FEDERAL ACTIVITY
Treasury Secretary Yellen Leaves Door Open for Continuing $360 Billion Tariffs on Chinese Goods
During the Trump Administration, tariffs on $360 billion worth of Chinese goods, including some kitchen- and bath-related products and materials, were implemented to address allegations of unfair trade practices. The Biden Administration announced that the tariffs are unlikely to be removed any time soon, as the focus on the world’s two largest economies continue to be combating the global pandemic. During her Senate confirmation hearing, President Biden’s Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, confirmed the tariffs will be maintained for now and that the Biden Administration will address unfair trade practices. Published at the onset of the tariff debate, this educational article provides a helpful overview of the situation if interested in learning more about tariffs impacting the kitchen and bath industry. Additional trade measures against imports of Chinese cabinets and vanities, as well as luxury vinyl tile, also continue.
Small Business Administration (SBA) Announces Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Process Changes
Since the PPP reopened on Jan. 11, millions of small businesses have applied for the $284 billion in fresh funding. A significant percentage of those applications have been held up by process and system issues stemming from additional validation checks put in place to flag potential fraudulent applicants. Designed to reduce such delays in the PPP approval process, the SBA announced several changes to improve the speed to resolve data mismatches and eligibility concerns for small businesses. With these changes, lenders are now able to directly certify eligibility of borrowers’ loan applications with validation errors to ensure businesses that are eligible receive funds as quickly as possible, and also allow lenders to upload supporting documentation of borrowers with validation errors during the forgiveness process. Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced further changes to the program, including initiating a two-week priority window, starting February 24, for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees to have exclusive access to the PPP application portal. For questions on the PPP, please visit the SBA’s website.
STATE ACTIVITY
NKBA-ASID-IIDA Mutually Agreed-Upon Model Interior Design Title and Practice Act Legislation Introduced in Several States
Over the last few years, NKBA, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) have jointly pursued a mutually agreeable legislative solution on Interior Design Title and Practice Acts. While NKBA has traditionally opposed such Acts, the groups have agreed to model legislation language that protects NKBA’s members’ right to practice their profession. NKBA monitors legislation in all 50 states to ensure that this agreed-upon language is maintained. As the 2021 state legislative sessions began, NKBA’s government relations staff held a call with ASID and IIDA to discuss the states in which they are seeking design legislation. These include Alaska, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. NKBA will continue to monitor these bills throughout the legislative sessions as they are introduced on behalf of our members. If any members in these states have questions about these bills, please contact NKBA’s Government Relations Specialist, Steven Campeau, at scampeau@nkba.org.
Winter Weather Across the Country Causes Brief Session Recesses in Various States
While 48 out of 50 state legislatures are in session in 2021, Mother Nature’s winter wrath has caused some states to temporarily go into recess. Due to inclement weather and widespread power outages, the Oregon and Missouri State Capitols briefly closed in February. Also throughout the month, the legislatures in Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Missouri and Rhode Island entered brief recesses. The Wyoming state legislature is closed until March 1, and Delaware until March 9. NKBA continues to monitor legislation even as states are in recess.
COVID-19 State Updates and Available Resources
To keep current on what individual states are doing to combat COVID-19, this interactive map, online platform and resource center might be of interest. The interactive map shows all COVID-19-related legislative activity that each state has enacted, while the online platform and resource center provide important information related to COVID-19. Interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccinations? Track vaccination doses in your state here and see if you are eligible for the vaccine here.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Federal and State Legislative Contacts
Don’t forget to contact your Federal and State Legislators for government information and resources. Legislative staff are available to answer any questions on legislation, or walk you through governmental processes.
NKBA Legislative Contact
NKBA will monitor relevant legislative developments at the state and federal levels, and, where appropriate, provide information to members concerning material issues and developments — including laws and regulations that might impact the kitchen and bath industry. If you have any questions or comments on legislation, please reach out directly to Steven Campeau, NKBA’s Government Relations Specialist, at scampeau@nkba.org.
NOTE: NKBA is providing this material for general information only. This information does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax/investment advice, accounting services or professional consulting of any kind, nor should it be construed as such. NKBA is not a lobbying organization and does not have a Political Action Committee (PAC). Resources such as this are meant solely for informational purposes.
