Rep. Andrew Barkis’ small business ‘bill of rights’ gains House approval

A bill identifying what specific rights or protections small business owners have when selected for an audit, inspection, or other government agency enforcement action received unanimous approval Monday in the state House of Representatives.

House Bill 1352, introduced by 2nd District Rep. Andrew Barkis, in partnership with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), would help define the rights of small businesses. Through these definitions, the state would set up a process to inform business owners of their rights and protections when selected for an audit or inspection, as well as identify what rules the government must follow.

“There needs to be a better way for state agencies to communicate the rights and protections small businesses have in these enforcement actions, and what rules the agency will follow,” said Barkis, R-Olympia. “It's tough out there to be a small business, especially when an unexpected audit or inspection happens. Many businesses don't understand what's going on when a government agency comes knocking on their door, or what their rights are surrounding these actions. I'm glad we could agree on a bipartisan solution to show our small businesses their rights and protections matter.”

HB 1352 now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov