New Regulatory Consultant Hired to Support Our Community

We’re excited to announce that we’ve hired a regulatory consultant to collaborate with ACCT Leadership and the newly re-formed Government Relations Work Group. Their role will be to help us more effectively monitor regulatory developments, to advise us on our government relations strategy, and to inform us of opportunities to get involved. We are hopeful that this partnership will strengthen our ability to keep our community informed about the issues that may impact their work, and to empower our members to advocate for themselves.  

As a demonstration of our commitment to ACCT members, any future updates that come from this new initiative will be shared with you as soon as they’re available. In our first update today, we’re highlighting key points from a recent letter by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy. The letter responds to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) initiative to identify regulations that hinder small business competition (separate from the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) streamlining initiative). Read the full letter here: SBA Comment Letter.

Three issues relevant to our community include:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Exemption for Executive, Administrative, and Professional (EAP) Employees
  The Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2024 overtime rule is estimated to cost small businesses $4.5 billion. The SBA recommends repealing this rule to reduce financial burdens on small entities.

• Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) Requirements
  The SBA suggests the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revise rules to: (1) allow experienced owner-operators and small fleet drivers with clean safety records to serve as trainers with simplified certification, and (2) streamline administrative reporting through digital submissions. These changes aim to lower costs and boost competition.

• Non-Compete Clause Rule
  The FTC’s April 2024 rule to ban most non-compete agreements was blocked by a federal judge in August 2024, with appeals paused until July 2025. The SBA recommends the FTC adopt industry-specific solutions, avoid a blanket ban, and consider state non-compete laws to address small business concerns.

Additionally, some of you may find the letter’s discussion of H-2 Visa issues relevant to your operations.

We’ll continue monitoring these and other developments, sharing updates to help you stay informed and take action as needed.