Welcome to the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update, our biweekly roundup of the latest public policy issues impacting the full spectrum of the cleaning industry. This update touches on opportunities for advocacy engagement at our upcoming ISSA Show North America 2021, a matching opportunity for a limited time with the ISSA Advocacy Fund, the now fully virtual Cleaning Products-A Regulatory Update on November 15, and more.

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

And be sure to check out the latest installment of our new video series, ISSA Advocacy Cleaning Industry Alert, with ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft to learn about the top three advocacy issues impacting the cleaning industry right now, including the ISSA Show North America 2021, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) vaccine rule, and supply chain backup.

ISSA Advocacy

Advocacy Opportunities at ISSA Show
ISSA Show North America 2021 offers a myriad of opportunities to engage with our Government Affairs Team and learn about the hot-button public policy issues facing your business and the cleaning industry. Advocacy opportunities include: Cleaning Products: A Regulatory Update; What is Going on in Washington? A Legislative and Regulatory Update; an Advocacy Happy Hour with a chance to win a trip to Washington, DC for the 2022 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit; and Industry Leaders Roundtable.

Double Your Impact 
It’s not too late to double your impact and help ISSA strengthen the full cleaning supply chain by contributing to the ISSA Advocacy Fund (IAF)! IAF Founding Supporter Products Chemical Company, LLC has generously agreed to match contributions to the IAF up to US$5,000 now through November 30, 2021. Double your impact–contribute to the IAF today!

Register for the Virtual Cleaning Products-A Regulatory Update
Stay ahead of the regulatory curve! Register today to participate in the now fully virtual ISSA-HCPA Cleaning Products: A Regulatory Update, a one-day workshop on November 15, 2021, covering the latest regulatory issues that impact the manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and sale of household and commercial cleaning products. This workshop has been converted to a completely virtual event for your convenience!

Save the Date for ISSA’s 2022 Clean Advocacy Summit
ISSA will host its signature advocacy event for industry leaders, the Clean Advocacy Summit, March 30-31, 2022, in Washington, DC, as part of National Cleaning Week and in conjunction with the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association’s Workplace Solutions Summit. Participants will spend the first day of the summit getting up to speed on the pressing public policy issues for the industry and sharpening their advocacy acumen. On March 31, they’ll apply their new knowledge and skills in meetings with their congressional delegation to “advocate for clean!”

Legislative

Biden Signs Bill Raising Debt Ceiling
U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill raising the debt ceiling, averting a default for at least another month, The Hill reports. Congress voted to raise the debt limit into December, when lawmakers will again have to raise the ceiling to avoid severe economic consequences.

Possible Early End to ERC Could Mean Trouble for Some Businesses
Many small to mid-sized businesses are eligible under the existing employee retention credit (ERC) for a 70% tax credit for wages paid to employees through the end of 2021. However, the infrastructure bill–as passed by the U.S. Senate–would end the ERC for wages paid after September 30, one quarter earlier than the existing December 31 end date for the credit. If the infrastructure bill is passed by Congress with this early termination of the ERC, it could be a problem for those businesses that have planned budgets based on receiving the credit through the end of 2021 and that may already have monetized the credit for wages paid beginning October 1, according to The National Law Review. Using ISSA’s Action Center, please take a moment to let your congressional delegation know how important the ERC is to your business.

Regulatory

OSHA Sends Employer Vaccine Rule to White House for Final Review
The U.S. Labor Department advanced an emergency regulation for final White House review that will force many private-sector companies to require employee vaccinations or virus testing, Bloomberg Law reports.

Port of Los Angeles Going 24/7 to Help Relieve Supply Chain Backup
White House officials said that they helped broker an agreement for the Port of Los Angeles to become a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation, part of an effort to relieve supply chain bottlenecks and move stranded container ships, according to CBS News. ISSA strongly supports the bipartisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 to recognize the significant changes to the international maritime transportation system of the past two decades. 

U.S. Trade Chief Seeks Talks with China, Won’t Rule out New Tariff Actions
Top U.S. trade negotiator Katherine Tai pledged to exclude some Chinese imports from tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, while pressing Beijing in “frank talks over its failure to keep promises made in Trump’s trade deal and end harmful industrial policies,” Reuters reports. ISSA strongly supports suspending duties on personal protective equipment needed for the COVID-19 response, removing tariffs on cleaning products and materials, as well as refraining from imposing new tariffs in the future.

EEOC Sues Staffing Agency on Behalf of Cleaning Workers
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is suing a military manufacturer and contracting company for allegedly ignoring claims of sexual assault on cleaning workers by staff on U.S. Coast Guard ships, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. 

State News

Federal Law May Trump Texas Vaccine Mandate Ban
Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates will likely be superseded by the Biden administration plan to require shots for workers, but the dueling rules could take months to sort through in court, creating uncertainty for employers with business in the state, Reuters reports.

Cal/OSHA Workplace Safety Violations Expanded
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that creates two new categories of workplace safety violations under the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health: “enterprise-wide” and “egregious,” according to Business Insurance.

Florida Reports Surge in COVID-19 Comp Claims
The summer surge in COVID-19 cases in Florida began in July, as 4,221 COVID-19 worker compensation indemnity claims were filed—more than six times the number filed in June—and August tallies show a slight drop, Business Insurance reports.