News

ISSA LARU—Registration Now Open for 2023 Clean Advocacy Summit

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 registration opening for the 2023 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, the passage of legislation to avert a rail strike, ISSA sponsorship of a Women in Government service project, 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 our latest Cleaning Industry Alert with ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft to learn more about the 2023 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit.

ISSA Advocacy

ISSA Announces 2023 Clean Advocacy Summit and Fly-In
ISSA will host the annual ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, the premier Capitol Hill fly-in event for the cleaning industry. Registration is now open for the 2023 summit, taking place March 28-29 in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC as part of National Cleaning Week.

ISSA Applauds Passage of Legislation to Avert Rail Shutdown
ISSA applauds congressional passage of legislation to avert a national railroad shutdown. The U.S. Senate passed H.J. Res. 100 on December 1 following passage by the U.S. House of Representatives on November 30. U.S. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on December 2. “We thank congressional members and President Biden for successfully heading off a railroad shutdown, which would have grinded our economy to a halt, and strained every family and cleaning-related business,” said ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft. “Averting a rail shutdown was one of the top priorities for ISSA during the lame duck session of Congress.”

ISSA Sponsors Women In Government Service Project
On November 18, ISSA sponsored the Women In Government’s Leadership & Innovation Summit service project in Orlando, Florida. The summit convenes state legislators and stakeholder experts with broad perspectives and experiences to amplify the work of female lawmakers.

EPA Safer Choice Considers Certification for Cleaning Service Providers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice Program recently announced that it is considering implementing a certification program for cleaning service providers who use Safer Choice and Design for the Environment certified products for cleaning and related activities.

Regulatory

EPA Adjusts Pesticide Maintenance Fee to Meet Statutory Direction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notification informing pesticide registrants of a decrease in the annual pesticide registration maintenance fee. To meet statutory requirements, the fee for each pesticide product registered during fiscal year 2023 will be US$3,400, down from $3,660 in fiscal year 2022.

USTR Extends Exclusions of COVID Products from China Section 301 Tariffs
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the further extension of the COVID-19-related product exclusions in the China Section 301 Investigation. The exclusions were previously scheduled to expire on November 30, 2022. In light of continuing efforts to combat COVID-19, the exclusions have been extended for an additional 90 days, through February 28, 2023. The exclusions cover 81 medical-care products and were initially granted on December 29, 2020.

Monkeypox Virus: New OSHA Fact Sheet
In an effort to prevent work-related transmission of the monkeypox virus, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urges employers and workers whose jobs may involve skin-to-skin contact with infected people or animals to take precautions. According to a new fact sheet from OSHA, at-risk workers include health care workers and first responders; workers in congregate settings such as hotels, correctional facilities, and recreational facilities or social venues; massage, spa, fitness and salon workers; housekeepers, janitors, cleaning service workers, dry cleaning and laundry workers; and animal care workers, including veterinary staff.

State News

DC Passes Period Poverty Legislation
The Council of the District of Columbia unanimously passed the Period Equity Righting an Injustice of District Residents Act of 2022 to provide free period products in all District government buildings, such as libraries, recreation centers, and buildings that serve the District’s historically underserved residents, including shelters and congregate care facilities. The bill builds on legislation currently being implemented to provide period products and expand menstrual education in all District of Columbia schools. ISSA applauds the passage of this legislation to help end period poverty and advance period dignity.

Students Want Period Products to be Free, Accessible in Schools
Students who don’t have access to pads or tampons because they can’t afford them are more likely to miss classroom learning time than other children, USA Today reported. States and local laws that would provide free products are patchy, and federal law or guidance is nonexistent. Some schools offer higher-quality period products with dispensers in schools, while others provide only low-quality products in a school nurse’s office. Students and advocates, including ISSA, are pushing for free, high-quality, and accessible period products in school bathrooms through local, state, and federal legislation.

Several States Raising 2023 Minimum Wage
At least 23 states, along with Washington, DC, will increase their minimum wage next year. Those states include Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management.