Coronavirus Government Response Update—Democrats Detail Relief Bill

Welcome to the Coronavirus Government Response Update. This information is intended to keep ISSA members up to date on fast-moving government affairs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other public policy issues important to the cleaning industry. Today’s update touches on House Democrats’ coronavirus relief bill, states letting vulnerable workers turn down jobs, Small Business Administration (SBA) protection of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgiveness, and more.

Details Emerge about House Democrats’ Coronavirus Relief Bill
Speaker Nancy Pelosi previewed additional small-business relief that Democrats plan to include in their next coronavirus bill, including an extension of the loan forgiveness period of the PPP. “We’re going to be again strengthening PPP, expanding support beyond the PPP as it has been originally presented, and then having more resources,” Pelosi said during a webinar with the Small Business Roundtable.

Some States Let Vulnerable Workers Turn Down Jobs
As governors start to allow businesses to reopen, they’re under pressure to clarify whether people can refuse a job offer and stay on unemployment if they’re afraid of catching the coronavirus at work. States generally cut residents from their unemployment insurance rolls if they turn down a job offer that matches their skill set and work history. But the coronavirus pandemic has raised new questions about whether it’s safe for people—particularly older, sicker people—to return to work and what employers must do to keep workers safe.

Employees Refusing to Return to Work? SBA Offers Some Protection of PPP Forgiveness
The SBA’s latest round of frequently asked questions about the PPP gives employers an important new tool to address one of the biggest challenges of trying to maximize PPP forgiveness: How to respond to employees who refuse to return to work by June 30. Loan forgiveness is the cornerstone of the PPP, which was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). To protect jobs, the PPP’s offer of loan forgiveness is in part based on an employer’s ability to maintain headcount through the COVID-19 crisis.

Other links of interest

• Take Action Now–Urge Your Elected Officials to Support the Clean Start: Back to Work Tax Credit
• EPA Assistant Administrator Updates ISSA Members on Disinfectant Approval
• ISSA Recording: How U.S. Governments Are Responding to COVID-19 – Update (April 15, 2020; members only)
• SBA Disaster Loan Assistance
• S. Department of Labor: COVID-19 and the American Workplace