Size Standards: Proposals for NAICS 51 and 56 SBA is proposing to increase size standards for most companies in NAICS Sector 51, information, and Sector 56, administrative and support, waste management and remediation services. The changes would enable many companies to hang on to small business status longer, but would allow few additional companies to claim eligibility. As in previous rounds of its ongoing size standards review, SBA proposes dramatic increases in some industries while leaving others unchanged. (For a list of proposed standards, see the upper left corner of our home page at www.setasidealert.com.) Sector 56 Standards would rise for 37 of 44 industries in Sector 56. The proposed rule does not change the $7 million standard for 561110, office administrative services, or the $35.5 million standard for 562110, facilities support services. But in many cases the increases are massive: NAICS 561311, employment placement agencies, would go to $25.5 million from the present $7 million; 562111, solid waste collection, to $35.5 million from $12.5 million. Only modest increases are proposed for NAICS 561612, security guard services, to $19 million from the current $18.5 million; and 562910, remediation services, to $19 million from the current $14 million. (Environmental remedia-tion services is a separate category, with a size standard of 500 employees. SBA plans to review employee-based standards later.) SBA estimates the new standards would make only 2,700 additional companies eligible for small business status, not quite 1% of the total number of firms in Sector 56. Sector 51 Standards would increase for 15 of 20 industries in Sector 51. NAICS 518210, data processing, hosting and related services, would rise to $30 million from the present $25 million. NAICS 511210, software publishing, would go to $35.5 million from the present $25 million. SBA estimates that only about 500 firms will gain small business status as a result of the change, about 1.2% of the firms in Sector 51. The proposed rule for Sector 51 is RIN 3245-AF26; for Sector 56, RIN 3245-AF27. Comments are due by Dec. 12. SBA’s semiannual regulatory agenda estimated that the final rule for NAICS sector 54, covering professional, scientific and technical services, would be issued in November. According to the agency’s timetable, the next proposals to be released will be for Sector 62, Health Care and Social Assistance Services Industries; Sector 53, Real Estate, Rental and Leasing Industries; and Sector 61, Educational Services Industries.