No images? Click here Welcome back to this week's edition of the Washington Weekly newsletter - bringing you the latest and greatest policy updates from Washington, D.C.Save The Date: GCCA Cold Chain Policy Forum in Washington, DC July 26 – July 28 The Cold Chain Policy Forum is the premier policy event and fly-in for businesses engaged in temperature-controlled logistics. It features education sessions and keynote presentations focused on regulations and legislation that directly impact the industry, meetings with key federal agency officials, congressional meetings, and more. Based on recent changes to Washington, DC restrictions on indoor gatherings, GCCA is planning on hosting the Policy Forum IN-PERSON. GCCA will keep you updated should that change. Read more HERE. To register for this event click HERE. OSHA Issues Employer Guidance on Recording Adverse Vaccine ReactionsOn Tuesday, April 20, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance stating employers that require workers to receive Covid-19 vaccinations may need to record adverse reactions in the workplace illness logs they are required to share with the federal government. Employers that require the vaccine would need to record adverse reactions in their OSHA 300 log if it led to the employee missing more than one day of work, required medical treatment beyond first aid, or resulted in restricted work or transfer to another job. Those are the same conditions that trigger mandatory recording of other types of work-related injuries and illnesses. The agency said employers that recommend the vaccine, but don’t require it, don’t need to record adverse reactions. Read the guidance HERE. USDA Seeks Comments on Food System Supply Chains in Response to President Biden’s Executive Order to Support Resilient, Diverse, Secure Supply ChainsOn Wednesday, April 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is seeking comments on a Department-wide effort to improve and reimagine the supply chains for the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural commodities and food products. USDA is taking this action in response to Executive Order 14017, America’s Supply Chains. The comments received will help USDA assess the critical factors, risks, and strategies needed to support resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains and ensure U.S. economic prosperity, national security, and nutrition security for all Americans. USDA will use the comments to prepare a report required by the Executive Order. The comment period will close on May 21, 2021. GCCA will continue to work with USDA as they develop their supply chain report. American Rescue Plan Tax Credits Available to Small Employers to Provide Paid Leave to Employees Receiving COVID-19 VaccinesOn Wednesday, April 21, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced further details of tax credits available under the American Rescue Plan to help small businesses, including providing paid leave for employees receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. Eligible employers, such as businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer than 500 employees and certain governmental employers, can receive a tax credit for providing paid time off for each employee receiving the vaccine and for any time needed to recover from the vaccine. For example, if an eligible employer offers employees a paid day off in order to get vaccinated, the employer can receive a tax credit equal to the wages paid to employees for that day (up to certain limits). Read more about these tax credits HERE. Bipartisan Growing Climate Solution Act Reintroduced in The SenateThis legislation establishes a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) technical assistance and certification program to assist producers and forest owners seeking to participate in voluntary carbon markets. Senator Stabenow (D-MI) and Braun (R-IN) are joined by 34 cosponsors of the bill, including Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) and 12 other committee members, demonstrating that bipartisan, common ground can be found on climate policies. The Growing Climate Solutions Act would ensure agricultural producers and forest owners of all sizes looking to enter the carbon market for the first time have access to reliable information, qualified technical service providers, and third-party verifiers. In addition, the bill establishes a robust USDA advisory council composed of farmers, scientists and other climate stakeholders. Read more about this bill HERE. U.S. Meat Export Federation Opens Registration for Port of Entry Violation Exporter TrainingU.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is continuing its webinar series with an exporter training on FSIS policy for non-conformance issues in international markets. The webinar will include USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) staff discussing FSIS policy related to port of entry violations, plant suspensions, delisting and relisting, and corrective action measures. USMEF staff will also discuss how exporters can work with export services staff to help resolve port of entry issues as efficiently as possible. As a part of GCCA’s relationship with USMEF, GCCA members are invited to participate free of charge. The webinar will be held on Thursday, April 29 at 11:00am ET. To register for this webinar click HERE. |