Washington Column

Snapshot: The Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program

In December of 2000, Congress authorized a Small Business Administration (SBA) program to support women-owned businesses in bidding for federal contracts. The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program allows government contracting officers to set aside contracts specifically for qualifying women-owned businesses in underrepresented and substantially underrepresented North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. A […]

The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program Returns for 2021

On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the “Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act” (the Economic Aid Act) as part of a larger legislative package funding the federal government through September 30, 2021. The Economic Aid Act includes a provision that reopens the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Paycheck Protection […]

What Could an OSHA COVID Standard Look Like?

As COVID-19 cases continue to spike following the Thanksgiving holiday and a widely available vaccine is still months away, calls for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a COVID-19-related Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) have increased. If action to implement an ETS is not taken during the waning days of the Trump administration, […]

More States Legalize Marijuana with November Ballot Initiatives

On November 3, voters in five states overwhelmingly approved ballot measures to legalize medical or adult-use marijuana and impose taxes on marijuana sales ranging from 6.6% to 20%. In New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana, voters approved referendums legalizing recreational marijuana use for anyone at least 21 years old. Voters in South Dakota also […]

Comprehensive Rewrite of Pesticide Regulations Introduced in Congress

Opponents say bill could limit controls available for invasive pests. On August 4, 2020, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) introduced companion legislation that would fundamentally rewrite and amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) – the law governing pesticide use in the United States. S.B. 4406 and […]

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