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Update on the Corporate Transparency Act In December, the House passed a bill, H.R. 5119, the “Protect Small Business and Prevent Illicit Financial Activity Act” sponsored by Reps. Nunn (R-IA) and Beatty (D-OH) that would extend some deadlines for the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).  It does not offer a lot of relief, but entities formed…

Register Today for SUBExcel! Early Bird Pricing for SUBExcel Ends This Friday! Register for SUBExcel by January 19th and SAVE $200!  Join us in beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana for ASA’s signature event!  Leaders from across the country will gather together to network with each other, learn from top-notch speakers, and have a blast together! SUBExcel…

Update on the Joint Employer Rule Opponents of the new joint employer standard from the National Labor Relations Board scored a small victory Friday (January 12th) with congressional action taken to attempt to rescind the rule.  The House voted 206-177 on a Congressional Review Act resolution, which allows legislators to reverse an agency’s action.  The…

Secretary of Labor Nomination President Biden nominated Acting Secretary Julie Su to be Secretary of Labor. Su was originally nominated for the post last February but had to be renominated at the beginning of the new year to be confirmed. If she is not confirmed for the post, she will continue to serve as the…

Student Loan Relief The Biden Administration will cancel a student loan debt for some borrowers in his latest effort to provide some relief for student loans after the Supreme Court blocked his initial proposal. The Administration would cancel certain balances under the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. Beginning in February, borrowers who took…

This Week in Congress This week, Congress returned to Washington, D.C. to work on spending bills for the current fiscal year, before funding expires for certain federal agencies. Congressional leaders announced on Sunday afternoon the framework of an agreement that will have to be finalized in the next ten days. Per the agreement, House and…

ASA Comments on OSHA’s Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Panel On December 20, 2023, ASA joined the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) in submitting comments in response to OSHA’s Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Settings.  In accordance with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness…

Department of Labor Announces Final Independent Contractor Rule On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, the Labor Department announced a final rule making it more difficult for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors. The change officially eliminates a 2021 policy by the Trump administration and is intended to ensure that millions of workers, including those in…

Retiring Members of Congress As of this writing, 35 members of the House and seven members of the Senate are not seeking re-election in 2024. Senate: Of the U.S. Senate members not running for re-election, six (Sens. Stabenow (D-MI), Cardin (D-MD), Carper (D-DE), Romney (R-UT), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), and Manchin (D-WV)) announced their retirements from…

The First Session of the Do Nothing 118th Congress With the record of just 20 bills having passed both chambers and been signed into law in 2023, this Congress is on track to be one of the most unproductive in modern history. The vast majority of the bills were uncontroversial and passed by either unanimous…