Rep. Delgado introduces small business legislation
RHINEBECK, NY — U.S. Representatives Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and Beth Van Duyne (TX-24) introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier …
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RHINEBECK, NY — U.S. Representatives Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and Beth Van Duyne (TX-24) introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for small businesses to comply with federal regulations. The One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021 would create a centralized website for small business owners in NY-19 and across the country to access resources and learn more about regulations.
Federal agencies are required to publish small business compliance guides for certain regulations; these guides are housed on different agency websites, making it difficult for small businesses to find and utilize them, they say. The One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act would make these guides more accessible by creating a centralized, online “one-stop-shop” for small business owners.
PENNSYLVANIA — The PennEast Pipeline Company has reportedly decided to drop its eminent domain proceedings against 70 private landowners in Pennsylvania, stating to the press that the company did not think it was “prudent” to continue the action at this time.
“The PennEast pipeline has plagued Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 2014, threatening the intrepid landowners who resisted them and the water quality and environmental integrity of everything along its destructive path, which includes 87 waterways and 53 wetlands in both states,” said Tracy Carluccio, deputy director of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. “We will continue to carry forward our advocacy and our litigation opposing this project to ensure PennEast is completely and permanently stopped.”
HARRISBURG, PA — Governor Tom Wolf announced that commonwealth employees in state health care facilities and high-risk congregate care facilities will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 7. Individuals who are not vaccinated will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Additionally, beginning September 7, all new external hires in these facilities must be vaccinated before commencing employment.
In addition to the ”vaccine or test” requirement, Wolf announced a vaccine incentive for state employees under the governor’s jurisdiction. Starting October 1, all those particular vaccinated state employees are eligible for an additional 7.5 or 8 hours paid time off.
“As a leading employer in Pennsylvania, the commonwealth must stand up and provide an example for other businesses to follow,” said Wolf. “It is vitally important that employees have the confidence that they can safely work and serve their fellow Pennsylvanians. Even more importantly, we hope this incentive will help Pennsylvanians stay healthy and safe from dangerous variants of COVID-19.”
HARRISBURG, PA — A court case from the Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation (PEDF) against the Commonwealth Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) was dismissed on August 6.
In the case, PEDF looked at DCNR’s 2016 State Forest Resource Management Plan (SFRMP), and the clauses therein which handle monies resulting from oil and gas drilling on state forest land. PEDF claimed that, in the 2016 SFRMP, DCNR changed its paradigm for administering state forests to equate the economic values of oil and gas with the value of the forest ecosystem, and violated its fiduciary duties in the process. The court dismissed the case, stating that the SFRMP was an advisory document and not a binding norm, and that there was no action that the court could rule on.
HONESDALE, PA — The Wayne County Commissioners adopted a resolution to extend the Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone (KOEZ) at the Sterling Business & Technology Park, on Route 191/196, in Sterling.
Mary Beth Wood, executive director of the Wayne Economic Development Corp. (WEDCO), said all the parcels in the park received the KOEZ designation in 2013 and the tax benefits extend for 10 years, ending in 2023. If approved by the state, the new term would begin January 1, 2022 and would apply only to the unoccupied lots, not the two already developed sites that are currently in use.
Wood explained that WEDCO plans to construct a 40,600 sq. ft. building on Lot 3 next year, which is projected to create more than 50 jobs; the extension could give the new property owner almost the full term of benefits. Without it, she said, any new property owners would only get benefits through 2023, which is not competitive in the economic development realm and inhibits business attraction efforts in Wayne County.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced three Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) to help local fire companies purchase much-needed personal protective equipment to keep them safe. One went to Honesdale Hose Company No. 1.
The company will receive $4,285.71 to purchase 12 facepieces. According the Honesdale firechief Brian Dulay, the facepieces will be issued to individual firemen, who will keep it with their personal gear, according to COVID-19 considerations of limiting cross contamination.
In awarding the money Cartwright said, “For far too long, both paid and volunteer fire and EMS companies across Northeastern Pennsylvania have seen a decline in personnel. It is imperative we support our first responders, who perform invaluable work for their communities each day, with the necessary equipment they need to do their job and stay safe. I thank the first responders for their dedication and will continue to advocate for federal funding.” Since 2001, the AFG program has provided almost $10 billion in grants to first-responder organizations to obtain emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training.
ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that the Dairy Promotion Order (DPO) Advisory Board has issued an invitation for proposals for dairy and research promotion projects, as part of its $15 million checkoff fund. The invitation solicits proposals for marketing, promotion, and research projects that focus on increasing consumer demand for New York-produced fluid milk and dairy products and further ensuring dairy product safety.
Eligible applicants include non-profit entities, research institutions, and private businesses that are not affiliated with the DPO Advisory Board. Project proposals may not promote a specific brand or trade name.
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