Non-Retaliation Policy

All FSIS personnel, particularly those who make regulatory and enforcement decisions, are not to retaliate in any way against establishment owners, operators, or employees who have questioned or appealed regulatory or enforcement decisions. FSIS personnel who have engaged in retaliatory behavior may be subject to disciplinary action. (See also FSIS Directive 4735.7, PDF Only)

Small Business Protection Laws

• Small Business Act (SBA)
• Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA) (Contains amendments to APA, SBA, and RFA)
• Small Business Administration

FSIS Headquarters SBREFA Contacts

• Dr. Dwayne Blakeney, OFO (202) 720-7378
• Victoria Levine, OPPD (202) 692-0159 
• John Linville, OPPD (402) 305-7240
• Scott Safian, OIEA (202) 418-8921

Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of National Ombudsman

Small business owners may contact the Office of National Ombudsman at 1-888-REGFAIR (1-888-734-3247) or www.sba.gov/ombudsman regarding the fairness of the compliance and enforcement actions of FSIS.  Please note: FSIS-regulated establishments must use the formal FSIS appeal process to challenge a regulatory decision. The National Ombudsman cannot change, stop, or delay a Federal agency enforcement action. The National Ombudsman can, however, serve as a liaison between small business owners and Federal agencies to discuss the fairness of a regulatory action.

Appealing FSIS Regulatory Decisions

Federally inspected establishments have the ability to appeal any inspection decision through the use of the Agency's appeal process. FSIS encourages plant owners/operators to appeal decisions they believe are unfair or are not consistent with applicable regulatory standards. Use of the appeal process ensures that any disagreements between plant owners/operators and FSIS inspection program personnel are reviewed. Additional information regarding how to utilize the appeal process may be found by accessing: Appealing Inspection Decisions.

 Use of the appeal process ensures that any disagreements between plant owners/operators and FSIS inspection program personnel are reviewed and consistent with applicable regulatory standards.