News
ISSA LARU—EPA Updates Safer Chemical Ingredients List
August 27, 2021Welcome to the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update (LARU), our biweekly roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the full spectrum of the cleaning industry. This update touches on the U.S. Senate recently passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill, two new ISSA Government Affairs Advisory Committee (GAAC) members, a November 15 ISSA-HCPA regulatory workshop, and more.
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ISSA Advocacy
ISSA Statement on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passed by Senate
The U.S. Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bipartisan 69-30 vote on the bill represented a breakthrough that has eluded lawmakers and presidents for years, despite both political parties identifying infrastructure as a priority. The package focuses on investments in roads, railways, bridges, and broadband internet and calls for US$550 billion in new spending over five years.
ISSA Announces Two New Government Affairs Advisory Committee Members
ISSA is pleased to announce two new members of its Government Affairs Advisory Committee (GAAC), Ryan S. Bowley from SJ Johnson Professional and Keith Schneringer from WAXIE Sanitary Supply, an Envoy Solutions company. The GAAC is an important part of ISSA’s investment in and the expansion of its advocacy efforts.
Register for ISSA-HCPA Event – Cleaning Products: A Regulatory Update
Stay ahead of the regulatory curve! Register today to participate in Cleaning Products: A Regulatory Update, a one-day, hybrid workshop, November 15, 2021, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This workshop will cover the latest regulatory issues that impact the manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and sale of household and commercial cleaning products.
Regulatory
EPA Updates Safer Chemical Ingredients List
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added 36 chemicals to the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL). The SCIL is a living list of chemicals by functional-use class that EPA’s Safer Choice program has evaluated and determined meet Safer Choice criteria.
Essential Workers Will Be Eligible for COVID-19 Booster Shots This Fall
Frontline workers who were among the first Americans to receive COVID-19 vaccinations will be eligible for booster shots as early as September 20, pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signoff, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported.
DOJ Supports Employers’ Right to Mandate Vaccines Approved for Emergency Use
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memorandum stating that private businesses and public entities are not prohibited from mandating COVID-19 vaccines that have only received approval for use under an emergency use authorization. The memorandum helps settle any remaining legal debate and affirms that employers may lawfully require employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, according to The National Law Review.
OSHA Updates Coronavirus Guidance to Stress Masks
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued updated guidance that recommends even fully vaccinated workers wear masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported.
State News
Oregon Governor Signs Packaging EPR Bill
Oregon will overhaul components of its recycling system and will make packaging producers partially responsible for funding recycling of their products. It’s the second U.S. state to approve such a law, Resource Recycling reported.
Governments Doling out Bonuses for Public Employees, ‘Gratitude Grants’ for Grocery Workers
For public sector and service workers, COVID-19 fatigue took its toll. Now states and localities are saying “thank you” using American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to Route Fifty.
Puerto Rico Legislature Approves Staggered Minimum Wage Hike
On January 1, 2022, the first phase of the increase in the hourly minimum wage, from 7.25 to $8.50, will come into force in Puerto Rico, The Weekly Journal reported.