As prepared for delivery.

“Small businesses are struggling with inflation, rising interest rates, and labor shortage.

“To add insult to injury, outdated Washington mandates force small businesses to waste precious time processing paperwork, instead of growing their business, expanding opportunities for their employees, and serving their customers.

“The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act, which I am happy to have introduced along with Representative Panetta, puts an end to having the useless forms show up at the homes of millions of Americans which confirm health care coverage for compliance with a mandate no longer in effect. The legislation instead gives employers the option to supply the information online to employees, instead of mailing useless paperwork to their homes. Only 1.4 percent of American workers and their families need to use this form, but it gets mailed to millions each year.

“This bill saves small business owners time and money by relieving them of mailing outdated paperwork that only exists because Congress mandates it.

“Not only will small businesses have more time to focus on running a business, this bill recognizes how Americans actually file taxes. Now more than ever Americans fill out their tax returns online. There is no reason that American workers should not be able to access this health insurance tax form online as well.

“I hope that members from both parties can support eliminating needless paperwork for working Americans and small business job creators as we work to reduce the burdens associated with our health care system.”