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 the 2023-2024 ISSA Advocacy Fund Impact Report, supporting training for essential cleaning workers, a free introductory ISSA webinar on the regulation of cleaning products, more.

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Happy Fourth of July from your ISSA Government Affairs Team!

ISSA Advocacy

View the Latest ISSA Advocacy Fund Impact Report; Contribute to the Fund
This past year, ISSA Advocacy Fund (IAF) contributions assisted ISSA in getting the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act introduced in Congress and securing bipartisan support for this legislation to create a year-round, non-seasonal temporary worker program. Other IAF highlights this past year included increasing access to period products in seven states; recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year; securing 26 federal, state, and municipal Cleaning Week proclamations as part of International Cleaning Week 2024; and more.

In the coming year, your ISSA Government Affairs Team will advocate for public policies that:

• Address labor shortages in the cleaning industry
• Protect workers rather than using arbitrary square footage production caps
• Incentivize healthy and safe workplaces
• Ensure that regulations for cleaning products are based on science
• End period poverty

But we need your help. With the presidency, 468 congressional seats (33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats), and 11 gubernatorial races all in play this November, now is the time to strengthen the voice of the cleaning industry. Please contribute to the IAF, so that we can continue our important work on behalf of the full cleaning supply chain. Contributions in any amount are welcome; benefits start at $50. Learn more and contribute

Take Action: Tell Congress to Support Training for Essential Workers
Take a moment to email, post on X, and/or call your congressional delegation to request their support for the bipartisan, bicameral Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (HR 1477/S 722), which would help essential cleaning professionals get trained and certified. This bill would expand qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include post-secondary training and credentialing, such as licenses and professional certifications for cleaning workers. Learn more and take action

ISSA Webinar: Introduction to the Regulation of Chemical Cleaning Products
Join ISSA’s free webinar Introduction to the Regulation of Chemical Cleaning Products in the USA on July 31 to gain a clear understanding of the key federal regulations that impact chemical-based cleaning products. This webinar will provide an overview of the major laws that govern labeling and how manufacturers communicate potential hazards related to various cleaning-product categories. Learn more and register

Period Positive Workplace See Positive Impact on Employees
On May 28, the Period Positive Workplace (PPW) Initiative was launched. This worldwide program encourages work spaces and facilities to provide access to menstrual products for employees. To date, PPW has recruited 173 Period Positive Workplaces across 40 countries. Learn more

Take the ISSA Period Friendly Restroom Survey
Far too few facilities consider the impact of their students and others being left unprepared if their period comes unexpectedly. ISSA’s survey—Are Your Restrooms Period Friendly?—aims to assess if facilities are implementing period-care dispenser and disposal solutions in their bathrooms, and if not, why they have not. Learn more and take the survey

Thank you to the following ISSA member companies for their recent contributions to the ISSA Advocacy Fund:

• Monahan Partners, IAF Advocate
• You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia, IAF Advocate
• Imperial Dade, IAF Promoter

Judicial

TX Federal Court Delays Effective Date of DOL’s New Overtime Rule as Applied to TX as an Employer
A judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas blocked the enforcement of the new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rule to raise the minimum salary thresholds for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s white-collar overtime exemptions against the state of Texas, Ogletree Deakins reports. The ruling comes just days before the first increase was set to take effect on July 1. While the injunction is limited to the state of Texas as an employer (public employees of the state), the court consolidated a number of other cases signaling further relief could be imminent. Learn more

Supreme Court Curbs Power of Federal Government
The U.S. Supreme Court significantly weakened the power of federal agencies to approve regulations in a major decision that could have sweeping implications for the environment, public health, and workplaces, according to CNN. Learn more

Supreme Court Thwarts NLRB’s Attempt to Ease Burden of Obtaining Injunctive Relief
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision reining in the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in its use of 10(j) injunctions against employers, The National Law Review reports. The court ruled that the NLRB must prove it will likely succeed on the merits of a case before obtaining a 10(j) injunction, forcing the agency to meet the same standard required in all other legal proceedings. Learn more

Regulatory

IRS: The Vast Majority of Pandemic-Credit Claims Likely Improper
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said that a review of one million claims for the Employee Retention Credit representing US$86 billion shows that the “vast majority” are at risk of being improper, AP reports. Learn more

State and Other News

New CO Law Bans Sale of Household Products Containing PFAS
Starting in 2026, the sale of certain cleaning products, cookware, dental floss, menstruation products, and ski wax that contain PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals,” will be banned in the state of Colorado. Learn more here and here

DC to See Major Minimum-Wage Hike This Week
There is a significant change regarding minimum wage in DC and Montgomery County, Maryland this week, ABC News reports. Today, July 1, the minimum wage in Montgomery County goes up to US$17.15 an hour. For small to mid-sized employers with a staff of 11-50, the rate increases by 50 cents to $15.50 per hour. In the District, the minimum wage jumps even higher, to $17.50 an hour. The minimum wage also increased in Oregon and Nevada on July 1. Learn more

CA Delays Healthcare Worker Minimum-Wage Increase
California lawmakers agreed to delay a minimum-wage increase for about 426,000 healthcare workers to help balance the state’s budget, according to AP. The agreement between Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders is part of a larger plan to close an estimated US$46.8 billion shortfall–the second year in a row that the nation’s most populous state has had a multibillion-dollar deficit. Learn more

ILA Halts Negotiations with USMX Amid Automation Disputes
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) announced the suspension of talks with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) scheduled for June 11. This decision arose amid ongoing negotiations of local agreements under the coast-wide Master Contract, which covers 45,000 dockworkers at three-dozen ports stretching from Maine to Texas and is set to expire on September 30, 2024. Learn more