II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2142 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 17, 2019 Ms. Collins (for herself and Mrs. Shaheen ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To allow remote participation on review panels under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Entrepreneurs Affects Regulatory Decisions Act of 2019 or the HEARD Act of 2019 . 2. Amendments to the Regulatory Flexibility Act Section 609(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting , through an in-person meeting or by electronic participation, after panel ; (2) in paragraph (5), by striking and at the end; (3) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (4) by adding at the end the following: (7) a covered agency shall take reasonable steps to ensure that representatives of small entities may participate electronically in a review panel convened under this subsection. .