Issues
The U.S. Senate passed an interim Coronavirus emergency package by voice vote. The package includes additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs), hospitals, and testing. The bipartisan agreement comes days after negotiations and a week after the PPP ran out of its initial funding. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell stated,…
Over the past few months, the U.S. has dealt with the impact of COVID19 pandemic to every part of our daily lives. For those workers who are on the frontlines of battling the pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has consolidated various guidance on safety, health, and enforcement as the crisis evolves. To…
Over the past few months, the U.S. has dealt with the impact of COVID19 pandemic to every part of our daily lives. As governors nationwide have issued stay at home or shelter in place orders, Americans have reduced road use and overall mobility. The University of California, Davis, Road Ecology Center produced an updated report…
Per the U.S. Small Business Administration: Today, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin issued the following statement regarding the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): “The Treasury Department and SBA launched the unprecedented Paycheck Protection Program in just one week. Following its launch, the SBA…
A bipartisan group of lawmakers submitted a letter to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza seeking “information and guidance from the SBA regarding Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs), how your agency is meeting the challenges facing this program, and how Congress can assist the SBA.” In the letter, Members of Congress recognize that…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its proposal to retain, without changes, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) including both fine particles (PM2.5) and coarse particles (PM10). Per the EPA, this proposal comes after careful review and consideration of the most current available scientific evidence and risk and exposure information,…
The U.S. Congress recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the COVID19 pandemic. In these unprecedented times, the CARES Act authorized $349 billion in loans to small businesses that can be forgiven, provided the loans keep workers on payroll and don’t cut compensation, under the Paycheck Protection Program…
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) joined aftermarket coalition associations requesting Congress expand the authority of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in the Fourth Stimulus package coming up for consideration. “The PPP program has been popular with automotive repairers but with the increasing economic impact on shops by the COVIC-19 pandemic, ASA encourages Congress to expand the…
Per Protocol, financial technology (fintech) companies are seeking to help Americans get the relief needed that was approved under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorizes up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses. Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses…
Per the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced the publication of Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) 17-20, which provides further guidance to states as they implement the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), including the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. Under the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program,…