October 9, 2023
(press release)
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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 ISSA and 15 member companies being selected as 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizing a rule on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting, government affairs activities at ISSA Show North America 2023, and more. Want to stay informed about critical government affairs impacting the cleaning industry? Sign up here to have the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update emailed directly to you every other week. ISSA,15 Member Companies Selected as 2023 Safer Choice Winners EPA Finalizes Rule on PFAS Reporting Include Government Affairs as Part of Your ISSA Show Experience Be sure to stop by our Government Affairs Booth in the ISSA Experience Hub and say hello to your Government Affairs Team! Learn more ISSA Requests DOL Extend Comment Period for Overtime Proposal ISSA Urges Congressional Leaders to Expand 529 Savings Plans Biden Signs 45-Day Funding Bill to Keep Government Open Hearing on Proposals to Enhance Product Safety and Transparency Senate Bill Would Mandate E-Verify Nationwide, Raise Minimum Wage FTC Sues Amazon Alleging Illegal Online-Marketplace Monopoly EPA Recording: Health Benefits vs. Disbenefits from Indoor Air Cleaners Webinar DOL Cites Facility for Unsafe Air Quality DOL Grants FL $6.6M for Idalia Recovery Biden Administration Announces $1.4B to Enhance Rail Safety, Increase Capacity FL Minimum Wage Increases OK AG May Target PFAS in Legal Action
ISSA Advocacy
ISSA is proud to announce that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Safer Choice selected ISSA, along with 15 ISSA-member companies, as 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award recipients. Learn more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that will provide the agency, its partners, and the public with the largest-ever dataset of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufactured and used in the United States. Learn more
Your ISSA Government Affairs Team has a plethora of activities for you to partake in as part of ISSA Show North America 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 13-16. Government Affairs will host:
Ensure your continued success in the marketplace by attending this one-day, live workshop that will address the latest regulatory, legislative, and sustainability issues along with other trending topics that impact the manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and sale of household and commercial cleaning products. Separate registration from the show is required to participate in the workshop.
Hear from industry leaders representing different segments of the cleaning industry, including manufacturing, distribution, and cleaning services.
ISSA invites show attendees to help fill 500 personal-care bags to be distributed to those in need in the local community by Purse Power, a Nevada charity.
Come meet the ISSA Government Affairs Team, talk politics, network, and enjoy a complimentary drink on us!
ISSA and its Hygieia Network invite you to learn about what period poverty is, what is being done to address the issue, and why more buildings are providing period-friendly bathrooms.
ISSA, as part of the Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity, wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requesting a 60-day extension to the comment period on the department’s proposal to restore and extend overtime protections in order to provide the regulated community, including the cleaning industry, with sufficient time to analyze and respond to the proposed changes to the overtime-pay exemptions for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees. Learn more about ISSA’s extension request Learn more about DOL’s overtime proposal
ISSA, as part of the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition, which includes more than 650 trade groups, professional societies, and companies, urged congressional tax-writing committee leaders to back a bill that would expand qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include postsecondary training and credentialing programs, including cleaning credentials like ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS). The coalition delivered a letter last week to House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) and Ranking Member Richie Neal (D-MA) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) to urge approval of the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (S. 722/H.R. 1477). Learn moreLegislative
The U.S. Senate passed a last-minute spending bill last Saturday night averting a government shutdown, CNBC reported. The Senate voted to pass the continuing resolution three hours before a 12:01 am shutdown of the federal government would have taken effect. The measure was signed into law by President Joe Biden late Saturday night. Learn more
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce held a legislative hearing entitled Proposals to Enhance Product Safety and Transparency for Americans. Two bills that ISSA supports were discussed: The Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act (H.R. 2964) and a bill to amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to establish a federal standard relating to ingredient disclosure in cleaning products and for other purposes. Learn more
A bill proposed by six Republican senators would require all employers to use the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to authorize employment eligibility and would increase the national minimum wage from US$7.25 an hour to $11, according to Construction Dive. Titled the Higher Wages for American Workers Act, the bill proposes a phased expansion of E-Verify that would require employers with 10,000 or more employees to use the system beginning six months from the date of enactment. Learn moreRegulatory-Judicial
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, a move that seeks to bar the company from allegedly abusing its powers to raise prices for shoppers and levy high fees against businesses that sell on its platform, The Washington Post reported. Learn more
On August 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a webinar about indoor air cleaners featuring Dr. Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado Boulder. Some air cleaners produce ozone or particulate matter, which can degrade indoor air quality. In his presentation, Dr. Jimenez examined these types of air cleaners and compared the estimated reduction in mortality due to reduced airborne disease transmission (COVID-19 and flu) with the estimated increase in mortality due to degradation of indoor air quality. View this free recording
A federal workplace safety investigation found that an Augusta, Georgia battery manufacturer exposed employees to unsafe levels of lead at its facility both in the air and on surfaces within its facility, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. Learn more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced an initial grant of more than US$6.6 million to support disaster-relief jobs and training services in the state of Florida in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. The grant will allow the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to provide temporary employment focused on debris removal, water damage cleanup, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the storm. The funds also will support career and training services for affected workers. Learn more
The Biden administration awarded more than US$1.4 billion to projects that improve railway safety and boost capacity, with roughly $1 billion of the money coming from the 2021 infrastructure law, according to AP. Learn moreState News
As of last week, the minimum wage in Florida increased US$1 per hour. It’s part of a measure approved by voters in 2020. The measure raises the state’s minimum wage by $1 a year until it hits $15 in 2026. The minimum wage for non-tipped employees is now $12 an hour, WFLA-TV reported. Learn more
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is considering taking legal action against companies linked to “forever chemicals” found in water supplies in Oklahoma and across the country, according to The Journal Record. Learn more
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