ISSA Leg. & Reg. Update – Menstrual Equity for All Act Reintroduced in Congress
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 reintroduction of the Menstrual Equity for All Act in Congress, an ISSA survey on period-product access, a free July 17 ISSA Advocacy update webinar; and more.
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ISSA Advocacy
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ISSA, NCEPP Support Reintroduction of Menstrual Equity for All Act
What it means: ISSA and the National Coalition to End Period Poverty (NCEPP) announced their support for the reintroduction of U.S. Representative Grace Meng’s (D-NY-06) Menstrual Equity for All Act (HR 3644), landmark legislation designed to ensure access to period products in schools, shelters, prisons, and workplaces across the United States.
Why it matters: The act would address the barriers that millions of Americans face to menstrual hygiene and promote increased access to products that are essential for public health, dignity, and participation in daily life.
Key provisions of the Menstrual Equity for All Act include requiring public schools to receive federal funding to provide free period products in bathrooms, ensuring access to period products in federal buildings and correctional facilities, and providing tax incentives to employers that offer free period products in the workplace.
What ISSA is doing: “ISSA is proud to support the Menstrual Equity for All Act because access to necessary hygiene products, especially period-care products, is fundamental to public health and human dignity,” said ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft. “Clean and accessible restrooms must include period products and disposal solutions—just like toilet paper and soap. This legislation aligns with the coalition’s mission to promote menstrual health and hygiene in every facility, for everyone.” Learn more
Last Chance – Share Your Insights on Period-Product Access
What it means: ISSA is conducting a short survey of facility managers to better understand facility needs and period-product availability.
Why it matters: Facility managers’ input will help us advocate for policies that increase access to menstrual-care products, dispensers, and disposal solutions in away-from-home venues.
What ISSA is doing: This ISSA survey will take less than five minutes to complete. Your responses will be confidential and, as a thank-you, you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of five US$100 gift cards. Take the survey now
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Free ISSA Webinar – Tariffs and Taxes and Training, Oh My
Why attend: Six months into a new Congress and the return of President Trump to office, we now have a clearer picture of policy changes that have and are likely to impact the industry. Join us for this free webinar at 12 pm CT on July 17 for an insider briefing on the top legislative and regulatory issues facing the cleaning and facilities-solutions industry. Learn more and register
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Voices for the Cleaning Industry
What it means: A record 140+ industry leaders hiked Capitol Hill to visit 170+ congressional offices representing 30+ states in April as part of ISSA’s 2025 Clean Advocacy Summit.
Why it matters: During these meetings, industry leaders helped provide members of Congress and their staff with a better understanding of our industry, tax reform, regulatory barriers, period poverty, as well as labor and training challenges.
Since meeting with our industry leaders, 14 U.S. Representatives and Senators (eight Republicans and five Democrats, with one Democrat signing onto two bills) have co-sponsored ISSA priority legislation. This shows how impactful in-person advocacy can be.
What ISSA is doing: If you feel inspired to be an influential voice for the industry, mark your calendar for the next ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, March 23-24, 2026! Learn more
Additional Updates
Judicial & Regulatory
Federal Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates Most Trump Tariffs
On May 28, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump does not have authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Power Act. The following day, a federal appeals court granted the Trump administration’s request to pause the lower court’s ruling. The pause will remain in effect until the appeals court can rule on the administration’s motion for a longer-term pause of the lower court decision, which could take until mid-June, Reuters reports. Learn more
Impact: The May 28 ruling overturned the 10% global tariffs, reciprocal tariffs on 60+ countries (which are currently paused until July 9), tariffs on China (currently paused until August 12), and retaliatory tariffs for the fentanyl crisis on Canada, Mexico, and China. This ruling does not impact tariffs imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, including 25% tariffs on automobiles and parts and 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum.
According to the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, the ruling will not impact the ability of Trump to impose new industry-specific tariffs that have been floated on pharmaceuticals, lumber and timber, critical minerals, smartphones, and other products. ISSA will continue to keep our members appraised as this and other related lawsuits progress.
Adapting Jan/San Vendor Agreements for Tariff Resilience
Recent tariffs could significantly increase the cost of some cleaning products and equipment, as well as cleaning-service charges impacting cleaning contractors and facility managers across the U.S., CleanLink reports. This challenge is addressed in a new white paper Navigating Tariffs and Policy Changes in Facility Management and Cleaning Services co-authored by Steve Ashkin, CEO of The Ashkin Group, and Dean Stanberry, Immediate Past Chair of IFMA. Learn more
Supreme Court: Trump Can Revoke Immigration Parole for 530K Migrants
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way–for now–for the Trump administration to revoke the provisional legal status of potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had been allowed to live and work in the United States while their immigration cases played out, according to The Washington Post. Learn more
Immigrants from those countries make up an outsize share of employment relative to their population in industries like janitorial services, potentially exacerbating current labor shortages in the industry. ISSA supports the creation of a non-seasonal program to help American companies supplement their U.S. workforce with temporary foreign workers.
SBA Launches New Portal to Help Firms Find US Manufacturers
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) introduced a new tool to help firms source goods closer to home. The Make Onshoring Great Again Portal is part of the Trump administration’s broader push to revive American manufacturing–one of the justifications it has offered for substantial new tariffs. The free database connects small businesses with more than one million U.S.-based suppliers.
The database pulls from three private platforms: IndustryNet, which tracks U.S. manufacturers; ThomasNet, a longtime industrial sourcing site; and CONNEX, built by Utah-based i5 Services, started as a state tool and later expanded nationally. The portal is new. The data isn’t. The SBA is betting that packaging it in one place will make a difference, Forbes reports. Learn more
Legislative
Non-flushables Wastewater Bill Continues to Advance
The bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act (S 1092), which would allow for federal preemption over state laws regulating “do not flush” labels, was reported out favorably by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. S 1092 now moves to the full Senate for consideration–a significant step toward passage. ISSA strongly supports this bill. Take action now
Trump Urges Senate to Get Tax Bill Done
President Trump wants his “big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts on his desk to be signed into law by the Fourth of July, and he’s urging the U.S. Senate to make this happen sooner rather than later. Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) at the White House last week and has been dialing senators for one-on-one chats, using “both the carrot and stick to nudge, badger and encourage them to act. But it’s still a long road ahead for the 1,000-page-plus package,” AP reports. Learn more
The tax bill that the House approved last month would expand qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include post-secondary training and credentialing, such as licenses and professional certifications like those used for cleaning workers. Using ISSA’s Advocacy Action Center, take a moment to remind your congressional delegation to include this provision as part of any 2025 tax package that Congress passes: take action now
State News
CA Revising Plastic Packaging EPR Regulations
California is retooling its extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations surrounding the recycling of plastic packaging, Yahoo/Sourcing Journal reports. The state’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is revamping SB 54, also known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. Learn more