Small Business

My Position on Small Business

From manufacturing to the restaurant industry and everything in between, Utah runs on small businesses. Small business is the backbone of our state’s economy, and Utah is soaring to new heights thanks to our business-friendly environment, competitive free-market principles, and state-level policies that encourage innovation.

To continue this upward trajectory, we must get the government out of the way. My top priority is to ensure that Utah’s economy continues to recover and flourish following the COVID-19 pandemic. Small business is the heart and soul of our state, and as the Fourth District heads back to work, Team Owens has your back at home and in the halls of Congress.

In addition to visiting small businesses in every corner of Utah’s Fourth, my team and I have worked hard to amplify their voices in Washington. 

In Congress, I have:

  • Co-sponsored H.Res. 1015, a House Resolution to oppose any efforts to impose new taxes on family farms or small businesses and recognize the importance of generational transfers of farm and family-owned businesses.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 8913, the TCJA Permanency Act, legislation to make permanent the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which delivered sweeping tax cuts for individuals and small businesses across the country.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 2491, the Wage Equity Act of 2021, legislation to encourage employers to proactively evaluate their pay practices and eliminate pay disparities in their workplaces, while empowering employees to negotiate pay based on their qualifications and merit.
  • Supported H.R. 3185, the Save Local Business Act, legislation to empower job growth and creation without stifling Main Street U.S.A with harmful regulations and ambiguous standards.
  • Supported H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act, legislation to keep small businesses open and thriving through the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 1450, the Emergency Savings for Small Businesses Act, legislation to aid Utah’s hard-hit industries.
  • Supported H.R. 1651, the COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act, legislation to help relieve economic burdens and extend vital COVID-19 bankruptcy relief provisions for an additional year.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 4568, the Entrepreneurs Need Timely Replenishment for Eating Establishments (ENTRÉE) Act, legislation that would redirect unused COVID-19 relief dollars to Utah’s restaurant owners who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 7628, the IMPROVE the SBA Act, legislation to reform and revamp the Small Business Administration by improving communication, transparency, and oversight. 
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 4141, the Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act, legislation to eliminate barriers that businesses and their owners currently face in establishing new S corporation ESOPs or expanding the employee-ownership stake in an S corporation.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 1453, the Military Spouses Retirement Security Act, legislation to help spouses of active duty service members save for retirement by expanding access to employer-sponsored retirement plans.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 2954, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act, legislation to help more Americans successfully save for a secure retirement and further improve workers’ long-term financial well-being. 
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 6597, the Blockchain Solutions for Small Businesses Act, legislation to require a study on how blockchain technology can improve the Small Business Administration’s efficiency and data security.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 6658, the Protecting Family and Small Businesses Tax Cuts Act, legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent certain provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act affecting individuals, families, and small businesses.
  • Co-sponsored H.R. 6161, the Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act, legislation to reinstate the Employee Retention Tax Credit through the end of 2021, as it was originally written, to help struggling small businesses and nonprofits who were counting on the ERTC to pay their employees through the end of the year.

To see a full list of legislation sponsored and supported by Congressman Owens, click here.

Supporting Utahns in the small business community is more important than ever. If you need help with the Small Business Administration or other government agencies, contact my West Jordan District Office at (801) 999-9801. 

To see the complete list of small businesses we’ve visited, click here. If you are a small business owner and would like to share your thoughts with me, click here to take a short survey.

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Small Business Updates

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