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 a free ISSA webinar on how to leverage International Cleaning Week 2024, helping ISSA submit a Cleaning Week proclamation for your state as part of ICW 2024, China Section 301 tariffs, and more.

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Happy new year from your ISSA Government Affairs Team!

ISSA Advocacy

ISSA Webinar: How to Leverage International Cleaning Week 2024
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 jump start 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 to 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 or process 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

China Section 301 Tariffs Four-Year Review and Expiring Product Exclusions
ISSA, as a member of Americans for Free Trade, requested that Congress exercise its authority over trade matters and urge the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to immediately conclude and release the results of its four-year statutory review of the Section 301 tariffs. USTR initiated this review in May 2022. USTR has taken over a year and a half to conduct the review, which has “exacerbated the uncertainty around the future of the tariffs.” ISSA further urged Congress to demand that USTR provide an immediate extension for the limited China 301-tariff and COVID-19 exclusions, which were set to expire on December 31, 2023. Learn more

ISSA Sponsors Successful Period-Product Drive
ISSA proudly sponsored the fifth annual Women in Government Relations Period Product Drive through the month of October 2023. More than 15,700 individual products were donated to the drive this year, exceeding the previous year by over 100. Donated products were delivered to the Greater DC Diaper Bank, which provides vulnerable families and individuals with an adequate and reliable source for basic baby needs and personal-hygiene products across the Washington, DC area. Learn more; sign up to receive alerts and news regarding ISSA’s campaign to End Period Poverty

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 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, Maid Brigade, MaskIT, Spartan, and the Vonachen Group. Learn more and register

Regulatory

OSHA to Publish Details of Workplace Injuries under New Reporting Rules
The new year brings new transparency to workplace-safety issues. A U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule that went into effect on January 1, 2024, requires approximately 50,000 employers to “beef up their reporting of workplace incidents to OSHA,” Marketplace reported. Learn more

$21B Upgrade for U.S. Ports
U.S. ports are receiving multi-million-dollar grants to upgrade cargo handling infrastructure. The grants are part of the Biden administration’s US$21 billion commitment to modernize port infrastructure in the U.S., according to CNBC. Learn more

IRS Unveils Voluntary Disclosure Program for Pandemic-Era Tax Credit
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) unveiled a “voluntary disclosure program” for businesses that claimed a pandemic-era tax credit in error and want to pay the money back, CNBC reported. Worth thousands per employee, the employee retention tax credit (ERC) was designed to support small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tax break sparked an industry of firms pushing employers to wrongly claim the credit. Learn more

Judicial

Feds Allege Rigging of $140M Cleaning Deals
Federal investigators accused three San Antonio individuals of using bribes to secure janitorial and housekeeping contracts totaling US$140 million for U.S. military healthcare facilities, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. Learn more

State News

Relationship between State, Federal Job-Safety Agencies Strained in SC
South Carolina is the latest state embroiled in a fight over its power to enforce worker-safety protections, following a union’s bid for federal regulators to “step in and wrest control from the Palmetto State,” Bloomberg Law reported. Learn more