Issues
Per the White House: Today, Wednesday, July 1, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) enters into force. More North American Auto Content: Under USMCA’s rules vehicles must be built with at least 75 percent of parts made in North America in order to qualify for zero tariffs, up from 62.5 percent under NAFTA. Also, 40 to…
The U.S. House Committee on Small Business convened a hearing entitled, “The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program: Status Update from the Administration.” Per the hearing notice from the committee, Mr. Rivera is responsible for the implementation of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, and the hearing will explore the challenges U.S. Small Business Administration…
Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a bill extending the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) until August 8, 2020 under unanimous consent. The passage of the bill comes hours just before deadline for applications closed at midnight June 30, 2020. Per Politico, Senators had agreed that small businesses would need further federal aid and, up until…
California State Regulators approved a new rule that would mandate truck manufacturers increase the amount of electric trucks they sell in the state through 2035. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Truck rule is part of the states’ effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve air quality. New Policy will:…
Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a series of webinars to launch the start of the Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing Initiative (AV Test Initiative). NHTSA Deputy Administrator James C. Owens stated that this is the first platform connecting the public, manufacturers, developers,…
Per the U.S. Small Business Administration: The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, issued new and revised guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This guidance implements the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPPFA), signed into law by President Trump on June 5, 2020, and expands eligibility for…
Yesterday, the House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Ranking Member Steve Chabot (R-OH) led a bipartisan group of Committee members in a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) asking for information regarding issues borrowers have faced with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. In the letter, lawmakers mention multiple issues that…
Per Politico, data collected from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Treasury highlight just how drastically car traffic has dropped off in the past few months — and the resulting hit to the Highway Trust Fund. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report on vehicle miles traveled in April shows a nearly…
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to provide guidance to assist employees and employers with maintaining safe and healthy working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. This guidance will be particularly useful as states continue to re-open. We have collected below a list of existing documents, both general and industry-specific, for…
A new study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that autonomous vehicles (AVs) would struggle to eliminate most crashes. Per IIHS, “Conventional thinking has it that self-driving vehicles could one day make crashes a thing of the past. The reality is not that simple. According to a national survey of police-reported…