COVID-19
Restaurant Revitalization Fund – The Small Business Administration (SBA) updated certain procedures for the RRF grant application process. Although there is no official launch date for the application, the SBA stated that ahead of the application and over the next two weeks, the SBA will establish a seven-day pilot program for the RRF application portal to address any technical issues ahead of the public launch. During the pilot, the only applicants processed will be for businesses at least 51 percent owned by women, minorities, or veterans. Priorities will be for those businesses earning less than $50,000 in revenue. The program is only open to independent restaurants with 20 or fewer locations. More details.
Paycheck Protection Program – The Texas senate sent to the governor legislation to exempt forgiven PPP and EIDL loans from the calculation of gross taxable income. More details.
Liability – Legislation in South Carolina protecting businesses from COVID-related liability is on its way to the governor’s desk for his expected signature. More details.
New York – The legislature passed and sent to the governor’s desk a bill implementing a model infectious disease prevention protocol and mandating employers either adopt it or a similar plan. In addition, it provides guardrails against employees making malicious claims as well as employer retaliation against workers who make claims. More details.
Wages
Delaware – A house committee advanced senate-approved legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15/hr.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Hawaii – Legislation repealing a subminimum wage for people with disabilities passed out of a conference committee and is headed back to both the senate and house floors for final approval. Hawaii’s minimum wage is currently $10.10/hr.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Louisiana – On a 3-2 vote, legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15/hr advanced out of a senate committee.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Washington – The governor signed a bill that would empower employees to place a lien on their employer’s property as a result of unpaid wages.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Los Angeles, CA – During his annual State of the City address, the mayor proposed a guaranteed income program for poor residents, making it the largest U.S. city to test such a policy.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Paid Leave
Federal – President Biden called on every employer in America to offer full pay to their employees for any time off needed to get vaccinated and for any time it takes to recover from the side effects of vaccination.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Oregon – Child care legislation advanced out of a senate committee.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Labor Policy
PRO Act – Senator Joe Manchin announced this week that he will cosponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, bringing the total U.S. Senate sponsors to 47.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
California – The governor signed “right to return” legislation that requires hotel, event center, airport hospitality, and janitorial employers to first rehire workers laid off during the pandemic when jobs become available.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
California – An assembly committee heard AB 257, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards (FAST) Recovery Act.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Montana – Legislation passed the senate that clarifies that the lack of an independent contractor certification does not implicitly denote an employer / employee relationship.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Amazon – The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union filed nearly two dozen objections over the recent election at an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Delivery
Arkansas – The senate passed legislation requiring that third-party delivery services enter into an agreement with a food service establishment (or food retail store) before offering delivery service.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
New York – A bill advanced out of an assembly committee that would require third-party delivery services to have a valid agreement with a merchant.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Rensselaer County, NY – The county legislature voted to cap third-party delivery fees at 15 percent.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Cleveland Heights, OH – The city council unanimously adopted an ordinance capping third-party delivery fees at 15 percent effective immediately.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Dayton, OH – The city passed an ordinance capping third-party delivery fees at 15 percent.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Alcohol
Alabama – Legislation allowing cocktails to-go passed the house and moved to the senate.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
California – A senate committee advanced legislation allowing cocktails to-go.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Iowa – The senate passed house-approved legislation extending delivery privileges of beer, wine, and spirits to third-party platforms like DoorDash and Grubhub.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Oklahoma – The senate passed house-approved legislation allowing cocktails to-go until July 2022.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Tennessee – Legislation passed the house extending by three years the current law for off-premise sales.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Packaging
Arkansas – The governor signed legislation that would preempt localities from regulating, restricting, or taxing auxiliary containers.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Florida – A bill unanimously passed the senate that would require the Department of Environmental Protection to review and update the department’s 2010 Retail Bags Report.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Montana – House-approved legislation preempting localities from enacting any restrictions on packaging passed the senate and is on its way to the governor’s desk.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Washington – House-approved legislation banning the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene beginning June 1, 2023 passed the senate and is on its way to the governor’s desk for his expected signature.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe
Los Angeles, CA – The city council unanimously approved an ordinance to make disposable items such as utensils and napkins available at restaurants only when requested by customers.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe