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 U.S. Department of Labor finalizing its independent contractor rule, ISSA opposing a proposed change to Prop 65 Short-Form Warnings, the latest ISSA Cleaning Is Essential podcast, and more.

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ISSA Advocacy

DOL Issues Final Rule on Independent Contractor Classification
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule, effective March 11, 2024, to “help employers and workers better understand when a worker qualifies as an employee and when they would be considered an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).” Learn more

ISSA Opposes Proposed Change to Prop 65 Short-Form Warnings
ISSA, as part of a coalition, requested that California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment withdraw its proposed rule changing Prop 65 short-form warnings, or at least substantially modify the proposal to lessen its detrimental impacts. Learn more

How Clean is the White House? Paul Sarzoza Shares His State of the Union Experience
How clean is the White House? Find out in the latest Cleaning Is Essential podcast featuring Paul Sarzoza, President & CEO of Verde Clean, and John Nothdurft, ISSA Host and Director of Government Affairs. In this episode, Paul shares how he started his cleaning company based in Phoenix, Arizona; how clean the White House is; how he was invited as a special guest to the State of the Union Address with the likes of Bono; and more! Learn more

ISSA Webinar: How to Leverage International Cleaning Week
March 24-30 is International Cleaning Week, a time when the entire cleaning supply chain celebrates the value of clean! How will your business recognize your employees, thank your customers, and demonstrate the value of clean during this week dedicated to the industry? Get ideas and jumpstart your planning for International Cleaning Week 2024 by registering now for this free webinar at 12 pm CT on January 31. The webinar features ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft. Thank you to our webinar sponsor Tork, an Essity Brand! Learn more and register

Help ISSA Submit a Cleaning Week Proclamation for Your State
As part of the International Cleaning Week 2024 (March 24-30) celebration, help ISSA raise awareness about the value of clean by submitting a proclamation to designate an official week of cleaning for your state! Nearly every state has an online proclamation form that a resident of that state can use to submit a proclamation request free of charge. ISSA has already written a template proclamation, but we need your help submitting the proclamation requests by February 16. Help us reach our goal of designating a cleaning week in all 50 states. If you’re interested in helping ISSA with this campaign and/or have questions regarding International Cleaning Week, please contact ISSA’s Stacy Seiden. Learn more

Take Advantage of Early-Bird Registration for ISSA’s Clean Advocacy Summit
Register now for the 2024 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit and join your cleaning-industry leaders as we impact regulations and legislation important to you and our industry on April 10-11 in Washington, DC! Take advantage of early-bird registration available now through February 1. The 2024 summit would not be possible without our Presenting Sponsor Tork, an Essity Brand; Gold Sponsor Route; and Silver Sponsors: Aunt Flow, Bobrick, Hospeco Brands Group, Imperial Dade, Maid Brigade, MaskIT, Spartan, and the Vonachen Group. Learn more and register

Legislative

Deal Reached on Short-Term Funding to Avoid Govt. Shutdown
A deal has been reached on a short-term funding bill that would avert a partial government shutdown, CBS News reports. The continuing resolution would fund the government through March 1 and March 8; the current funding deal, which took effect in November, funds some federal departments through January 19 and others through February 2. Learn more

Regulatory

Register for EPA’s Webinar on PFAS Reporting Requirements
Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 25 at 1 pm CT for a free webinar on the agency’s October 2023 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting rule under Section 8(a)(7) of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Learn more and register

EPA Finalizes PFAS Rule for 329 Inactive Chemicals
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that prevents companies from starting or resuming the manufacture or processing of 329 per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have not been made or used for many years without a complete EPA review and risk determination, Chemical Processing reports. In the past, these chemicals, known as “inactive PFAS,” may have been used without review in many industries, including as binding agents, surfactants, in the production of sealants and gaskets, and may also have been released into the environment. Learn more

Update on EPA’s PRIA 5 Implementation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the agency’s first-year progress on deliverables under the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5). As a leader of the PRIA Coalition, ISSA has engaged in an ongoing dialogue with EPA about PRIA 5 implementation and the need to provide more predictability about pesticide-registration processing. Learn more

EPA Updates Pesticide Registration Maintenance Fees
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notified pesticide registrants that the agency has updated its annual pesticide registration maintenance fees webpage and fee tables. Registrants will need to access their product-filing forms, pay maintenance fees, and return completed documents to EPA for processing by January 16, 2024. Learn more

Corporate Transparency Act – the “End of Hiding in the U.S.”
Commencing January 1, 2024, beneficial owners of U.S. and foreign companies registered to do business in the U.S. are required to report ownership information to the U.S. government, GrayRobinson reports. Learn more

Laws Impacting Non-Compete Agreements – What to Know in 2024
Many employers experienced whiplash in 2023 from the flurry of judicial, administrative, and legislative activity aimed at restricting the use of employee non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements. JD Supra summarizes the relevant legal changes, forecasts what employers can expect in 2024, and offers tips for how best to comply in the ever-changing landscape of employee restrictive covenants. In a February 2023 letter to Congress, ISSA opposed the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule to impose a nationwide ban on almost all non-compete clauses because, according to the coalition letter, the FTC “lacks the constitutional or statutory authority to issue such a rule and, in attempting to do so, the agency is improperly usurping the role of Congress.” Learn more

State News

New Year, New PFAS Compliance Deadlines – Key Dates in 2024
A flurry of regulatory action addressing PFAS over the last several years brings many compliance deadlines over the next year. Accordingly, UL Solutions compiled a list that details numerous state laws with effective dates in 2024. In addition to the finalized legislation, there are a handful of impactful regulatory updates expected next year. These include federal and state governments, as well as action in Canada and the European Union. Learn more