Michael N. Martinez, a Salt Lake attorney in private practice, has been named to the 50-member Regional Regulatory Fairness Board operating out of Denver and designed to provide small business greater opportunities to influence federal agency regulatory enforcement practices.
Thomas J. Redder, regional administrator for the Small-Business Administration, was in Salt Lake City Wednesday to announced Martinez's appointment and explain the function of the board.Ten regional boards have been established across the country following passage of the Small-Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness act of 1996 and signed into law by President Clinton last March.
"This new partnership approach will give small businesses unprecedented input in the regulatory enforcement process," said Redder. "Martinez's keen interest in regulatory reform and his common sense approach to problem solving will provide a great start for this process and give small-business owners a strong voice in the regulatory process," he said.
Each board consists of five small-business persons who will review complaints and concerns of small businesses about enforcement actions. The boards will work closely with a national ombudsman to verify complaints and work with agencies on enforcement issues.
The ombudsman also will evaluate enforcement actions and other small-business concerns and make annual reports to Congress and regulatory agencies, Redder said. The bill made the SBA responsible for selecting the ombudsman and the board members.