Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
Small Businesses before Bureaucrats Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Small Businesses before Bureaucrats Act" amends the National Labor Relations Act to change the dollar thresholds the National Labor Relations Board uses to decide if it has jurisdiction over certain labor disputes. For the year 2026, the existing dollar threshold for a class or category of employers will be multiplied by ten. For years after 2026, the threshold will be adjusted based on a new "Personal Consumption Expenditure Per Capita Index." This index will be published annually by the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis starting in 2027.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +8
Would business owners be better off under this?
Significantly reduces the regulatory burden and risk of NLRB jurisdiction for small business owners.
- Scored +7
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
Reduces the likelihood of small businesses being subject to NLRB jurisdiction in certain labor disputes by significantly raising the dollar threshold.
- Scored +5
Would farmers be better off under this?
As typical small business operators, farmers may benefit from reduced federal labor board jurisdiction.
The opposite· 3 of 4
- Scored -6
Would union members be better off under this?
Limits the federal agency's ability to protect labor rights in smaller enterprises.
- Scored -6
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?
By increasing the jurisdictional threshold, fewer small business disputes will be eligible for NLRB oversight, potentially reducing protections for unionized workers in those settings.
- Scored -5
Does this give the federal government more power?
Reduces the federal government's ability to assert jurisdiction over labor disputes for a wider range of employers.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Reduced Board Jurisdiction over Employers: By increasing the dollar threshold by ten times for 2026 and adjusting it annually thereafter (Section 2(a)), more employers may fall outside the National Labor Relations Board's jurisdiction for certain labor disputes.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limited Access to Board Jurisdiction: Because the bill increases the dollar threshold for the Board to assert jurisdiction over certain labor disputes (Section 2(a)), certain groups of people may find that the National Labor Relations Board declines to assert jurisdiction over their labor disputes.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Significantly reduces the regulatory burden and risk of NLRB jurisdiction for small business owners. Would farmers be better off under this? — As typical small business operators, farmers may benefit from reduced federal labor board jurisdiction. Would union members be better off under this? — Limits the federal agency's ability to protect labor rights in smaller enterprises. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Lower income workers at small businesses may lose access to NLRB protections for labor disputes.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Reduces the likelihood of small businesses being subject to NLRB jurisdiction in certain labor disputes by significantly raising the dollar threshold. Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — By increasing the jurisdictional threshold, fewer small business disputes will be eligible for NLRB oversight, potentially reducing protections for unionized workers in those settings.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — By limiting federal NLRB jurisdiction, labor disputes are more likely to be handled via state laws or private arbitration. Does this give the federal government more power? — Reduces the federal government's ability to assert jurisdiction over labor disputes for a wider range of employers.
- 11/5/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate