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ISSA Advocacy Recap—Tell Congress to Pass the Healthy Workplaces Act
March 26, 2021
Welcome to the ISSA Advocacy Recap, our regular roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the cleaning industry. This week’s recap touches on the importance of ISSA members telling Congress to pass the Healthy Workplaces Act, Senate passage of legislation extending the deadline for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications, the reintroduction of a bill to expand 529 saving plans to cover the costs of certain workforce training and credentialing programs, and more.
Tell Congress to Pass the Healthy Workplaces Act
Next week, during National Cleaning Week, more than 100 cleaning industry leaders are meeting with their congressional delegations and asking them to pass a healthy and safe workplace tax credit as part of ISSA’s virtual Clean Advocacy Summit. Reinforce the advocacy of your colleagues and make your voice heard — take a moment to email, call, and/or tweet your congressional delegation using ISSA’s Action Center to urge passage of the Healthy Workplaces Act. A healthy and safe workplace tax credit has bipartisan and bicameral support, as well as support from 50+ trade associations representing a cross-section of our economy.
PPP Loan Program Deadline Extended to May 31
By a 92-7 margin, the U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday extending until May 31 the deadline for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications, USA Today reported. The popular U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program was scheduled to sunset Wednesday, a timeline that could have prevented some 190,000 small businesses that have pending PPP applications from securing a loan. The PPP Extension Act of 2021 also gives the SBA an additional 30 days beyond May 31 to process those loans. The House-passed measure now goes to U.S. President Joe Biden for his expected signature.
Spanberger, Upton Introduce Bill to Expand 529 Savings Plans
U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) reintroduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to help more students and workers afford high-quality workforce training and credentialing programs. Spanberger’s legislation—the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act—would give individuals the ability to use their 529 savings plans to cover the costs of certain workforce training and credentialing programs. Additionally, the bill would allow students to use their 529 funds to pay for associated costs related to certification exams and maintenance of certification credentials. Right now, only colleges, vocational schools, universities, or other post-secondary institutions are considered an eligible 529 education savings plan expense. Spanberger co-led the introduction of the legislation alongside U.S. Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI-06), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01). A companion bill in the U.S. Senate is led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Braun (R-IN).
Other links of interest
