The Office of Small Business Advocacy shall:

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1.  Refer a small business with an inquiry relating to any aspect of starting, operating or winding up a small business to an appropriate resource to assist the small business;

2.  Work with small businesses and local governments to:

(a) Facilitate interactions between a small business and a local government, including, without limitation, resolving issues that arise in the administrative, regulatory and enforcement functions of the local government with respect to small businesses; and

(b) Identify and recommend any improvement to the processes and functions of local governments with respect to interactions between small businesses and local governments, including, without limitation, by conducting general studies, holding conferences and meetings and making inquiries;

3.  Assist state agencies with regulatory authority over small businesses to ensure a small business is able to provide comment or feedback on any interaction the small business has with a state agency; and

4.  Coordinate with state agencies to:

(a) Facilitate interactions between small businesses and state agencies;

(b) Develop processes that ensure a small business receives a timely response to any inquiry or request made to a state agency;

(c) Resolve issues that arise in the administrative, regulatory or enforcement functions of a state agency with respect to small businesses; and

(d) Identify and recommend efficient, responsive and nonretaliatory procedures for:

(1) Receiving comments or feedback from a small business regarding an interaction with a state agency;

(2) Promoting and facilitating the participation of a small business in general studies, conferences, inquiries and meetings that would improve the function of a state agency with regulatory authority over small businesses;

(3) Identifying causes of unnecessary delays, inconsistencies and inefficient uses of state resources in the administrative, regulatory and enforcement functions of a state agency with respect to small businesses; and

(4) Making recommendations for resolving an issue or dispute that arises from an interaction between a state agency and a small business.