News

ISSA LARU—Get Ready for MoCRA!

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 a June 22 ISSA webinar on MoCRA, VOC regulation revisions in Michigan and Colorado, increased access to menstrual care products in Canada, and more.

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ISSA Advocacy

Manufacturers & Distributors: Get Ready for MoCRA!
If you’re a manufacturer or distributor of body washes, cleansing wipes, or other “cosmetic” products, then you must attend the ISSA webinar, Get Ready for MoCRA!, June 22, 12-1 pm CT. In December 2022, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) was enacted, representing the first major amendment to the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetics Act since its enactment in 1938. MoCRA fundamentally changes the way that body washes, cleansing wipes, and other “cosmetic” products are regulated in the United States. Learn more & register

Michigan, Colorado Revise VOC Regulations
State Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) regulations are in a constant state of flux, as demonstrated by Michigan and Colorado, which both recently revised their VOC regulations with consequences for the formulations of numerous household and commercial cleaning products. Learn more

Canada Ensures Workplace Access to Menstrual Products
Canadian Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr. announced that, as of December 15, 2023, all federally regulated employers in Canada will be required to make menstrual products available to employees at no cost while they are in the workplace. Learn more

ISSA’s May Period Project Update – Get Ready for Period Poverty Week!
This May Period Project Update from ISSA will keep you up to date on the association’s efforts to end period poverty through advocacy and education. Learn more

How the Cleaning Industry Is Advocating for an End to Period Poverty
Time is running out to join ISSA and the ISSA Hygieia Network for the webinar How the Cleaning Industry Is Advocating for an End to Period Poverty, 1 pm-2 pm CT on May 25. During this free webinar, you will learn how period poverty impacts the industry and how ISSA is addressing this important issue. Learn more & register

Register Now – 14th Antimicrobial Workshop
Save your seat for the 14th Antimicrobial Workshop, June 7-8 in Arlington, VA! The Antimicrobial Workshop is the single event where you can learn from credible sources about the latest policy changes, regulatory developments, and legislative updates that directly impact the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of disinfectants, sanitizers, preservatives, and other antimicrobial pesticides. Learn more & register

Legislative

Legislation to Eliminate Non-Flushables from Wastewater Infrastructure Introduced
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D) teamed up with Maine’s Senator Susan Collins (R) and Representatives Mary Peltola (D-AK) and Lisa McClain (R-MI) to introduce the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, International Fiber Journal reported. This bipartisan, bicameral bill, which ISSA supports, aims to address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes. Learn more

Senators Optimistic They Can Keep Rail Safety Bill on Track
Three months after the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, U.S. senators are optimistic that they can pass a bipartisan rail-safety bill to prevent similar disasters, according to The Hill. A bipartisan group of senators are attempting to pass legislation that would establish safety requirements for trains with hazardous material cargo after a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in the eastern Ohio community in February. Learn more

Regulatory

USTR Extends Some COVID Exclusions from China Tariffs, Select Committee Hearing
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that 77 of the 81 COVID-related exclusions from China Section 301 Tariffs will be extended until September 30, 2023. The Federal Register notice with additional information is available here. Also, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party will hold a hearing on Wednesday, May 17 at 6 pm CT – Leveling the Playing Field: How to Counter the Chinese Communist Party’s Economic Aggression. Former USTR Robert Lighthizer will be one of the witnesses during the hearing.

Migrant Crossings Decrease after Title 42 Expires
Migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen since Title 42 curbs expired and reinstating criminal penalties for illegal entry is likely the primary reason, the Biden administration said and Reuters reported. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that border patrol agents have seen a 50% decrease in the number of migrants crossing the border since Thursday, when President Joe Biden’s administration shifted to a new asylum regulation meant to deter illegal crossings. Learn more

NY Maintenance Company Charged with Wage Theft
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it has recovered more than US$333,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 51 employees of a Lindenhurst, New York maintenance company, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. Learn more

OSHA Launches Program to Prevent Falls
On May 1, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a National Emphasis Program of outreach and enforcement for falls from height across all industries, BLR.com reported. Learn more

NLRB Makes It More Difficult for Employers to Take Action against Employees for Abusive Conduct
On May 1, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision that makes it more difficult for employers to discipline or discharge employees for offensive or abusive conduct while engaged in activity that is protected by the National Labor Relations Act, according to JD Supra. Learn more

Labor Department Crunched for Time to Finish Regulations
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is “running out of time to finish some of its highest-profile labor policy changes, putting several regulations at risk of being sidelined or completely undone,” Bloomberg Law reported. With roughly a year and a half left in the Biden administration’s term, at least three major DOL rules haven’t yet been finalized: one updating prevailing wage rates paid to workers on federally-funded projects, one outlining independent contractor status under federal wage laws, and another that sets when salaried workers are due overtime pay. Learn more

State News

MN Conference Committee Passes PFAS Provisions
The conference committee for Minnesota HF 2310 passed the A68 amendment, which contains all of the House PFAS provisions (Reporting, Product Bans, 2032 all out ban, AFFF ban, MCLs, HRL for PFOS, Firefighter Turnout Gear Report, and Manufacturers Fee Report). The only exemptions that were included were for FDA-regulated medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides [still must report to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA), just no ban or testing]. You can view the full agreement list here. Governor Walz does not have line-item veto power on policy issues in the omnibus bills, only appropriations. It is likely that he will sign the bill as is. ISSA will continue to closely monitor and advocate on this issue, including working with the PCA as they begin implementation and advocating on behalf of our members into the next legislative session. Learn more

States Aim to Hold Companies More Responsible for Hard-to-Recycle Packaging
A widely watched bill in Washington State that would have required companies to cover the costs of recycling paper and plastic packaging failed in committee last month, Route Fifty reported. But similar legislation is moving forward in other parts of the country. These recycling bills shift the financial burden of recycling to the producers of materials that are more difficult to recycle. Learn more