April showers bring May flowers…and a sleeker and more succinct government relations newsletter! Browse the topics below about government activity in May, ranging from federal relief programs to international trade and new state laws impacting contractors, and click on the links to learn more about these topics potentially impacting the kitchen and bath industry. It is our goal with this newsletter to provide you, and all our members, with information on topics that may impact your professional life. We recommend that if any topic piques your interest, you take appropriate action to contact your elected representatives and express your opinion.
We welcome your feedback on this new format, or whether you prefer the summaries of past newsletters. Email your thoughts and suggestions to scampeau@nkba.org.
— Steven Campeau
Manager, Governance
FEDERAL ACTIVITY
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP has officially closed! If you received a loan through the program, be sure to review the loan forgiveness process.
Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act): The PRO Act’s changes to independent contractor status.
Federal Infrastructure Bill: Negotiations continue as sticking points emerge over size and scope of the bill.
U.S. – China Trade and Tariffs: First U.S. – China trade talks of the Biden Administration occur to discuss trade disputes, as Chinese imports to the U.S. drop.
Green Building: The 3 Green Building Legislation Trends You Need to Know.
STATE ACTIVITY
California: State becomes latest to conform to Federal tax forgiveness on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
California: Berkeley residents discuss building electrification while California Energy Commission releases draft code update for all homes to be “electric ready.”
Colorado: Denver leads the way on the building electrification movement in Colorado.
Missouri: State trying to implement statewide licensing of home improvement contractors.
Montana: New law revises construction dispute laws by limiting some legal actions against residential contractors by homeowners.
Texas: House Bill 3595 seeks to amend the Residential Construction Liability Act to reduce statute of repose to 5 years.
COVID-19 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 by state here.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Federal and State Legislative Contacts
Interested in some of the topics above? Don’t forget to contact your Federal and State Legislators to let them know your thoughts! 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 Governance Manager, 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.
