News

ISSA LARU—Registration Now Open for 14th Antimicrobial Workshop

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 14th Antimicrobial Workshop, a free PRIA 5 workshop, the most recent ISSA Period Project Update, and more.

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ISSA Advocacy

Registration Now Open – 14th Antimicrobial Workshop
Registration is now open for the 14th Antimicrobial Workshop, June 7-8 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel 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

You’re Invited – PRIA 5 Workshop
Please join the PRIA Coalition and officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) for a free, interactive workshop on April 19 to discuss key implementation issues for the recently enacted Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5). In addition to providing additional funding and resources for OPP, PRIA 5 includes numerous policy changes and process improvements related to renegotiation rates, registrant submissions not covered by a PRIA code, employee training, and bilingual labeling. Learn what has changed from PRIA 4 to PRIA 5 and hear about some of the law’s new provisions, implementation deadlines, and plans for implementation. In-person and virtual meeting options are available. Learn more

ISSA Period Project Update – Period Legislation Gains Momentum
This latest Period Project Update from ISSA will keep you up to date on the association’s efforts to end period poverty through our advocacy and education. Learn more

ISSA Cleaning for Health Workshops
As a result of achieving a U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration grant award, ISSA members now have access to exclusive frontline worker training. These free, in-person workshops, taking place across the country, provide the critical skills needed to close the gaps in current protection and controls for transmissible diseases. Learn more

Legislative

IICRC Endorses Federal Mold Remediation Legislation
The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) endorsed the Fix Moldy Housing Act, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. U.S. Representatives Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) introduced the legislation, which authorizes a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study and creates voluntary standards on how to best assess and remediate mold, provides funds to establish licensure programs to train proper assessment and remediation, as well as allocates funds for states and tribal governments to safely assess and remove mold from homes and public buildings. Learn more

Regulatory

EPA Proposes Limiting “Forever Chemicals” in Drinking Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first federal limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a move that the agency said would “save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer,” AP reported. The plan would limit PFAS or per- and polyfluorinated substances to the lowest level that tests can detect. Learn more

Some Tariffs Reduced Imports, Increased Prices and Production
Additional U.S. tariffs imposed under section 232 on imports of steel and aluminum products and under section 301 on certain imports from China reduced U.S. imports of these products and increased U.S. production and prices of these products, affecting the many industries that produce or sell these products or use them as inputs, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Learn more

Help reinforce the message that our 2023 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit attendees will take to Capitol Hill later this month by telling Congress to support tariff relief for essential products. Learn more and take action

IRS Warns of Employee Retention Tax Credit Fraud
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a new warning urging people to carefully review the Employee Retention Tax Credit guidelines before claiming the credit, Forbes reported. Radio, TV, and the internet are “full of aggressive and alluring claims of free money, US$26,000 per employee, with no money down.” The IRS warns that the fees charged may be large and that promoters may not tell you that wage deductions claimed on the business’ federal income tax return must be reduced by the amount of the credit. Learn more

Waste Violations Cost MA Facility Nearly $44K
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Precise Packaging LLC of Fall River, Massachusetts, under which the company will pay a penalty of US$43,877 due to violations in its hazardous waste management, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. The Precise Packaging facility is an aerosol and liquid product manufacturing plant, where the company produces an assortment of consumer products. Learn more

CDC Issues Alert Due to Kentucky Measles Case
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network advisory due to a confirmed measles case at a large religious gathering at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. Learn more

Biden Proposes Tax Increases in Budget
President Biden proposed significant tax increases for corporations, investors, and the wealthiest Americans as part of a budget plan–in practical terms, a largely aspirational messaging document–that the White House said would reduce the federal deficit by nearly US$3 trillion over the next decade, according to the Financial Times. Learn more

US Announces $6B in Grants to Decarbonize Heavy Industry
The Biden administration is directing US$6 billion in funding to speed decarbonization projects in “energy-hungry” industries that “contribute nearly 25% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” Reuters reported. The Industrial Demonstrations Program will provide competitive grants to technology developers, industry, universities, and others for up to 50% of the cost of projects that aim to cut emissions from the manufacturing of paper, cement, ceramics, chemicals, aluminum and steel, the U.S. Department of Energy said. Learn more

State News

Utah 22nd State to Enact Advanced Recycling Legislation
Utah became the first state in the 2023 legislative cycle and the 22nd state in the country to adopt legislation that regulates advanced recycling as manufacturing, the American Chemistry Council reported. Learn more