,harmless ,error ,lesser ,penalty for   
,small ,businesses ,act or the ,,help   
for ,small ,businesses ,act4  #b4       
,paperwork violations by small          
businesses  7a7 ,in general ,section    
#ceab of title #dd1 ,united ,states     
,code1 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7c7 ,small businesses   
7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3  
7,a7 ,first-time violation ,the term    
first-time violation means a violation  
by a small business concern of a        

requirement regarding collection of     
information by an agency1 where the     
small business concern has not          
previously violated any similar         
requirement regarding collection of     
information by that agency4  7,b7 ,small
 business concern ,the term small       
business concern has the meaning given  
the term in section #c of the ,small    
,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74    
7#b7 ,first-time violation  7,a7 ,in    
general ,except as provided in          
subparagraph 7,c71 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      
concern4  7,b7 ,determination ,for      
purposes of determining whether to      
impose a civil fine on a small business 
concern under subparagraph 7,a71 the    
head of an agency shall not take into   
account any violation by the small      
business concern of a requirement       

regarding collection of information by  
another agency4  7,c7 ,exception ,the   
head of an agency may impose a civil    
fine on a small business concern for a  
first-time violation if the head of the 
agency determines that--  7i7 the       
violation has the potential to impede or
 interfere with the detection of        
criminal activity2  7ii7 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  7iii7 the violation was   
not corrected on or before the date that
 is #ahj days after the date on which   
the head of the agency provided the     
small business concern with actual      
notice of the violation in writing2 or  
7iv7 except as provided in paragraph    
7#c71 the violation-- 7,i7 presents a   
danger to the public health or safety2  
or  7,,ii7 has the potential to cause   
serious harm to the public interest4    
7#c7 ,danger to public health or safety 
or potential harm to public interest    

7,a7 ,in general ,in any case in which  
the head of an agency determines under  
paragraph 7#b77;,c77iv7 that a violation
 presents a danger to the public health 
or safety or has the potential to cause 
serious harm to the public interest1 the
 head of the agency may determine not to
 impose a civil fine on the small       
business concern if the violation is    
corrected not later than #bd hours after
 the head of the agency provides the    
owner of the small business concern with
 actual notice of the violation in      
writing4  7,b7 ,considerations ,in      
determining whether to impose a civil   
fine under subparagraph 7,a71 the head  
of an agency shall take into account the
 nature and seriousness of the          
violation1 including--  7i7 whether the 
violation is technical or inadvertent or
 involves willful or criminal conduct2  
and  7ii7 whether the small business    
concern had made a good faith effort to 
comply with applicable laws and to      
remedy the violation within the         

#bd-;hour time period described in that 
subparagraph4  4  7b7 ,technical and    
conforming amendment ,section #ceab7;b7 
of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by striking this section and    
inserting subsection 7a74