News

ISSA LARU – Don’t Miss the Next Editions of ISSA’s Advocacy Webinar Series

Welcome to the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update, our biweekly roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the full spectrum of the cleaning industry. This update touches on timely and important ISSA advocacy webinars on July 21 and 28, the association’s new 2021 State Pesticide Registration Survey, ISSA urging Congress to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice Program, and more.

Want to stay informed about critical government affairs impacting the cleaning industry? Sign up here to have the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update emailed to you every other week!

ISSA Advocacy

Register for Parts 2 and 3 of ISSA’s July Advocacy Webinar Series!
There’s still time to register for Parts 2 and 3 of ISSA’s July Advocacy Webinar Series! Part 2—at 1:00 p.m. CT on July 21—focuses on what you need to know regarding PPE requirements and use. Part 3—at 1:00 p.m. CT on July 28—addresses changes to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard. Save your seat today!

ISSA 2021 State Pesticide Registration Survey Now Available
Since our last pesticide registration survey, seven states and one U.S. territory have or are likely to change their pesticide registration fees. Many states also continue to increase their enforcement actions for registration violations and registration authority references have been updated for more than 30 states.

ISSA Joins Coalition Urging Congress to Support EPA Safer Choice Program
ISSA signed on to a letter to Congress expressing strong support for the EPA Safer Choice Program. The association—a longtime supporter of the program—is one of 90 signatories that came together, representing a unique and broad group of manufacturers, brand owners, NGOs, states, and municipalities.

ISSA Calls on House to Support Key Elements of Trade Act of 2021
ISSA, as a member of Americans for Free Trade, a broad coalition of American businesses, trade organizations, and workers united against tariffs, sent a letter to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy expressing strong support for elements of the Trade Act of 2021 that were included in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S. 1260) that recently passed the Senate.

Regulatory

EPA Announces Path Forward for TSCA Chemical Risk Evaluations
The EPA announced important policy changes surrounding risk evaluations issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by the previous administration and the path forward for the first 10 chemicals to undergo risk evaluation.

EPA Responds to Supply-Chain Disruptions for Inert Ingredients
The EPA is taking action to alleviate a supply-chain issue facing the pesticide industry. The EPA is allowing registrants of non-antimicrobial pesticide products to substitute some combination of pre-approved alternate inert ingredients for inert ingredients derived from propylene oxide feedstocks that are in limited supply due to weather events that occurred in the Gulf Coast in February 2021.

EPA Gold Seal Webinar Now Available on Website
The EPA gold seal webinar that was held on June 14, 2021 is now available on the EPA’s website. “Gold seal letters” refer to certification letters issued by the EPA for registered disinfectants and other pesticides to prove that the relevant product is registered by the EPA in the U.S. when exported to another country. 

State News

Bonus Pay for Essential Workers Varied Widely across States
For putting their health on the line during the COVID-19 pandemic, prison guards in Missouri got an extra US$250 per paycheck; teachers in Georgia received $1,000 bonuses. And in Vermont, nurses, janitors, retail workers, and many others got as much as $2,000, AP reported.

Cities and States across the Country Implement Minimum Wage Increases
Minimum wage workers in three states and several major cities saw increases July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year for most state and local governments, according to CMM. 

South Carolina Governor Signs COVID-19 Liability Bill
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed the South Carolina COVID-19 Liability Safe Harbor Act, WIS News reported. The act provides protection for businesses, state agencies, and healthcare facilities that adhered to public health guidelines at the time a coronavirus-related claim arose. Dozens of other states have passed similar measures.

Oregon Lifts Parts of COVID-19 Workplace Rules
Oregon OSHA removed the facial covering and physical distancing requirements of its COVID-19 rule for all workplaces, with certain exceptions, including health care, public transit, and airports, according to News Channel 21.

Oregon Allows Tax Break for PPP Loan Recipients
Businesses that received forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans will receive a $450 million to $600 million break on their Oregon taxes because state lawmakers decided to allow a federal version of the break to be included in state law, The Oregonian reported.

Minnesota Will Begin Sending Tax Refunds for PPP Loans
Businesses that received forgivable payroll loans from the federal government and Minnesotans who got extra jobless benefits last year will begin seeing state tax refunds in the next few weeks after the legislature signed off on a tax relief package before ending their work, according to CBS Minnesota.

Maine Lawmakers Approve Landmark Recycling Reform Bill
Maine lawmakers passed a bill to regulate packaging materials by making private companies shoulder the cost to dispose of waste, such as plastic, paper, and cardboard, and improve the state’s recycling programs, the Portland Press Herald reported.

New Jersey Lawmakers Advance Recycled-Content Mandate
A bill establishing minimum post-consumer recycled plastic use in containers and bags was recently approved by the New Jersey Senate, according to Plastics Recycling Update.