Nicholas Owens,
National Ombudsman, SBA's Office of the National Ombudsman

Nicholas Owens is the National Ombudsman for the U.S. Small Business Administration, and also serves as the Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Enforcement Fairness.

Owens’ responsibilities include leading the national effort on behalf of the nation’s small businesses to ensure fairness in the enforcement of federal regulations, and initiatives to diminish disputes between small business and federal regulatory agencies.  Regulatory reform is an integral part of President Bush’s small business agenda. The President believes that in addition to lower taxes, access to government contracts, affordable high-quality health care, and clear, sensible regulations are essential for the long-term success of America’s 25 million small businesses.

The SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman was created by Congress in 1996 as part of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA). The National Ombudsman is empowered to receive, substantiate, and report to Congress complaints and comments from small business owners regarding regulatory enforcement actions taken against small businesses by federal agencies. Also, the National Ombudsman’s office works with 10 regional fairness boards whose membership is drawn from 50 small business owners from across the country.

The National Ombudsman’s office works closely with more than 35 federal regulatory agencies to resolve complaints about excessive enforcement of federal regulations during hearings held in cities nationwide. The National Ombudsman is empowered to receive, substantiate, and report to Congress complaints and comments from small business owners regarding regulatory enforcement actions taken against small businesses by federal agencies.