Welcome to the latest ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update, a biweekly roundup of the public policy issues currently impacting the full cleaning supply chain. This update touches on Mayor Lightfoot proclaiming an official week of cleaning in Chicago, the upcoming free ISSA webinar on preparing for National Cleaning Week, the 2023 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, and more.

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ISSA Advocacy

Chicago Proclaims an Official Cleaning Week – Will Your City?
ISSA thanks Mayor Lori Lightfoot for proclaiming an official Cleaning Week in the City of Chicago as part of National Cleaning Week, March 26-April 1–a time when the entire cleaning industry celebrates the value of clean. Help ISSA raise awareness about the industry by submitting a proclamation to designate an official week of cleaning for your state and/or city. Nearly every state and major city has an online proclamation form or process that a resident of that state or city can use to submit a proclamation request free of charge. ISSA has already written a template proclamation, but we need your help submitting proclamation requests by February 17. Learn more

It’s Not Too Late to Register: How to Leverage National Cleaning Week
How will your business recognize your employees, thank your customers, and demonstrate the value of clean during National Cleaning Week, March 26-April 1? Get ideas and jumpstart your planning for this week dedicated to the cleaning industry by registering now for this free ISSA webinar from 12 pm to 1 pm CT on Wednesday, February 22. Learn more

ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit | Cleaning and Cocktails Live 2023 Coming to Washington, DC!
ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft speaks with Ricardo Regalado, CEO/Founder of Route and Rozalado, about the 2023 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, March 28-29, and Cleaning & Cocktails Live 2023, March 30. Both events will be held in the Washington, DC area in conjunction with National Cleaning Week. Learn more and register

ISSA Period Project Update – A Flurry of Legislative Action
The latest ISSA Period Project Update keeps you up to date on the association’s efforts to end period poverty through advocacy and education. We encourage you to sign up for this monthly communication. Learn more

Legislative

Bill Introduced to Improve Interstate Trucking
Truck drivers would be eligible for up to US$10,000 in tax credits, along with training incentives, as part of new bipartisan legislation aimed at retaining and recruiting drivers. The Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act, introduced by U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Jim Costa (D-CA), also incorporates truck parking funding and an hours-of-service exemption for livestock haulers—measures long sought by drivers and carriers. The lawmakers called the bill a “sweeping overhaul of the interstate trucking supply chain system.” Johnson sees the legislation as an extension of last year’s Ocean Shipping Reform Act, Freight Waves reported. Learn more

Regulatory

EPA Adjusts Annual Pesticide Registration Maintenance Fee
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its Annual Pesticide Registration Maintenance Fees webpage, including fee tables, to reflect the revised fiscal year 2023 maintenance fee announced on January 13. Learn more

Dollar General Cited for OSHA Violations Again
Federal investigators again found that Dollar General, one of the nation’s largest discount retailers, continues to expose workers and others to dangerous conditions at its stores, this time at a location in West Lafayette, Ohio, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. Learn more

Feds Allege Rigging $140M in Cleaning Deals
Federal investigators accused three San Antonio businessmen of using bribes to secure janitorial and housekeeping contracts totaling US$140 million for U.S. military health care facilities, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. Learn more

SEC Considers Easing Climate-Disclosure Rules 
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering a softening of planned rules requiring companies to disclose the effects of extreme weather and other costs related to global warming when the regulator completes its climate-change proposals, Fox Business reported. Learn more

State News

EPR Top Recycling Issue for State Policymakers
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging and other materials are once again a top priority for many states, and each year it has become increasingly common to see such bills introduced. In 2023, more states are expected to introduce EPR bills that also are a vehicle for promoting larger circular economy strategies, such as recycled content mandates, Waste Dive reported. Learn more

Michigan Court Halts Minimum Wage Increase
A move in the 2018 Michigan legislature to “weaken” minimum wage and sick leave laws was declared constitutional by an appeals court, reversing a lower court’s ruling last year that would have increased the minimum wage in the state by nearly US$3 in February, according to AP. Learn more

State Bills Address Workers’ Comp Issues
Legislation recently introduced in Mississippi and New York are designed to address issues with workers’ compensation and could potentially pave the way for more lawsuits by injured workers, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. Learn more