News

ISSA LARU—PRIA 5 Included in Passed Omnibus Package

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 ISSA-supported PRIA 5 being signed into law, a free webinar on January 18 explaining PRIA 5, submitting a Cleaning Week proclamation request for your state, and more.

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

And be sure to check out the latest installment of our video series, Cleaning Is Essential, with ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft, to learn more about the top three advocacy issues impacting the cleaning industry right now.

ISSA Advocacy

ISSA-Supported Pesticide Registration Improvement Act Included in Passed Omnibus Package
ISSA announced that congressional reauthorization of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5) is included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed into law in December 2022. Passage of PRIA 5 represents a major legislative victory for ISSA and the cleaning industry. Learn more

Invitation to PRIA 5 Webinar
Please join the PRIA Steering Committee from 10 am to 11 am CT on Wednesday, January 18 for a free webinar on the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5), which was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 on December 29, 2022. PRIA Coalition Coordinator Laurie Flanagan, Executive Vice President at DC Legislative & Regulatory Services; PRIA Coalition Acting Chair Megan Provost, President of RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment); and other PRIA Coalition Members will provide a summary of PRIA 5–providing an overview of the legislation, highlighting changes to existing law, and updating on the implementation timeline going forward. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during the webinar. Please contact Laurel Lee Chatham, Policy Coordinator at RISE, with any webinar registration questions that you may have. Learn more.

Help ISSA Submit a Cleaning Week Proclamation to Your State
March 26-April 1 is National Cleaning Week–a time when the entire cleaning industry celebrates the value of clean. Help ISSA raise awareness about the industry by submitting a proclamation to designate an official week of cleaning for your state. Nearly every state has an online proclamation form or process that a resident of that state can use to submit a proclamation request free of charge. ISSA has already written a template proclamation, but we need your help submitting proclamation requests by February 17. Help us reach our goal of designating a cleaning week in all 50 states. If you’re interested in helping ISSA with this campaign and/or have questions regarding National Cleaning Week, please contact ISSA Government Affairs Manager Stacy Seiden. Learn more.

ISSA Webinar: How to Leverage National Cleaning Week
March 26-April 1 is National Cleaning Week, a time when the entire cleaning supply chain celebrates the value of clean! How will your business recognize your employees, thank your customers, and demonstrate the value of clean during this week dedicated to the industry? Get ideas and jumpstart your planning for National Cleaning Week by participating in this free ISSA webinar from 12 pm to 1 pm CT on Wednesday, February 22. Learn more

Join Your Industry Colleagues for the 2023 Clean Advocacy Summit
Hear what your cleaning industry colleagues and leaders have to say about the ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit in this latest ISSA media video. And register now for the 2023 summit, March 28-29, as part of National Cleaning Week! Learn more

ISSA Releases Best Practices for Menstrual Care in Public Restrooms
ISSA released its Best Practices for Menstrual Care Solutions in Public Restrooms. The document provides cleaning professionals, architects, employers, facility managers, governments, and others with guidelines to create a clean, healthy, and positive restroom experience for customers, employees, and students who menstruate. Learn more

ISSA Period Project Update – Inaugural Edition
The ISSA Period Project Update will keep you up to date on the association’s efforts to end period poverty through our advocacy and education. We encourage you to share this information and get others involved with our campaign to advance period dignity. Learn more

Legislative

Bill Introduced to Expand Access to Menstrual Products
U.S. Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sean Casten (D-IL) introduced the Period PROUD (Providing Resources to Our Underserved and Disadvantaged) Act of 2022 to expand accessibility to menstrual products for those with limited access. The Period PROUD Act would provide funding through the Social Services Block Grant program to remove cost barriers to menstrual products and educate school officials on how to best communicate with students in need of these products. Learn more

What Congress Did for Waste and Recycling in 2022
Lawmakers made progress on multiple waste initiatives in 2022, including language in the recent budget, but bipartisan bills passed by the Senate didn’t make it and a key U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nomination is stalled, Waste Dive reported. Learn more

Regulatory

EPA Releases Interim Efficacy Guidance, Test Methods for Disinfecting Soft Surfaces
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued for public comment its interim efficacy guidance and test methods for registering products used to kill viruses and bacteria in clinical and institutional settings on soft surfaces such as upholstery, mattress covers, and privacy curtains. EPA’s interim guidance and methods are available for public comment for 30 days at docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0337 at www.regulations.gov. Learn more

EPA New Guidance Available: Indoor Air Sensor Technology
Advances in air sensor technology and its availability in the consumer marketplace is changing the landscape of indoor air quality management. Learn more about this technology by reviewing the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) consumer guidance on Air Sensor Technology and Indoor Air Quality and Low-Cost Air Pollution Monitors and Indoor Air Quality. This guidance was developed to help consumers better understand air sensor technology and the indoor use of low-cost air pollution monitors. Learn more

DOL Targets May for Updated Overtime Rule
After the timeline slipped from last fall, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) now anticipates issuing a new rule on overtime pay exemptions in May 2023 that is likely to expand the pool of American workers that are eligible for overtime pay, ASAE reported. Learn more

Key U.S. Labor Policies Face Legal Challenges in 2023
The Biden administration and the U.S. labor board will implement a series of major employment policies in 2023 related to worker classification, joint employment, union elections, and more, but could be stymied by challenges from business groups and states that have criticized the measures, according to Reuters. Learn more

FMC Examines Shipping Line Compliance on Anti-Retaliation
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission is asking major shipping lines to provide information on how they will work to prevent retaliation against shippers, one of the provisions of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 signed into law last year, Supply Chain Dive reported. ISSA strongly supported this legislation. Learn more

FTC to Review Green Guides for Plastics Recyclability
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to issue a notice in the Federal Register seeking input on updating its Green Guides, according to The National Law Review. The FTC’s notice seeks input on a number of areas addressed by the current guides, which were last updated in 2012. The agency will accept comments as soon as the notice is published in the Federal Register and for 60 days thereafter. Learn more

State News

States Raising Minimum Wages This Year
A total of 26 states announced that higher minimum wages will be introduced during 2023, with one more state likely to see an adjustment in July, according to CNBC. Learn more; know the minimum wage in your state

NJ Senate Passes Free Menstrual Product Bill for Public Schools
New Jersey public schools would have to provide free menstrual products for students and would be reimbursed accordingly by the state under a proposed law, the Patch reported. Learn more