AN UPDATE FROM NAW GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM - 7.20
Latest on Paycheck Protection Program
Last Friday, House Small Business Committee Chair Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) conducted an oversight hearing on the SBA and Treasury Department pandemic response programs. Both SBA Administrator Carranza and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin testified at the hearing. Typical of a Congressional oversight hearing, most of the questions and answers dealt with various aspects of the technical administration of the PPP and other SBA/Treasury loan programs. There were several questions about – and criticisms of – the management of the PPP.
Of particular note were complaints from the Committee members about how the SBA and Treasury are handling the forgiveness of PPP loans. In response to persistent questioning about the lack of PPP loan forgiveness guidance, and the absence to date of “a portal or process for accepting loan forgiveness applications,” the Administrator responded that:
The forgiveness portal, or the application or guidance will be out very shortly. We're resolving some of the language between Treasury and SBA, but it's going to be available very, very soon … So you can trust that we will work as expeditiously as we can. We'll try and make it right the first time and address all the issues that have been raised by not only the lenders but the borrowers as well. So … if I – if I can tell you by August that'll be a target date.
Latest on Economic Recovery and Re-Opening the Workplace
As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to impact the United States economy and businesses across the nation, it can be hard to decipher how new regulations and laws may impact your business. To help you manage these issues NAW is providing information about reports, webinars and seminars that you may find useful:
U.S. Department of Labor issues additional guidance on Fair Labor Standards, Family Medical Leave Act, and Families First Coronavirus Reponses Act
Today the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published additional guidance on the protections and requirements of the Fair Labor Standards (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and how they impact workplaces as they re-open during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, the guidance includes a Fact Sheet for Employees, a Fact Sheet for Employers, and a Question & Answer document about paid sick leave and the expanded family and medical leave under the FFCRA.
You can read the full announcement with links the new documents HERE.
Virginia Approves Workplace Safety Standard on COVID-19
On July 15, the VA Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) adopted its proposed Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19, making Virginia the first state with a mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety standard. DOLI is now finalizing the text of the standard, which is expected to be released the week of July 27. It will take effect once it is published, but employers will be given 60 days “to develop and train employees on their infectious disease preparedness and response plan.”
Oregon Considering COVID-19 Safety Standard
Oregon OSHA is now in the process of developing its own COVID-19 safety standards. They are aiming to have two temporary standards in place by September 1; one is expected to cover healthcare providers, while the other would cover the general workplace. Drafts of the proposals are expected in early August, at which time the comment period will be open. The rules would remain in place through February 2021.
From Reed Smith Law Firm: New Pennsylvania order mandates telework, but to what extent?
Last week, Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued orders “directing mitigation measures” in response to a reported rise in COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania. Both orders included the following mandate requiring telework: “Unless not possible, all business are required to conduct their operations in whole or in part remotely through individual...… Continue Reading
Stateside Associates publishes a daily report about State and Local Government responses to the evolving situation.
To read their latest report, click HERE.
We are also providing a link to a spreadsheet that includes state and local COVID-19 response information provided by MultiState Associates.
To view their spreadsheet, click HERE.
Jade West, Chief Government Relations Officer
Blake Adami, Vice President-Government Relations
Seth Waugh, Associate Vice President-Government Relations
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
The above information and links to other information has been prepared by NAW for the general information of NAW members. It is not intended to, and does not, provide tax, legal or professional advice concerning any specific matter. You should not act on the information without first obtaining professional advice and counsel.