The International Franchise Associations Public Affairs Conference occurred early last week, assembling over 300 franchisees, franchisors and suppliers in the franchise industry to discuss issues affecting small businesses in the United States. The attendees also met with over 200 lawmakers to bring the importance of franchising to their attention and to spotlight certain issues supported by the IFA’s FranPac.

The conference reported that the franchise industry creates over 8 million jobs and that one out of every 12 businesses is a franchise. The issues the IFA’s political action committee (FranPac) supports includes changing the definition of full time worker in the Affordable Care Act from a person working 30 hours a week to one working 40 hours a week. This effects how the 50 worker requirement for compliance with the ACA is calculated. For more information on this issue, visit this IFA-sponsored website.

Other issues include the promotions of the Legal Workforce Act, including promoting uniformity for the E-Verify system at the federal level and a safe harbor for businesses that follow the procedures for this system. Also, promotion of efforts to produce revenue neutral comprehensive tax reform and efforts to make franchising more accessible to our veterans through the Veterans Own Franchises Act and the Franchise Education for Veterans Act.