Issues
The Minnesota Auto Dealers filed a suit against the state of Minnesota today in federal court. The lawsuit is an effort to stop the state from adopting harsher clean car standards set by the state of California. The auto dealers argue that the new standards would raise costs for consumers and hinder their choice of…
The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (The Economic Aid Act) was signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020. This legislation includes a provision for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) lending of forgivable loans to small businesses struggling due to the pandemic. Today, the…
The U.S Department of Labor announced a final rule today clarifying the standards for independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This rule is intended to mitigate worker misclassification by detailing the qualifications for an independent contractor. Under this new rule, independent contractors will continue to use the “economic reality” test to…
NHTSA has recently released an interim final rule that would allow manufacturers in the United States, particularly those manufacturing autonomous vehicles, to obtain permission from NHTSA to manufacture and test vehicles that do not currently comply with the Federal motor safety standards. To date, NHTSA has only allowed manufacturers of foreign vehicles to obtain…
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has extended the deadline to apply for a COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) to December 31, 2021. Loans distributed through the EIDL program differ from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. EIDL loans are not eligible for forgiveness and must be paid back. However, the loans have a…
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced last week the initiation of antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations for the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. These investigations are intended to determine whether or not passenger vehicle and light truck (PVLT) tires from these nations are being dumped in…
The U.S. Congress passed the $900 billion COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Relief Act today. This legislation, which passed along with the $1.4 trillion FY21 budget package, is the second largest stimulus package ever passed, behind the CARES Act, which was passed in March of this year. The bill now goes to the President for signature. President…
The U.S. Congress has released the full text of the new economic stimulus bill. They are expected to vote to pass the legislation later today. To read the full bill text, click here. To read a summary of the legislation, click here.
The U.S. Congress is set to approve a new economic stimulus bill today, including a new round of PPP lending. The new round of PPP will be available to businesses with 300 or less employees who can demonstrate a 25% loss in any quarter of 2020 compared to 2019. The new process also includes a…
Congress Set to Approve on Monday After a weekend of negotiations, the U.S Congress has come to an agreement on economic stimulus legislation for COVID-19 relief. The bill is expected to be voted on and passed Monday. Congressional Democrats released a summary of the legislation this evening. The proposed bill includes $325 billion in funds…