NE Florida News

Oct 30, 2024

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has recognized U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean of Florida's Fourth District with the Hero of Main Street Award. The award acknowledges his efforts in the 118th Congress to support small businesses and promote a thriving retail sector.

Retail in Florida plays a significant role, directly supporting over 2.3 million jobs and contributing more than $357.4 billion to the economy.

Congressman Bean stated, "As a former small business owner, I know firsthand the burdens small businesses face. As a member of the House Small Business Committee, I’m committed to restoring optimism and advancing solutions to make it easier for owners to invest, hire, and watch their enterprises grow."

Bean has been active in proposing legislation aimed at benefiting small businesses and the retail industry. Notably, he passed H.R. 4666, known as the We Want Our Money Back Act. This requires quarterly reports from the Inspector General of the SBA on fraud investigations related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

He introduced H.R. 9033, or the Let American Businesses Be on Record (LABOR) Act, which mandates that the Department of Labor engage with small business owners during rulemaking processes under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA).

Another piece of legislation is H.R. 2744, titled the Freedom from Government Competition Act of 2023. This aims to give private industries more opportunities without competing against government-funded initiatives.

Additionally, Bean introduced H.R.7984, known as the Rural Small Business Resilience Act. This bill seeks improvements in disaster assistance access for rural businesses through enhanced Small Business Administration programs.

Bean also cosponsored H.R. 4721, named the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which aims to extend tax deductions permanently for small and family-owned businesses.

Furthermore, he supported H.R. 895 or the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act to improve federal coordination against organized retail theft by establishing multi-agency responses and new tools.