PETALUMA, Calif., Nov. 18, 2014/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Sept. 10, the Small Business Administration (SBA) proposed to change the small business size standard forInformation Technology Value Added Resellers, North American IndustryClassification System (NAICS) code 541519 that would have forced up to 12,000small businesses out of the federal marketplace.

If the SBA policy were adopted small businesses in the IT Industrywith as few as ten employees would lose their status as small businesses and bereclassifiedas large businesses.  At the same time the SBA would continue to includebillions of dollars in federal contracts to Fortune 500 firms as small businesscontracts as they have done for over 15 years.

No Washington, D.C.based organization that claims to represent the interests of small businessesopposed the new SBA policy in any way. No Washingtonbased organization released any public statements of any kind opposing theanti-small business policy.  The SBA accepted public comments on theproposed rule from Sept. 10 until Nov. 10, and yet no Washingtonbased organization that claims to represent small business interests posted acomment opposing the new rule in the allotted time.

The Californiabased American Small Business League (ASBL) was the only national small business advocacy group that opposed thenew SBA policy that could have been devastation to thousands of smallbusinesses.

ASBL President and founder, Lloyd Chapman,launched a nationalcampaign to oppose the SBA's policy change they described as"anti-small business." Chapman began issuing national press releasesand doing radiointerviews opposing the policy. Chapman retained Professor Charles Tiefer, one of the nation's leadingexperts on federal contracting law, to review the new SBA rule to determine ifthe SBA had the legal authority to propose a new rule that would be sodetrimental to small businesses.

"This proposed SBA change breaks the law by violatingCongress's statutory intent in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010,"Professor Tiefer stated in his comment. "The SBA does not give any marketdata or other persuasive reason for the elimination," adding that thisrule does exactly the opposite of what Congress intended and that if adoptedinto a final rule, "small businesses will be squeezed out of the federalmarketplace."

House Small Business Committee Chairman SamGraves joined Chapman in opposing the SBA's proposed policy.

"This latest SBA anti-small business policy is just thelatest example the ASBL is the only organization in the UnitedStates that opposes federal legislation andpolicies that could be harmful to small businesses. The ASBL is the onlyorganization to oppose the diversion of billions of dollars in federal smallbusiness contracts to Fortune 500 firms that has been uncovered in dozens offederal investigations and investigative reports in the media," Chapmanstated.

Chapman also launched a nationalcampaign to oppose a "sham" Pentagon program that cheated smallbusinesses out of billions of dollars and the SBA's "safe harbor from fraud" policy. In May, Lloyd Chapman was recognized by AmericanExpress as one of the four biggest voices for small businesses inWashington.

To view full press release, click here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lloyd-chapman-fills-void-in-washington-to-protect-small-business-programs-283062791.html