Legislation – Putnam County Business Council

Government Affairs Council Update | New York State to adopt New CDC Guidance on mask use and social distancing for full vaccinated individuals

Tue, 18 May 2021 16:03:33 +0000

Government Affairs Council Update – Upcoming Events

Two Government Affairs Council meetings have been scheduled for the next few weeks. Join us for a discussion of last-minute legislative issues as the session comes to a close.

DATE: Monday, May 24

TIME: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

DATE: Monday, June 7

TIME: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Impact of Indian Point Closure

With the shutdown of the final electric generating unit at the Indian Point Nuclear Energy Center on, April 30, New York State and the New York Metropolitan area specifically, embarked on a new and uncertain era in maintaining and assuring an adequate and reliable electric power supply.

Richard Ellenbogen and John Ravitz have spent the last 10 years looking closely at the impact of closing of shutting down the source of some 25% of the Metro region’s power, and the political, societal and economic consequences that come with it. Rich, who is a BCW member, serves on the BCW’s Gas Moratorium Task Force and was one of the first businesses to receive the Green Business Certification from the BCW’s Green Business Partnership Program.

The accompanying opinion piece, which was distributed to the media, offers an honest, readable and provocative look into what the future holds. So far, the Op-Ed has been published by several prominent media outlets including Crain’s New York.

Below are links to the coverage.

Crain’s New York

Journal News

Poughkeepsie Journal

Middletown Times Herald-Record

Hudson Register Star

Click here to read the full Op-Ed

New York State to adopt New CDC Guidance on mask use and social distancing for full vaccinated individuals

Governor Cuomo announced that beginning Wednesday, May 19^th, 2021, New York State will adopt the CDC’s “Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People“ for most business and public settings.

Consistent with the CDC guidance, Pre-K to 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and healthcare settings will continue to follow State’s existing COVID-19 health guidelines until more New Yorkers are fully vaccinated.

Please find the announcement from the Governor’s Office here.

REPLAY of the PCBC Legislative Priorities “Town Hall” | Paid Leave Tax Credit for Vaccines

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 16:24:32 +0000

REPLAY of the PCBC Legislative Priorities “Town Hall”

Thank you to those of you who joined us for the PCBC Legislative Priorities “Town Hall” yesterday.

For those of you who could not join us, here is your chance to view the replay

Please click the image below to view.

Paid Leave Tax Credit for Vaccines

A new federal tax credit to give employees of small and medium-sized businesses paid leave to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is now available.

As part of that effort, President Biden is calling 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 after-effects of vaccination. He will announce a paid leave tax credit that will offset the cost for employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide full pay for any time their employees need to get a COVID-19 vaccination or recover from that vaccination.

Employers with less than 500 employees can claim up to $511 per day & per employee to receive a vaccine.

This tax credit is a part of the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

Click here to read the details of the Tax Credit

Mass Vaccination Sites Now Allowing Walk-In Vaccinations for 60 Years of Age and Older

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that beginning Friday, April 23, 16 mass vaccination sites will accept walk-in appointments for individuals age 60 and older. New York State will set aside a vaccine allocation to facilitate this expanded vaccination access. There may be a wait for those opting to walk-in at some sites depending on demand. Additionally, all proof of identity and insurance information, if applicable, will be needed.

Click here to read the full guidance

Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund Information | Re-evaluation of a Targeted EIDL Advance application

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:32:48 +0000

Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund Replay and Information

The US SBA is targeting April to launch a phased rollout of the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). The American Rescue Plan Act, P.L. 117-2, created the RRF to provide restaurants with grants – not loans – potentially equal to pandemic-related revenue losses, up to $10 million per entity, or $5 million per physical location for a certain periods during the pandemic. Restaurants and bars have been among the hardest hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and this program is targeted specifically for them.

Click the video below for the replay of the Webinar held on Wednesday, April 21st.

Please Click HERE to view and download more information.

Re-evaluation of a Targeted EIDL Advance application

Effective immediately, applicants can send a request for reevaluation of a Targeted EIDL Advance application that was declined to the following email address: TargetedAdvanceReevaluation@sba.gov

Applicants should follow these instructions when requesting a reevaluation:

Send email to TargetedAdvanceReevaluation@sba.gov
Use subject line “Reevaluation Request for [insert your 10-digit application number]”
Be sure to include in the body of the email identifying information for the application including application number, business name, business address, business owner name(s), and phone number.

Important: Please also include an explanation and any documentation that addresses the reason for the decline, if available. SBA will contact applicants if additional documentation is required to complete our review.

REGISTER For The PCBC Legislative Priorities “Town Hall” – Thursday, April 29th @ 7:30AM

Thank you very much for your help and assistance in the past for your work with the Putnam County Business Council serving on the task force for “Re-opening Putnam County safely”. Your time is valuable and we appreciate your input and time.

Because of your leadership we would like to invite you to participate in the PCBCs “Legislative Priorities” Meeting. We plan to have a “town hall” style meeting sharing the input we have from our membership survey along with the legislative items we’ve identified over the last year. Attached is a draft of that document for your review. We would love your input prior to the event as well as to add to the discussion. The plan is to present the draft of priorities at the meeting and to gather feedback and additional input from our membership as well as local business owners.

We hope you find this an informative and interactive meeting that will continue the push for the success of the business community in Putnam County. Below is the registration information – we hope you can join us!

DATE: Thursday, 29th April

TIME: 07:30 AM

Please click below to REGISTER

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting

REGISTER for the Preliminary Overview of the Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund – Wednesday April 21st @ 8:30 AM | Commercial Real Estate and The Potential Marijuana Impact

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:50:02 +0000

REGISTER for the Preliminary Overview of the Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund

Join us for a Preliminary Overview of the Restaurant Revitalization Grant Fund

While the information is still early and subject to change this webinar will be looking at how and what we will likely need to prepare to apply, what sort of information will be required and how the RFF may interact with PPP (First or Second Draw) and EIDL or other programs our bars and restaurants may have utilized.

DATE: Wednesday, April 21st

TIME: 8:30 AM

Join us via Zoom or Playback on Facebook/Website

www.putnamcountybusinesscouncil.com

Click Below to Register

Commercial Real Estate and The Potential Marijuana Impact

According to the National Association of Realtors the demand for industrial space and land will remain strong compared to other types of properties. The trends of working from home, the want and need to get outdoors and have a place to breathe, and the continuing expansion of E-Commerce will continue to be the primary drivers of the commercial real estate market. Multi-family dwellings are still in demand even with investors worried about the ability of renters to pay rent. Hospitality and lodging will continue to suffer until the Vaccine starts to make a difference, travel increases, and in-person business begins to resume.

The legalization of Marijuana will be an interesting development for The commercial Real Estate industry. Another recent survey by the National Association of Realtors indicates that “states where medical and recreational marijuana have been legalized for more than three years have seen more increases in demand for commercial properties.” As the NAR report indicates, 42% of those states have seen an increase in demand for warehouses while managing a 27% increase in demand for storefronts and a 21% increase in demand for land.

Many fear the Impact on the residential community as a whole. Years after the legalization of marijuana in California, that same NAR report found that ”60% of Realtors reported no change in property values while 8% reported a slight increase, and 4% reported a significant increase. Between 8-27% of members polled did see a decrease in residential property values near dispensaries, but these results do not comprise the majority opinion.” While property value and demand are only one way to measure the impact of the legalization of marijuana on a community, it seems to be an important one.

A very interesting move by New York State is allowing the municipalities instead of the county to decide if the Town/Village/City will participate with the program. Putnam County has made it very clear that it does not support the legalization of marijuana so it will be interesting to see what the local leaders decide. New York will set a 9 percent sales tax on cannabis plus an additional 4% county and local tax. If a municipality opts in, will the county still collect its portion of the sales tax?

Jennifer Maher

Founding Chairwoman of the Putnam County Business Council

COO J. Philip Real Estate

info@putnamcountybusinesscouncil.com

REGISTER For The PCBC Legislative Priorities “Town Hall” – Thursday, April 29th @ 7:30AM

DATE: Thursday, 29th April

TIME: 07:30 AM

Please click below to REGISTER

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting

REGISTER For The PCBC Legislative Priorities “Town Hall” – Thursday, April 29th @ 8:00AM

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 16:37:39 +0000

DATE: Thursday, 29th April

TIME: 08:00 AM

Please click below to REGISTER

Putnam County Businesses, We Need YOUR Input – Legislative Priorities Survey

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 16:40:05 +0000

Putnam County Businesses, We Need YOUR Input – Legislative Priorities Survey

Putnam County Business Council is an advocacy group for Putnam County Businesses. Each year we create a list of our “legislative priorities” that we share with county and state officials.

We want to ensure that we are representing our members!

Please take a few minutes (no more than 5) to complete this survey and let us know what issues you want to be represented on. We will review the results in a Legislative Priorities Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, April 29 at 8:00 am

We are one powerful, collective voice that can make an impact on our legislature. We need this survey back by next Friday so please find time in your schedule to let your voice be heard.

Please respond to this survey by Friday, April 9.

TAKE THE SURVEY

American Rescue Plan Act Elevates Small Business Support in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 17:24:45 +0000

SBA News Release: American Rescue Plan Act Elevates Small Business Support in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Statement from SBA Senior Advisor Michael Roth

Upon President Biden signing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Senior Advisor Michael Roth stated:

“The American Rescue Plan Act enables the SBA to continue to lift up the cornerstones of our communities; the mom-and-pop businesses and nonprofits that provide essential services for our everyday lives, hire from within neighborhoods, and more. Our nation’s more than 30 million small businesses are the economic engine of this country and, in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on equitable treatment, the SBA will work tirelessly to ensure eligible borrowers will get access to this critical economic relief.”

The American Rescue Plan Act’s Small Business Assistance and Support

The American Rescue Plan Act provides additional relief for the nation’s small businesses and hard-hit industries for programs the SBA is currently administering and adds new efforts, including:

$7.25 billion additional for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including to expand eligibility to additional nonprofits and digital news services
Additional funds are allocated for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, and now allows businesses to apply for both a PPP loan after Dec. 27, 2020, and the SVOG
$15 billion additional for Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance (EIDL) payments, including NEW $5 billion for Supplemental Targeted EIDL Advance payments for those hardest hit
NEW: $28.6 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund for industry-focused grants
NEW: $100 million to establish a Community Navigator pilot program; grants will go to eligible organizations supporting efforts to improve access to COVID–19 pandemic assistance programs and resources.

SBA’s current relief efforts can be found at www.sba.gov/coronavirusrelief, and more details about these program updates and new efforts the SBA will administer in the coming weeks will be located there as well.

Important Updates – American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

This week, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the latest measure from Washington in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. The $1.9 trillion bill was signed yesterday by President Biden and includes many items which may be of interest to economic developers. If you have not already begun discussing economic development uses for upcoming available funding with your local elected officials and stakeholders, you should do so immediately. Some funding will be through grants and with a longer timeframe, while other funding will be in the form of direct assistance to state and local governments. EDAs will receive an additional $3 billion in funding, bringing their total COVID-19-related appropriation to $4.5 billion. We expect the vast majority, if not all, of this latest appropriation to be distributed via competitive grants. We urge you to consider this as a major opportunity for your organization and community. A brief detail of the contents of the bill is included below.

State and Local Aid

The funding must be distributed quickly, though not all at one time. Treasury and states are given 60 days to distribute funds in the first tranche, with additional funds to be made available in one year, pending TBD conditions are met. Funding an ARPA can be used to combat COVID-19 and also cover revenue shortfalls, as well as investments in infrastructure. Costs must be incurred by December 31, 2024, to be eligible.

$195 billion for states and DC
$130 billion for local governments
$20 billion for tribal governments
$4.5 billion for territories

Unemployment

The extension and amount of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation was a contentious issue that almost tanked the bill. In the end, the Senate agreed to keep the supplemental payments at their current level and extended the program by an additional week.

Federal supplemental UI: $300 per week through September 6, 2021 (were set to expire on March 14)
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) extended to from 50 to 79 weeks, which aids workers who otherwise do not qualify for UI
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation extended from 24 to 53 weeks for workers who have exhausted all other benefits
COBRA premiums are subsidized at 100%

SBA-related Initiatives

Restaurant Revitalization Fund established with $28.6 billion in funding for restaurants, caterers, food trucks, and bars
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) receive an additional $15 billion
State-Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is revived with $10 billion in new funding, to be distributed by no later than September 30, 2030
501(c)(5) (unions), 501(c)(7) (social clubs), and 501(c)(8) (fraternal groups) are eligible for PPP loans, and the size of eligible 501(c)(3) groups has been increased to 500 employees; $7.5 billion in additional funding will be made available

Transportation

$30 billion in grants for transit agencies
$8 billion for airport authorities
$3 billion for aviation manufactures; payroll support program with retention requirements; cannot have used other assistance, such as PPP

Education

$40 billion for higher education
$123 billion for K-12
$135 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities

For a detailed analysis of additional items in the bill, please see the links below:

Government Affairs Council Update – Legislative Update

Legislative Update

Federal

This week saw final approval of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, legislation that will provide more than $30 billion to New York’s state and local governments and government programs. Much has already been written on the bill and its funding mechanism. Here are several resource documents we thought would be useful to our members:

An overview prepared for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Senator Schumer’s press release describing funding for New York State and its municipalities

The text of the American Rescue Plan Act in text and pdf format

In addition, The Business Council sent this message to all 213 state legislators in response to the ARPA, calling on the state to reject significant new or increased state taxes as unnecessary given this significant additional federal aid, saying “We are urging the legislature to carefully balance the state’s social and economic development needs while recognizing raising taxes, while the economy remains fragile and the need for additional state resources has already been met, would be a mistake that will further harm New York.”

Staff Contact: Ken Pokalsky

Key NYS Legislative Issues

The following provides an overview and update on several of the most significant non-budget issues we are working on. We welcome your input on these bills, and we urge you to contact your local Senators and Assembly members with your company-specific concerns. Please feel free to contact our issue manager for additional information.

Airborne Pathogens – IMPORTANT

This bill is now on the Assembly Labor Committee

Agenda for Tuesday, March 16. We urge you to contact your Assembly representatives to express your concern. This legislation [S .1034-A (Gianaris)/A.2681-A (Reyes)] would impose additional safety mandates on all employers of 10 or more, and require them to form employer-employee “workplace safety committees” regardless of the employer’s safety experience. We have opposed this legislation, and our memo can be found here. This legislation has already passed the Senate, but has not yet advanced in the Assembly. Its provisions overlap existing federal and state safety provisions and it is simply unnecessary. New York State COVID data shows that workplace safety protocols have been effective during this pandemic.

Staff Contact: Frank Kerbein

Expanded Producer Responsibility

Both houses have introduced legislation that would put significant additional mandates on producers of packaging and certain other materials to assure, and pay for, increased levels of collection, source separation and recycling. Most of the focus has been on the Senate bill [S.1185-B (Kaminsky)] which was introduced January 8 and has been the subject of extensive industry review and comment. Our memo can be found here. Recent amendments made marginal improvements, but the basic structure has not changed. Similar, but not identical, Assembly legislation has recently been introduced in A.5801 (Englebright ). While there is recognition that additional resources will be needed to improve collection, source separation and market development, this legislation goes too far, and would shift both financial and operational responsibility for collection and recycling onto the private sector.

Staff Contacts: Melvin Norris and Joe Foskettp

Antitrust

We oppose S.933 (Gianaris), which would adopt an European Union-style “abuse of dominant market position” approach to antitrust enforcement that could be applied to wide range of business activity, including relatively small business. Our memo can be found here. Intended to target “big tech,” this bill has open-ended definitions of markets and market abuse. It also proposes a significant increase in penalties, up to $100 million for corporate entities. The bill would also require advanced notice to New York State of mergers. Overall, this bill would be a dramatic departure from the historic U.S. approach to antitrust, i.e., a focus on potential harm to consumers. No Assembly “same as” has been introduced this session; last year, the bill was carried by Assemblyman Dinowitz, and we expect the Assembly companion bill to be introduced shortly.

Staff Contact: Lev Ginsburg

Privacy

We continue to respond to the “New York Data Accountability and Transparency Act” proposal in the Executive Budget [S.2505/A.3005, Part II]. Many provisions are similar to those contained in the 2020 NY Privacy Act (S.5642 (Thomas)/A.8526 (Rosenthal). However, key changes in the budget bill include the elimination of a private right of action, and elimination of a data “fiduciary” standard. Many states are pursuing legislation, an approach that would create a patchwork of compliance obligations rather than a a single national standard – which is industry’s preferred approach. We have a number of other issues that need to be addressed in both budget bill and legislative proposal. As was the case with earlier breech of data legislation, we look forward to successfully negotiating on these and other key issues.

Staff Contact: Johnny Evers

E-LEARN

We oppose this legislation [S.3184 (Mayer)/A.5180 (Benedetto )], which imposes significant new assessments on broadband providers for the purposes of providing discounted internet access to students and schools. We recognize the importance of access to affordable broadband service, but we oppose this approach. Communications providers are already investing billions annually to expand the system. This legislation would take away from those efforts. Further, the bill runs contrary to systems utilized under the “Broadband for All” program under which grants have been established to expand broadband access and infrastructure and spread the burden of support across the competitive markets. Further, the bill impacts rates by mandating certain levels for retail rates and forbidding rate increases – actions prohibited under the federal Communications Act. Finally, broadband providers have instituted programs to help low-income customers obtain coverage, particularly for work and education purposes. Staff Contact: Johnny Evers

Business Workforce Survey

The Business Council has partnered with the New York State Department of Labor on a statewide business workforce survey in order to better understand current and anticipated future needs of the business community and seek a better outline, based on data, where & how to position resources.

Survey will close Friday, March 19, 2021. Don’t delay, complete the survey today!

Take the Survey

NYS Coronavirus Updates | 2021 New Legislators’ Town Hall

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 17:21:27 +0000

NYS Coronavirus Updates

A new state-run vaccination site opened at the Dome Arena in Henrietta, New York.

As with other state-run vaccination sites, vaccinations are by appointment only. New Yorkers can utilize the State’s “Am I Eligible” app or call the New York State Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4VAX (1-833-697-4829) to determine eligibility and schedule an appointment, if available. Appointments to receive the second dose at these sites are scheduled in-person after receiving the first dose. New Yorkers should not attempt to book their second appointment online.

The pace of first-dose vaccine administration is accelerating.

New York State is now averaging approximately 65,000 shots per day and we have administered 86 percent of the state’s first-dose vaccine allocation from the federal government (excludes the federal Long Term Care Facility program).

Four new cases of the UK variant have been reported in New York State.

Two of the cases were identified in Saratoga County and two in Suffolk County. To date, there are 22 known cases of the variant in New York State. The Wadsworth Lab is also continuously testing for other COVID-19 virus strains and so far, no other variants besides the UK strain have been found in New York.

Gov. Cuomo announced a new proposal to help small businesses impacted by COVID as part of his Fiscal Year 2022 Executive Budget.

The Pandemic Recovery and Restart Program is a $130 million proposal to help small businesses that were most impacted by COVID recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Program would establish three new tax credits and expand a fourth tax credit to help small businesses, arts and theatrical industries, restaurants, and other businesses to bring back jobs and help the economy recover faster.

Read the full article HERE

2021 New Legislators’ Town Hall

Join us as we hear from several new legislators’ as they begin the 2021 legislative session. This is a great opportunity to speak with the individuals responsible for helping New York State recover from the coronavirus pandemic. These new lawmakers will make decisions on how to best address the state’s multiple billion dollar budget deficit and how to help businesses as they attempt to recover from a turbulent 2020.

There is no fee to attend this event, but registration is required.

DATE: Thursday, Jan 28 2021

TIME: 2:00pm

President Trump Signs Fiscal 2021 Omnibus and COVID-19 Relief Bill

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:54:14 +0000

President Trump Signs Fiscal 2021 Omnibus and COVID-19 Relief Bill

Last night, President Trump signed the COVID relief bill that had several provisions affecting human resources. Most importantly:

Mandatory FFCRA Leave Ends on December 31, 2020

There is no extension of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) paid sick leave/paid FMLA benefits. Employees are not entitled to additional FFCRA leave after December 31, 2020. As of January 1, 2021, covered private-sector employers may voluntarily provide paid leave that otherwise would have qualified for FFCRA if the FFCRA had not expired, and if they do, they may take the tax credit associated with this leave. The tax credit may only be taken for leave through March 31, 2021.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

An additional $284 billion is allocated for the PPP. In addition, PPP eligibility is expanded to include all nonprofits, including 501(c)(6) organizations, with some limitations based on employment (under 300) and lobbying activity (less than 15% of expenditures). Businesses that already received a PPP loan will be eligible to get a second one under the new terms. Some of the PPP funds will be set aside for the smallest businesses and community-based lenders and provides $20 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loans grants for smaller businesses. A summary of the PPP provisions can be found here.

EIDL Grants

The new law reopens the $10,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) Grant program. Priority for the full amount of the EIDL grant will be given to businesses with less than 300 employees, located in low-income neighborhoods, who have experienced a 30 percent reduction in gross receipts during any 8-week period between March 2, and December 31, 2020 compared to a comparable 8-week period before March 2. If you meet this description and received a grant that is less than $10,000 you can reapply to receive the difference.

Extension of the Employee Retention Tax Credit

The bill extends (through June 30, 2021) and expands the refundable Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), which was established in the CARES Act. The credit rate is increased from 50 percent to 70 percent of qualified wages; expands eligibility for the credit by reducing the required year-over year gross receipts decline from 50 percent to 20 percent and provides a safe harbor allowing employers to use prior quarter gross receipts to determine eligibility; increases the 100-employee delineation for determining the relevant qualified wage base to employers with 500 or fewer employees, and allows businesses with PPP loans to qualify, among other changes

Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Arrangements

The bill allows taxpayers to rollover unused amounts in their health and dependent care flexible spending arrangements from 2020 to 2021 and from 2021 to 2022. This provision also permits employers to allow employees to make a 2021 mid-year prospective change in contribution amounts.

Employer-provided Student Loan Repayment

The CARES Act temporarily allowed employers to provide student loan repayment as a benefit to employees through December 31, 2020. Under this provision, an employer may contribute up to $5,250 annually toward an employee’s student loans, and such payment would be excluded from the employee’s income. The $5,250 cap applies to both the new student loan repayment.

An Extension of Expanded Unemployment Insurance

The bill extends two Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) unemployment programs for 11 weeks. Specifically, the bill provides $300 per week for all workers receiving unemployment benefits, through March 14, 2021. The bill also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, with expanded coverage to the self-employed, gig workers, and others in non-traditional employment, and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides additional weeks of federally funded unemployment benefits to individuals who exhaust their regular state benefits. Additionally, the bill increases the maximum number of weeks an individual may claim benefits through the combination of regular state unemployment plus the PEUC program, or through the PUA program, to 50 weeks. The bill also provides an extra benefit of $100 per week for certain workers who have both wage and self-employment income but whose base UI benefit calculation does not take their self-employment into account.

Deduction for Business Meals

The bill provides a temporary allowance of full deduction for business meal food and beverage expenses provided by a restaurant that are paid or incurred in 2021 and 2022. Currently, the deduction is available for only 50 percent of such expenses.

This is a developing story, and we will continue to update this information as further guidance becomes available.

Election 2020: Finding Balance & Acceptance | Shop Small Studio | REGISTER for the PCBC (Virtual) Traveling Network – Connecting Cross-County Businesses

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 17:20:55 +0000

Election 2020: Finding Balance & Acceptance

Marred by doubt, disruption, and obstruction, the Presidential election has been like a death by a thousand cuts. Most of us are in a state of confusion, disbelief, and fear. Yet, this morning, after reading through a ton of articles by economic experts, I felt hopeful about a financial recovery for the first time in nearly eight months. Here is why.

Last week, while the market adjusted its sails in anticipation of a “Blue Wave”, the projected Democratic sweep amounted to more of a conspicuous polling discrepancy than a domination. Nevertheless, the Dow continues to rise – a strong indication that Investors are confident in the economy and its recovery, regardless of who is elected. This got me thinking and digging deeper.

While Wall Street typically favors a Republican-led White House, stock prices were moving up when polls indicated that Democrats would hold sway in both the Executive and Legislative Branch. Perhaps it was the hope of a beefy relief package that the Market was clamoring for and banking on. Even Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has voiced strong support for the passing of another stimulus bill before the end of the year. According to the Financial Times, if you look back through our history, the best period for U.S. stocks has been under a Democratic administration and a split congress.

From an economic viewpoint, if we follow Wall Street’s instincts and view all potential outcomes of this election as a balance, rather than cause for increased divisiveness, we can heal and prosper. Many people are fearful of the economy under a Biden presidency. Yet it seems even with the potential of a new Democratic administration, the Republican-led Senate will likely halt any corporate tax increases, a key point of apprehension from Wall Street. With the Federal Reserve continuing its “accommodative” stance, and minimal risk of tax increases and regulatory interference, combined with a Federal Stimulus Package, a rosier economic outlook may begin to bloom.

This is an unpredictable and unsettling time for the country and our county. We, as a community, must challenge ourselves to find common ground and start to make our way out of this mess. The future depends on it.

Jennifer Maher

Chairwoman

Putnam County Business Council.

REGISTER for the PCBC (Virtual) Traveling Network – Connecting Cross-County Businesses

Join PCBC members and guests for an opportunity to meet new business contacts, collaborators, and customers. Our Traveling Network events are designed to move around the county to host towns and villages, as well as offering opportunities for industry clusters to collaborate, network, and refer business. Until we safely rein in the pandemic, our “traveling” will be virtual.

Our first event takes place on Thursday, November 12th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm with our co-host, the Putnam Valley Business Network.

WHEN: Thursday, November 12th; 6:30pm to 8:30pm

LOCATION: Virtual via Zoom

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

REGISTER in advance for this webinar:

Shop Small Studio

The holidays are just around the corner – and they’re going to look a little different this year. Your support is integral to the Shop Small movement. Thanks for helping us encourage your community to share joy and Shop Small all season long.

Tell small businesses in your community about the Shop Small Studio

The Shop Small Studio is an online resource that small business owners can use to create and download complimentary custom marketing materials in just two minutes or less. From signage to social media posts, these materials can help small business owners encourage customers to Shop Small safely on Small Business Saturday^® (November 28) and all season long.

Share this helpful one-pager to get the word out

You can easily download this informative Shop Small Studio one-pager to share with small businesses. It tells them how to use the Shop Small Studio to promote their business – and reminds them to encourage their customers to Shop Small and share joy all holiday season long.

DOWNLOAD

Reminder – New York Changes Travel Restrictions

This week, Governor Cuomo modified his previous travel advisory policy of requiring all travelers (excluding essential workers) who travel to restricted states to quarantine for 14-days, to a policy that will allow travelers to any non-contiguous state to “test out” of the quarantine requirement. This will have a significant impact on employers with employees traveling to any state that does not share a border with New York for personal or professional travel. This modified advisory took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, and remains in place until rescinded by the Commissioner of Health.

Webinar – Remote Work Beyond COVID-19

Practical and Legal Considerations

Our friends at hrsimple are hosting a webinar on November 18th that will cover how remote work has and will affect labor and employment laws during and after COVID-19.

Registration Available – Fall 2020 Labor/HR Webinar Series

The 2021 Human Resources Legislative Agenda

Members Only

Thursday, November 12

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

We need your help! This will be your opportunity to discuss what issues are important to you and help shape The Business Council’s 2021 legislative agenda. Where do you stand on the legalization of cannabis including employers right to test applicants/employees? What changes do we need to make to the new paid sick leave law? Where do you stand on preemployment credit and criminal background checks? And more. This will be an interactive webinar – we are seeking your participation.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Year End Legislative Review/Year Ahead Preview

Thursday, December 17

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This will be our chance to take a breath and review all that’s happened in 2020 and what we expect to happen in 2021. If you are planning on updating your handbook in early 2021, this program will cover all you need to consider.

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Implementing New York State’s Paid Sick Leave Law

Thursday, November 19

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

By now we will most assuredly have guidance from the NYS Department of Labor. We’ll review the guidance and discuss best strategies and practices on implementing the new employer mandate including how it will work with all the other leave laws.

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COVID-19 News & Updates

The surge in cases around the country and the globe is a stark reminder that this pandemic is far from over, and while we are doing a good job keeping our positivity rate low, we must remain vigilant in monitoring the infection rate throughout the state. We’re staying on top of this situation by continuing our aggressive micro-cluster strategy, expanding testing capacity and enforcing compliance of the public health law. But New Yorkers must continue to practice the basic daily behaviors that make such a difference in our ability to slow the spread. Be vigilant, mask up, social distance, wash your hands and keep being New York Tough. It’s going to take the work of all New Yorkers to beat this virus and we have to work together.

The positivity rate in the “micro-cluster” focus areas fell to 2.69 percent yesterday.

The statewide positivity rate excluding these areas was 1.42 percent. Of the 133,534 tests reported yesterday, 2,126, or 1.59 percent, were positive. Total hospitalizations were at 1,253. Sadly we lost 14 New Yorkers.

Ski resorts can reopen with 50 percent indoor capacity starting this Friday, November 6th.

There will be strict health and safety protocols put in place, including masks required at all times, except when eating/drinking or skiing/snowboarding, restricting gondolas and ski lifts to members of the same party, and limiting lessons to no more than 10 people.

To date, New York has conducted over 15 million tests.

We continue to lead the nation in testing and remember, any New Yorker who wants a COVID test can get tested. If you are experiencing COVID symptoms or believe you may have been exposed to someone positive for COVID, get tested. FIND a testing site near you.

Ads from the “Mask Up America” campaign have been seen 43 million times.

The national campaign with videos featuring the voices of Ellen Pompeo, Paul Rudd, Billy Crystal, Anthony Mackie and more, have aired on TVs across the country and reached millions. Watch all the ads HERE.

Legislative Update

Tax and Revenue Proposals

With the state facing a significant budget deficits, there will be tremendous pressure in Albany for new revenue measures. Even without the COVID-related deficits, there were calls for significantly increased spending on programs ranging from health care, education and childcare to public infrastructure and green energy. Moreover, “progressive” advocates (i.e., https://makebillionairespay.info/) are pushing a number of tax proposals not just to generate revenues, but to address broad “equity” issues. This memo provides an overview of current major revenue proposals being tracked by our Tax Committee, including several new areas of focus. In addition, it identifies a number of tax reform proposals that we support and that we will be advocating for in the 2021 legislative session. We welcome you input on any of these issues.

Contact: Ken Pokalsky

“No Fault” Repeal

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, long-time Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, recently introduced A.11026, which would repeal the state’s “No-Fault” automobile insurance law in five years. The sponsor’s memo states, “Advocates for comprehensive no-fault reform have demonstrated its failures, including abuse due to fraudulent claims and activities, sky-rocketing premiums and costs, questionable benefit thresholds, protracted processes and redundancy in primary health insurance. In fact, states such as Nevada, Georgia, Connecticut and Colorado have repealed their no-fault laws in favor of other insurance models.” Conversations with the sponsor’s office indicate that this marks the beginning of a multi-party conversation on no-fault insurance reform. The Business Council will continue to monitor the issue and will take an active role in any hearings or working groups to follow. The bill currently has no sponsor in the Senate. Please contact Lev Ginsburg for more information or to provide input on this proposal.

Contact: Lev Ginsburg

Litigation Update

Important Workers’ Compensation Case

Last week the NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, handed down a decision in CAPRARO v. MATRIX ABSENCE MANAGEMENT et al ., which could have a serious impact on employers with employees working remotely from home. The case arises out of an injury sustained by an employee in his home while moving boxes of furniture that he intended to use for work. The employee had requested that his employer purchase said furniture and the employer denied the request. The court held that the Workers’ Compensation Board’s standard for employees working from home under which injuries are only compensable if occurring during regular work hours and while the employee is actively engaged in work duties as opposed to, for example, taking a short break or using the bathroom, is unsupported by precedent. The WCB was ordered to apply a standard which would determine whether claimant was engaged in a “purely personal” activity that was not “reasonable and sufficiently work related under the circumstances” with the court finding that “In making that assessment, the Board should bear in mind that a short break or some similar “[m]omentary deviation from the work routine for a customary and accepted purpose” does not constitute an interruption in employment sufficient to bar a claim for benefits.” “Likewise, although claimant was injured during his lunch hour, that fact alone “does not render injuries non-compensable provided other facts requisite to recovery exist” and recovery may still lie if the injurious act of moving furniture acquired for work use was “sufficiently work related and, therefore, not purely personal” under the correct standard.” This loose standard could have far-reaching implications for employers with remote employees. The Business Council will continue to monitor this case and will be poised to opine through an amicus brief should the parties appeal. This case, as all other cases, is fact-specific. Individual remote work agreements, arrangements and policies may differ and could render different results. We will update you on any forthcoming actions in the case and any others that have broad impact on employers.

Staff Contact: Frank Kerbein