text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Review Panel 
  Technical Amendments Act of 1999''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
              (1) A vibrant and growing small business sector is critical 
          to creating jobs in a dynamic economy.
              (2) Small businesses bear a disproportionate share of 
          regulatory costs and burdens.
              (3) Federal agencies must consider the impact of their 
          regulations on small businesses early in the rulemaking 
          process.
              (4) The Small Business Advocacy Review Panel process that 
          was established by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 
          Fairness Act of 1996 has been effective in allowing small 
          businesses to participate in rules that are being developed by 
          the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety 
          and Health Administration.
      (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are the following:
              (1) To provide a forum for the effective participation of 
          small businesses in the Federal regulatory process.
              (2) To clarify and strengthen the Small Business Advocacy 
          Review Panel process.
              (3) To expand the number of Federal agencies that are 
          required to convene Small Business Advocacy Review Panels.
  
  SEC. 3. ENSURING FULL ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON SMALL ENTITIES 
                OF RULES PROPOSED BY CERTAIN AGENCIES.
  
      Section 609(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read 
  as follows:
      ``(b)(1) Before the publication of an initial regulatory 
  flexibility analysis that a covered agency is required to conduct under 
  this chapter, the head of the covered agency shall--
              ``(A) notify the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small 
          Business Administration (in this subsection referred to as the 
          `Chief Counsel') in writing;
              ``(B) provide the Chief Counsel with information on the 
          potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities and 
          the type of small entities that might be affected; and
              ``(C) not later than 30 days after complying with 
          subparagraphs (A) and (B)--
                      ``(i) with the concurrence of the Chief Counsel, 
                  identify affected small entity representatives; and
                      ``(ii) transmit the information referred to in 
                  subparagraph (B) to the identified small entity 
                  representatives for the purposes of obtaining advice 
                  and recommendations about the potential impacts of the 
                  draft proposed rule.
      ``(2)(A) Not earlier than 30 days after the covered agency 
  transmits information pursuant to paragraph (1)(C)(ii), the head of the 
  covered agency shall convene a review panel for the draft proposed 
  rule. The panel shall consist solely of full-time Federal employees of 
  the office within the covered agency that will be responsible for 
  carrying out the proposed rule, the Office of Information and 
  Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget, and the 
  Chief Counsel.
      ``(B) The review panel shall--
              ``(i) review any material the covered agency has prepared 
          in connection with this chapter, including any draft proposed 
          rule;
              ``(ii) collect advice and recommendations from the small 
          entity representatives identified under paragraph (1)(C)(i) on 
          issues related to paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of section 
          603(b) and section 603(c); and
              ``(iii) allow any small entity representative identified 
          under paragraph (1)(C)(i) to make an oral presentation to the 
          panel, if requested.
      ``(C) Not later than 60 days after the date a covered agency 
  convenes a review panel pursuant to this paragraph, the review panel 
  shall report to the head of the covered agency on--
              ``(i) the comments received from the small entity 
          representatives identified under paragraph (1)(C)(i); and
              ``(ii) its findings regarding issues related to paragraphs 
          (3), (4), and (5) of section 603(b) and section 603(c).
      ``(3) The head of the covered agency shall print in the Federal 
  Register the report of the review panel under paragraph (2)(C), by the 
  earlier of--
              ``(A) 120 days after the date the head of the covered 
          agency receives the report; or
              ``(B) as part of the publication of the notice of proposed 
          rulemaking for the proposed rule.
      ``(4) Where appropriate, the covered agency shall modify the draft 
  proposed rule, the initial regulatory flexibility analysis for the 
  draft proposed rule, or the decision on whether an initial regulatory 
  flexibility analysis is required for the draft proposed rule.''.
  
  SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
  
      Section 609(d) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read 
  as follows:
      ``(d) For the purposes of this section--
              ``(1) the term `covered agency' means the Environmental 
          Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health 
          Administration of the Department of Labor, and the Internal 
          Revenue Service of the Department of the Treasury; and
              ``(2) the term `small entity representative' means a small 
          entity, or an individual or organization that represents a 
          small entity.''.
  
  SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
  
      This Act shall take effect upon the expiration of the 90-day period 
  beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
target: Small Business Review Panel Technical Amendments Act of 1999 (sic) - Amends Federal provisions concerning the promulgation of Federal rules to allow representatives of small entities that may be affected to make an oral presentation to a review panel for a proposed rule. Requires the head of an agency covered by the rule to print the report of the review panel in the Federal Register within 120 days after receiving it or as part of the publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking.
feat_title: To amend provisions of law enacted by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 to ensure full analysis of potential impacts on small entities of rules proposed by certain agencies, and for other purposes.