News

ISSA LARU- Upcoming Free Webinar: What Is Going on in Washington?

Welcome to the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update (LARU), our biweekly roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the cleaning industry. This update touches on a June 8 ISSA advocacy webinar, ISSA representatives meeting with representatives from the Biden administration about workplace emergency temporary standards, a new ISSA Advocacy Fund infographic, and more.

ISSA Advocacy

Upcoming Webinar – What Is Going on in Washington? A Legislative and Regulatory Update from ISSA 
Join us for a free webinar, What Is Going on in Washington? A Legislative and Regulatory Update from ISSA, on June 8 from 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. CT. Participants will receive the “inside scoop” about what is going on in Washington, DC on the top issues facing the cleaning industry, such as tariff relief, a healthy and safe workplace tax credit, new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, immigration reform, labor issues, and more. The webinar is the first in a series of free webinars hosted in conjunction with the ISSA Show North America. Register today!

ISSA Meets with Biden Administration on OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard
ISSA and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, participated in one of approximately 50 stakeholder meetings the White House’s Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has hosted on a possible COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, and Small Business Administration were also present.

New Infographic Illustrates Impact of ISSA Advocacy Fund
This new infographic, created to coincide with and recognize the one-year anniversary of the ISSA Advocacy Fund (IAF) this month, illustrates the significant impact that the fund has already made in its first 12 months. Thank you to those individuals and companies that support the IAF! To learn more about the IAF and contribute, please visit issa.com/advocacyfund.

June Is National Safety Month
Join ISSA, in partnership with the National Safety Council, in celebrating the 25th anniversary of National Safety Month. With the U.S. seeing the highest number of workplace deaths since 2007, this observance is more important than ever. Participants can access a variety of free materials on four weekly topics, including incident prevention, ongoing COVID-19 safety concerns, psychological safety, and continuous safety improvement.

Legislative

Chair Murray, Ranking Member Burr Seek Input from Stakeholders on Workforce Policies
At the direction of Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC), the U.S. Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is requesting input from stakeholders on policy ideas for workforce development. The senators intend to develop bipartisan solutions to update and expand workforce training programs, support and expand the National Apprenticeship Act, and encourage innovation.

Regulatory

OSHA Revokes Guidance on Recording COVID-19 Vaccine Reactions
OSHA has revoked recent enforcement guidance issued to clarify the recordability of situations in which employees suffered adverse side effects from a COVID-19 vaccination, according to The National Law Review.

OSHA Hearing on Hazard Communication Standard
OSHA has scheduled an informal hearing on the agency’s Hazard Communication Standard for September 21, CMM reported.

FDA Recalls Hand Sanitizers Contaminated by Bacteria and Toxic Chemical
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its list of recalled hand sanitizers, according to CMM. Products now on the list include Durisan, due to contamination with a water supply-borne bacterium, and Dibar, which, like other sanitizers recalled earlier, contains the toxic chemical methanol.

EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity laws. The expanded technical assistance provides new information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act apply when an employer offers incentives for employees to provide confirmation of vaccination. 

PPP Closed to New Applications
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the federal program designed to help keep small businesses open during the COVID-19 pandemic, closed to new applications on Friday as funding dried up, The Hill reported.

Temporary Ruling Makes Additional Foreign Workers Available
Industries seeking additional workers, including the cleaning and hospitality industries, may find relief through a joint temporary final rule published by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security making an additional 22,000 H-2B temporary, nonagricultural guest worker visas available for fiscal year 2021, according to CMM.

U.S., Canada, Mexico Hold ‘Robust’ Trade Deal Talks
Trade representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico said that they held “robust” talks on the new North American trade deal and pledged to fully enforce its higher standards, while downplaying differences over a range of other irritants, Reuters reported.

State News

Businesses Must Prepare to Defend against COVID-19 Lawsuits Despite Shields
Many states have enacted business liability shields in the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are not impenetrable, according to attorneys Enjoliqué Aytch Lett and Akiesha Gilcrist Sainvil. Much of the legislation provides immunity from liability, but not from litigation, and businesses would be wise to prepare to defend against lawsuits, Bloomberg Law reported.

Pandemic Hasn’t Changed Partisan Divide on Paid Time Off
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, legislators in Colorado, New Mexico, and New York have approved laws that require businesses to offer paid sick days. Colorado voters also approved a paid family leave program, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Multiple States Offer Bonuses to Entice Residents Back to Work
Amid a slow recovery for the U.S. labor market and a reluctance among workers to accept low-paying jobs after months of lost wages, states across the country are exploring different tactics to incentivize unemployed residents to head back to work, Route Fifty reported.

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