News

ISSA LARU—Register for Cleaning Products: A Regulatory Update

Welcome 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 an upcoming ISSA-HCPA regulatory workshop, the tight labor market that continues to challenge the cleaning industry, the possible early ending of the employee retention tax credit, and more.

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ISSA Advocacy

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, covering the latest regulatory issues that impact the manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and sale of household and commercial cleaning products. This event will be conducted in conjunction with ISSA Show North America 2021.

Cutting the Labor Gordian Knot
In this article, ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft examines the tight labor market that continues to challenge the entire cleaning industry. Many forces, including increased minimum wages and the absence of immigration reform, remain at play while additional pressures related to COVID-19 have made finding employees even harder.

Legislative

Senate Infrastructure Bill Ends COVID-19-Era Business Tax Break Early
The U.S. Senate’s US$1 trillion infrastructure package would end the employee retention tax credit three months early, on October 1, 2021, instead of January 1, 2022, according to CNBC. The refundable credit, a COVID-19-era payroll tax break for ailing businesses, offers up to $7,000 per worker per quarter in 2021.

Regulatory

SBA Streamlines Forgiveness Process for Most PPP Loans
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published new guidance designed to simplify and speed up the forgiveness process for businesses and nonprofits with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $150,000 or less, the Journal of Accountancy reported.

DOL Rescinds Narrow Definition of Joint Employer
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will rescind the March 2020 rule on Joint Employer Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL’s action removes the regulations established by the 2020 rule and will become effective on September 28, 2021. Franchisors are more likely to have liability in labor violations as a result, according to QSR.

Revised OSHA Safety Resources Available for Small Businesses
Cleaning companies and other small businesses can gain workplace safety and health information from a revised handbook put out by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CMM reported.

Government Has Forgiven Nearly $400B in Pandemic Relief Loans
The federal government has forgiven about $400 billion in pandemic relief loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, according to The Hill. 

U.S. Trade Deficit Widened to Record $75.7 Billion in June
The U.S. trade deficit widened to a record in June, consistent with a rush by domestic importers to meet business investment and household spending, Bloomberg News reported. The gap in trade of goods and services grew 6.7% to $75.7 billion, according to U.S. Commerce Department data.

State News

California Moving Forward with Pesticide Registration Fee Increase
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) plans to move forward with the regulation changes “necessary for the pesticide registration fees to cover the cost of the entire registration program.” The fee for each application to register a new pesticide product or amend a registered pesticide product will remain the same at $1,150 and $25, respectively. The fee for each pesticide product’s annual renewal will increase to $1,525. DPR intended to file the emergency regulation with the Office of Administrative Law on August 10, 2021, at which time a five-day public comment period begins that would end on August 15, 2021. Thereafter, DPR will respond to public comments received. The emergency regulations are proposed to become effective September 1, 2021.

Panel Weighs COVID-19 Bonuses for Minnesota Frontline Workers
Health care, school, and food workers who risked their lives at the height of the pandemic made their case for part of the $250 million in COVID-19 relief funds that Minnesota plans to allocate as bonuses to essential frontline workers, AP reported.

Drive to Charge Packagers for Recycling
States across the U.S. are looking to adopt new recycling regimes that require producers of packaging to pay for its inevitable disposal, but industry is “digging in to try to halt the movement,” according to AP.