Top 10 Producer Honors Are Awarded to Brian Lefkoff and Courtney Brumbelow of Ackerman Retail and John Speros of the Land Group

The firm received PSN's 6- Star and 5-Star recognition for its Balanced Portfolio for the 5-year period ending December 31, 2019

The Business Brokers of Florida Annual Awards Announced Michael Shea as Top Broker in Central Florida

Also: Math for Programmers!; If #Programming languages had honest slogans #humor; 5 Papers on CNNs Every Data Scientist Should Read; Why Understanding CVEs Is Critical for Data Scientists

Also: Should Data Scientists Model COVID19 and other Biological Events; 5 Papers on CNNs Every Data Scientist Should Read; 24 Best (and Free) Books To Understand Machine Learning; Mathematics for Machine Learning: The Free eBook; Find Your Perfect Fit: A Quick Guide for Job Roles in the Data World

Also: A Concise Course in Statistical Inference: The Free eBook; ML Ops: Machine Learning as an Engineering Discipline; Learning during a crisis (#DataScience 90-day learning challenge) ; Free High-Quality Machine Learning & Data Science Books & Courses: Quarantine Edition

This year's KDD Cup features four distinct tracks that welcome participants to tackle challenges in e-commerce, generative adversarial networks, automatic graph representation learning (AutoGraph) and mobility-on-demand (MoD) platforms. Winners will be recognized at KDD 2020, the leading interdisciplinary conference in data science, in San Diego on August 23-27, 2020.

Also: Coronavirus COVID-19 Genome Analysis using Biopython; LSTM for time series prediction; A Concise Course in Statistical Inference: The Free eBook; Exploring the Impact of Geographic Information Systems

At present, the data scientist is one of the most sought after professions. That’s one of the main reasons why we decided to cover the latest data visualization tools that every data scientist can use to make their work more effective.

What are Some 'Advanced ' #AI and #MachineLearning Online Courses?; 24 Best (and Free) Books To Understand Machine Learning; Top 5 must-have #DataScience skills for 2020

Also: Introducing MIDAS: A New Baseline for Anomaly Detection in Graphs; The Super Duper NLP Repo: 100 Ready-to-Run Colab Notebooks; Five Cool Python Libraries for Data Science.

Usually, you are more prone to infections due to a weakened immune system. In my case, my lower body muscles had stiffened up and it had become extremely difficult for me to sit on the floor or squat or even bend for a few seconds. Body needs a lot of rest after undergoing a serious ailment. Instead of pushing the your body, understand the body’s needs and abilities and respect it. This is a temporary phase and it will recover, do not worry. In the meantime, eat healthy and protect your body from all factors which may make you fall sick.

The post How to Stop Getting Sick all the time after a serious illness? appeared first on Perfect Skin Care for you.

Boris Groysberg, Harvard Business School professor.

Jean Martin and Conrad Schmidt, executive directors of the Corporate Executive Board's Corporate Learning Council based in Washington, DC.

Greg McKeown, author of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," on the importance of being "absurdly selective" in how we use our time.

Bill George and Mihir Desai, professors at Harvard Business School, explain why our corporate tax code is driving American business overseas.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor at University College London and Columbia University and CEO of Hogan Assessments, explains how the fad for strengths-based coaching may actually be weakening us.

Jerry Seinfeld shares his insights into innovation, self-criticism, and how to know when to quit. The U.S. comedian conquered 1990s television with his sitcom and is now finding a new audience for his online talk show, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."

Elena Botelho, partner at leadership advisory firm ghSmart, talks about the disconnect between the stereotype of the CEO and what research shows actually leads to high performance at that level. She says the image of the charismatic, tall male with a top university degree who’s a strategic visionary and makes great decisions under pressure is a pervasive one. However, research shows that four behaviors more consistently lead to high performance in the corner office: 1) deciding with speed and conviction 2) engaging for impact 3) adapting proactively 4) delivering reliably. Botelho is the co-author of the article “What Sets Successful CEOs Apart” in the May-June 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review.

Dan McGinn, senior editor at Harvard Business Review, talks about what businesspeople can learn from how top performers and athletes prepare for their big moments. In business, a big sales meeting, presentation, or interview can be pivotal to success. The same goes for pep talks that motivate employees. McGinn talks about both the research and practical applications of mental preparation and motivation. He’s the author of the book, "Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed." His article, “The Science of Pep Talks,” is in the July-August 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review.

Pablo Isla, the CEO of Inditex, is No. 1 on Harvard Business Review’s list of “The Best-Performing CEOs in the World 2017.” He opens up about his management style and reflects on his tenure leading the Spanish clothing and accessories giant, whose brands include Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Pull&Bear. Successful fast fashion takes much more than speed, he says. Isla discusses aspects of the company’s business model: source close to headquarters, entrust store managers with product orders, and treat what’s sold in stores and online as one stock. He also forecasts the future of physical stores.

Rose Hollister and Michael Watkins, consultants at Genesis Advisers, argue that many companies today are taking on too many initiatives. Each manager might have their own pet projects they want to focus on, but that trickles down to lower level workers dealing with more projects at a time that they can handle, or do well. This episode also offers practical tips for senior-level leaders to truly prioritize the best initiatives at their company — or risk losing some of their top talent. Hollister and Watkins are the authors of the HBR article "Too Many Projects." with. They are the authors of "Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women.”

Safi Bahcall, a former biotech CEO, began his career as a theoretical physicist before joining the business world. He compares the moment that innovative companies become complacent ones to a glass of water freezing, becoming ice. The elements are the same, but the structure of the company has changed. Bahcall offers ways for growing companies to avoid these inevitable forces and continue to innovate. He's the author of the book "Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries" and the HBR article “The Innovation Equation."

Eugene Soltes, associate professor at Harvard Business School, studies white-collar crime and has even interviewed convicts behind bars. While most people think of high-profile scandals like Enron, he says every sizable organization has lapses in integrity. He shares practical tools for managers to identify pockets of ethical violations to prevent them from ballooning into serious reputational and financial damage. Soltes is the author of the HBR article “Where Is Your Company Most Prone to Lapses in Integrity?”

For dog and cat lovers who love their martinis shaken, not stirred or wine connoisseurs expecting their Cabernet or Chablis poured just so, Paws4Claws offers the top product cat and dog themed products to bring sure to bring holiday cheer!

The spread of coronavirus is creating significant disruption for many businesses. More and more companies are encouraging employees to work remotely, primarily in a Work from Home (WFH) arrangement. The ability to have your company thrive in these challenging conditions… Read More

The post Top 5 Ways Your Business Can Leverage Technology for Remote Work appeared first on Anders CPAs.

The Situation Where service goes, Meg Stagina will follow. After all, as Executive Director of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society, the recognized professional resource for dentists in both their business and in their patients’ care, she knows a thing or two about how exceeding service standards leads to patient acquisition and retention for her...

The post Following Top-Tier Service to Navigate Change for the Greater St. Louis Dental Society appeared first on Anders CPA.

Netflix

• This week's most popular movies on Netflix include its original thriller "Dangerous Lies" and "Den of Thieves."
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular movies on Netflix every Friday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Netflix action movie "Extraction" is pacing to be the streaming giant's biggest movie premiere ever, but it was dethroned this week as the service's most popular movie. Another Netflix original, "Dangerous Lies," stole the crown.

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which movies have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. On Reelgood, users can browse Netflix's entire movie library and sort by IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

This week's list also includes "Den of Thieves," another movie starring Gerard Butler after his "Angel Has Fallen" enjoyed a few weeks on the list.

But the real winner this week is Netflix itself, as five of the seven movies on the list are Netflix originals. 

7. "The Willoughbys" (2020 — Netflix original)

Netflix description: "Four siblings with horribly selfish parents hatch a plan to get rid of them for good and form a perfectly imperfect family of their own."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

What critics said: "Though the film-makers are indebted to Edward Gorey and Lemony Snicket — and pay musical homage to Mark Mothersbaugh's work on The Royal Tenenbaums — they find their own voice, when it counts." — London Evening Standard

6. "Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story" (2020 — Netflix original)

Netflix description: "After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 75%

What critics said: "A moving reflection of what criminal justice reform means in personal terms." — New York Times

5. "Arctic Dogs" (2019)

Netflix description: "When he stumbles upon evil Otto Von Walrus's scheme to melt the Arctic, ambitious delivery fox Swifty assembles a ragtag crew to protect the planet."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 13%

What critics said: "There's really not much to recommend about this film: the animation lacks texture, the score is overwrought, the plotting is scattershot, and the character design is uninspired." — AV Club

See Also:

• The top 19 TV shows people have started watching while social distancing, from 'Schitt's Creek' to 'Breaking Bad' and 'Ozark'
• Nicolas Cage will play Joe Exotic of 'Tiger King' in a scripted TV series
• The top 5 TV shows returning in May, from 'Homecoming' to 'Dead to Me'

SEE ALSO: Insiders say major questions hang over DC Universe as its parent company prepares to launch Netflix rival HBO Max

MLB Spring Training is in full swing, and one of the most buzzed about topics down in Florida this year was Bryce Harper signing the biggest MLB contract in history. With a 13-year contract of $330 million, you can only… Read More

The post Spring Training 2019: New Tax Law Swings Away at Top Earning Players appeared first on Anders CPAs.

The Situation
Where service goes, Meg Stagina will follow. After all, as Executive Director of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society, the recognized professional resource for dentists in both their business and in their patients’ care, she knows a thing… Read More

The post Following Top-Tier Service to Navigate Change for the Greater St. Louis Dental Society appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Take Action: Tell the Senate to Vote on NECA-Supported Cadillac Tax Repeal!

NECA Legislative Update for the week of November 22, 2019

1. Multiemployer Pension Reform Update

Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairmen of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee and the Senate Finance Committee, respectively, published a white paper on November 20 with their initial proposals for solving the crisis and challenges facing the multiemployer pension system. This document is the first proposal of weight coming from Republican Senate leaders but is not a legislative text, or a declared bill. The white paper is intended to begin a more in-depth discussion on potential fixes and should be understood as the starting point of negotiations.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA will submit comments and continue working with Members of Congress and meeting with congressional leaders and staff on this matter before final legislation is introduced to make sure the industry’s needs are met. While the white paper includes composite plan design and other beneficial aspects, there are revisions that should ultimately be made. To that end, NECA will focus its advocacy on the following topics:

• Maintaining Responsible Employer Premiums
• Limiting the Damages of Withdrawal Liability
• Passing Innovative Composite Plan Design

As this is the initial proposal in a multifaceted negotiation, we continue to urge restraint from our membership. Your government affairs team will tirelessly work on your behalf to represent your companies and our industry to insure we achieve a positive result.

More information can be found here

2. 2020 Legislative Conference Dates Announced

The NECA 2020 National Legislative Conference will be held April 27-30, 2020 in Washington, DC.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA looks forward to welcoming our contractors to the nation’s capital for another year of advocating for our industry.

3. Take Action on Nuclear Powers America Act

Tell Congress to support the bipartisan Nuclear Powers America Act (H.R. 2314/S. 1134). This legislation will help NECA contractors by extending the ITC to include nuclear work by creating a 30 percent tax credit for refueling costs and qualified nuclear power plant capital expenditures for each taxable year through 2023. Thereafter, the credit rate would be reduced until it reached 10 percent in 2026. Nuclear power accounts for 20% of the nation’s electrical supply, produces more than 60% of the emissions-free generation in America, supporting 475,000 jobs.

NECA’s Look Ahead: Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) introduced the NECA-supported bipartisan Nuclear Powers America Act (H.R.2314 / S.1134). NECA has long advocated for a diverse portfolio of energy sources especially, clean and renewable energy sources such as nuclear power.

This week in Government Affairs, Federal Government consolidates platforms for federal work, NECA urges Congress to pass appropriations bills before deadline and 2019 NECAPAC contributions deadline announced.

This week in government affairs: NECA opposes bill to raise top tax rate for pass-throughs, NECA member testifies before the house small business committee and NECA Wins in NDAA.

1. NECA Wins in Year-End Funding Bills

On December 17, 2019, Congress passed two funding bills, H.R. 1158, FY2020 Consolidated National Security Appropriations Package and H.R. 1865, FY2020 Consolidated Domestic and International Assistance Package, both resulting in big wins for NECA contractors.

NECA’s Look Ahead: In addition to ensuring the full operation of the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020, several of NECA’s top legislative priorities were included:

• Full repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) 40 percent “Cadillac Tax”

• Allowing 529 savings accounts to be used for costs associated with Department of Labor (DOL) registered apprenticeship programs

• Seven-year reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

• Extension of the National Flood Insurance Program

• Full repeal of health insurance tax (HIT) and the medical device excise tax

• Seven-year authorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank

• An extension of 179D energy efficiency tax deduction retrospectively from 2017 and prospectively through 2020

• $1 billion for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants

Summaries of the package can be found below:

Full Package Summary – H.R. 1158

Full Package Summary – H.R. 1865

Division Q – Summary (Revenue Provision Amendment)

2. USMCA Passes the House

On December 19, 2019, the House passed, in a 385 to 41 vote, the NECA-supported United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), H.R. 5430, to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

NECA’s Look Ahead: Now that the USMCA has passed the House, it will move to the Senate. Under the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the bill procedurally spends up to 15 legislative session days in the Senate Finance Committee. Then, there are up to 15 session days for the Senate to vote on the floor. With Impeachment Articles passed from the House taking precedent, USMCA is unlikely to see a Senate vote any time before late February.

3. Impeachment Update

On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives took up impeachment procedure and  passed H. Res. 755 – “Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors” by a vote of  230 – 197, 1 for Article I and by a vote of 229 – 197, 1 for Article II.

NECA’s Look Ahead: It remains unclear when the two articles of impeachment will reach the Senate. When they do arrive to the Senate, it is expected that the Senate will begin the trail immediately.  

NECA's top three legislative items for the week of January 6, 2020.

NECA's legislative top three for the week of January 17, 2020

This week in NECA Government Affairs we spotlight infrastructure legislation, the new SBA Administrator and the newly signed US/China Trade Agreement.

Top three in Government Affairs for the week of January 31.

NECA Government Affairs top three for the week of February 7, 2020.

1. Hearing on Expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the issue of paid family leave. This hearing examined the different ways that the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) could be updated to best benefit employees, employers, and the American economy. Among suggested updates are expanding eligibilty under the FMLA, reducing exclusions, promoting tax cuts to businesses that provide paid leave, and increasing employee access to additional paid leave options.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA will continue to monitor this issue as different solutions to paid family and medical leave are presented, working with legislators to reduce the impact on the electrical construction industry. 

2. President Trump Releases Budget Proposal to Congress 

On March 11, 2019, President Donald Trump released his budget proposal to Congress, “A Budget for America’s Future”. The budget and detailed summaries are found here. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: The President’s budget in its current form will not be passed by Congress to become law. The budget is largely seen as a political document. Regarding government funding, the House is expected to introduce the twelve appropriations bills in Subcommittee by the end of April, with the full committee hearings expected in May. The goal is to pass the twelve bills through the House by July. The Senate is expected to pass their version in June.

3. Your Vote Counts!

The 2020 state primary elections are coming up, so be sure to make your vote count! NECA contractors are uniquely positioned to play an important part in our nation's electoral process. NECA is a diverse organization comprised of many voices and election day is your opportunity to make your voice heard.  

NECA’s Look Ahead: Be sure you are registered to vote in your state before election day and research the candidates on your ballot to see where they stand on issues important to you.

1. Senate to Vote on America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act 

On February 12, 2020, NECA joined dozens of other organizations and sent a letter to Senate leadership urging quick action on the NECA-supported America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA) (S. 2302).

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA has long believed that we must find a sustainable solution to our nation’s surface transportation. We were encouraged last summer when the bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) and was the largest highway bill ever passed, authorizing $287 billion over five years. We will be continuing to urge the swift passage of this important legislation.

2. Take Action: Tell Your Representative to Support H.R. 5644 to Prohibit Reverse Auctions

The Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act of 2020 (H.R. 5644) would prohibit the use of reverse auctions on federal construction projects. The Senate already passed this important legislation, and NECA remains optimistic that this sensible reform can pass the House and be enacted into law. Tell your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 5644 today!

NECA’s Look Ahead: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a report stating that using reverse auctions to procure construction services did not guarantee the lowest price nor did it establish any clear benefits over the traditional sealed-bid approach. Awarding contracts solely on price requires contractors to cut costs in materials and labor, ignoring the importance of quality construction and the consideration of life-cycle costs.

3. Recess Weeks are for In-District Visits

Congress was in recess this week, which is the perfect opportunity to set up a meeting with your Member of Congress at home in your districts. In-district visits are a great opportunity for your congressman to tour your company, jobsite, or training center to learn about NECA and the electrical contracting industry. Visit NECA’s Congressional Visit Toolkit to learn how to set up your meeting today!

NECA’s Look Ahead: Remember, you can earn 5 points for your NECA chapter with each in-district visit in the Chairman’s Challenge. You can also earn points for sending a letter through our Legislative Action Center or attending the upcoming National Legislative Conference. 

1. New Joint Employer Rule Issued by the NLRB

On February 25, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board released the details of a new joint-employer liability rule. This new rule, which began the regulatory process almost two years ago, reverts the regulatory language back to its pre-2007 form, requiring companies to exercise direct control over workers to be considered their employer. The new joint-employer rule creates a much higher threshold for the employers to be held jointly liable for violations; benefiting organizations and corporations structured around franchising and third-party hiring.

NECA’s Look Ahead: This rule takes effect April 27, 2020. NECA will continue to monitor this rule change, assessing its impacts on jobsites.

2. The Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act Passes the House 

On February 25, 2020, H.R. 561, the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act, passed the House by unanimous voice vote. This legislation will aid veteran-owned small businesses by directing the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with those businesses. Veteran-owed small businesses will be required to perform a majority of the work they are awarded on these government contracts with large subcontractors and will be restricted from performing the work set aside for these types of small businesses. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA applauds the House on the unanimous passage of this legislation and expects it to be received favorably in the Senate. We will continue to monitor this issue as it moves to the Senate and are confident in a positive outcome.

3. The Committee on Small Business Held Hearing to Discuss FY2021 Budget

On February 26, 2020, the House Committee on Small Business held a hearing to discuss the 2021 Budget with the Small Business Administrator. Recently appointed Administrator, Jovita Carranza, gave an overview of the administration’s budget requests and the committee was able to examine the potential opportunities and challenges that small businesses participating in the SBA’s programs will face. 

1. Hearing Held to Reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, the Higher Education and Workforce investment Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act. The National Apprenticeship Act, originally passed in 1937, will be amended to expand the apprenticeship system to include broader forms of apprenticeship programs. This discussion is centered around how to modernize the Act and bring apprenticeships into the 21^st century.  

NECA’s Look Ahead: Preserving these valued apprenticeship programs is a priority. NECA continues to work closely with legislators while this bill is being shaped.

2. NLRB Chairman and General Counsel to Testify Regarding Funding     

Next week, the Chairman and General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board are scheduled to testify before the House Appropriations committee. This hearing is anticipated to be contentious with lawmakers inquiring as to the reasons behind the Trump Administration’s request to lower the board’s funding by 10%. At the same time, the NLRB’s regional offices are plagued with under-employment and the board itself is dogged with hearings and legal challenges over ethical conflicts of interest.

NECA’s Look Ahead: While historically the National Labor Relations Board has been a contentious and often politicized place, this hearing is expected to highlight the new level of dysfunction that now riddles the Board. NECA believes that lawmakers should continue to fully fund the NLRB and encourage their leadership to expedite the hiring of their regional offices.

3. Congress Passes Coronavirus Funding Bill

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, Congress passed a NECA-supported bill, H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act.

NECA’s Look Ahead: This bill addresses the critical funding issues surrounding the U.S. response to the Coronavirus outbreak. The bill includes the following:

• $4 billion to make diagnostic tests more broadly available

• $2.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a robust response, including:

• $1 billion exclusively for state and local response efforts
• $300 million for CDC’s Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund
• $20 million to administer disaster assistance loans for small businesses impacted by the virus.
• $1.25 billion for the State Department and (USAID)
• $264 million to evacuate Americans and maintain consular operations overseas

1. NECA Helps Secure Construction Industry Exemption in Final IRAP Rule

On March 10, 2020, the Department of Labor released the final rule of the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAP) regulation. The final rule contains a permanent construction industry exemption, thereby protecting our industry from participation in IRAPs. NECA released a statement thanking the Administration for recognizing that the construction industry has longstanding expertise in the creation and execution of apprenticeships.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA strongly advocated for the construction industry’s exemption, with thousands of NECA contractors sending comments to the Department of Labor. By securing this exemption, the long-established, gold standard apprenticeship model that NECA Contractors utilize will remain intact and not be subjected to these parallel programs which will operate with less scrutiny and limited educational requirements.

2. The House Introduces Legislation to Address COVID-19 Outbreak

Washington D.C., like the rest of the nation and world, is responding to the outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus). On the evening of March 11, President Trump addressed the nation live from the  Oval Office. On Capitol Hill, negotiators continue to work to find a compromise between competing coronavirus response bills.

NECA’s Look Ahead: In response to the crisis, the Senate plans to cancel a previously scheduled recess week. The House will gavel out today and will return to Washington D.C. on March 23, 2020 to finish the negotiations on a final response package. NECA CEO, David Long, released the following statement in response to the legislative and regulatory negotiations: “ NECA government affairs remains fully engaged with Members of Congress, the Department of Labor, and OSHA on how to best handle the COVID-19 outbreak with safety being a top concern for our contractors and their employees. We continue to monitor legislation coming out of Congress to address the economic impact of this outbreak and will inform our contractors on how to best work with the new regulations when they are finalized.”

3. NLRB Chairman Testifies Regarding Funding      

On March 11, 2020, the House Committee on Appropriations held a hearing on the National Labor Relations Board Budget Request for FY 2021. Testifying on behalf of the NLRB was the Honorable John Ring, Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB budget request and justification documents can be found here.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The NLRB’s FY 2021 budget request funds their mission to protect the rights of employees, unions, and employers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). NECA believes that lawmakers should continue to fully fund the NLRB and encourage their leadership to expedite the hiring of their regional offices.

1. Congress Passes Families First Coronavirus Response Act 

On March 18, 2020, the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R.6201). NECA was able to work with Members of Congress to address many of the concerns related to paid sick leave and paid family leave. H.R. 6201 states that the paid sick and family leave mandate is optional for businesses with less than 50 employees and makes no mandate or credit for businesses with more than 500 employees. The new provision ensures that no business will be saddled with a financial liability larger than the payroll tax credit it receives. More information is available in NECA’s full summary.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The legislative process remains fluid and this bill is the second in a series of at least three bills designed to address this crisis. NECA continues to work with Members of Congress to ensure economic relief for our contractors in the Phase III stimulus package. 

2. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS to Provide Relief from Tax Payments

On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released a statement on what was being done to minimize the impact COVID-19 has on families and small businesses. This guidance allows tax payments to be deferred until July 15, 2020, with no penalties or interest. Those individuals that owe less than $1 million and corporations that owe less than $10 million qualify for this relief. The IRS resource page on Coronavirus Tax Relief can be found here.

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA supports the actions being taken by the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS. We will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 legislation on NECA contractors as well as any changes the Federal Government makes to provide relief. 

3. Register Today for the Government Affairs Webinar

On March 26, 2020 at 2:00 PM EST, NECA’s Government Affairs team will be hosting our quarterly Political Leadership Council (PLC) town hall webinar, but for one time only, we are allowing all NECA members to register for this webinar. NECA is devoted to keeping all our contractors up to date on the latest in Washington concerning the coronavirus.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The webinar content will focus on the legislation included in the coronavirus response package. The team will give an overview of Phases I and II, that have already passed Congress, as well as the status of Phase III.

Register Today

On March 26, 2020, the Senate passed “Phase III” of the Coronavirus Response Package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in a 96-0 vote.

Congress Continues Work on Coronavirus Phase IV Legislation

Congress has returned home to their districts for recess until April 20, 2020, but staff has continued working on Phase IV of the coronavirus response legislation. NECA Government Affairs has been in constant contact with congressional staff to ensure our contractor’s concerns are voiced, and needs are met. As the efforts to support the economy and the American people continue, NECA is working to secure the inclusion of infrastructure investment and multiemployer pension reform, along with several other issue areas, in any upcoming package.

Take Action: Tell NECA what legislative provisions will provide the most relief for your company. NECA will compile our asks and communicate those with Congress to ensure our collective voice is heard. Please send your comments to NECAGovtAffairs@necanet.org by April 8, 2020.   

1. Administration Calls for Additional Funding for PPP

One of the most popular programs created in the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has released over $70 billion to small businesses to help them remain viable during this pandemic. Due to the large demand, the Administration has requested additional funding for that program in a letter to Congressional leaders.

NECA’s look Ahead: Senate Democrats requested an additional $250 billion for hospitals and local governments in addition to funding for the PPP while Republican leaders argued that funding for the PPP is the only account that requires additional immediate funding at this time. The Senate adjourned on April 9, 2020 unable to pass additional funding for the PPP under unanimous consent.

2. Treasury Guidance Clarifies Qualifications for PPP Borrowers

With the passage of the CARES Act, many agencies have been scrambling to enact the reforms and programs developed in rapid time. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program, which allows substantial loans to be granted under favorable terms by the Small Business Administration, came under scrutiny for potentially requiring businesses to meet both size and revenue requirements instead of just the size requirements (under 500 employees) originally required. While this scrutiny came from an over-cautious interpretation of an earlier guidance, the Treasury Department offered additional guidance to make it clear to borrowers that they may meet either the revenue standards listed under a given NAICS code or qualify by having less than 500 employees. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA worked with key leaders once the CARES Act was signed into law to attain greater clarity on this issue for our contractors. This new change will give NECA contractors the predictability they need to move forward with the new SBA loan program. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the CARES Act and continue to maintain in constant conversation with Congressional staff and agency officials to communicate the needs of our members. 

3. DOD Releases Rule on Payment to Small Business Contractors

Earlier this week the Department of Defense (DOD) released a final rule on the defining and implementation of accelerated payments to classified small businesses under DOD contracts. The rule (DFARS Case 2018–D068) which finalizes the implementation of a section from 2019’s National Defense Authorization Act urges the federal government to pay small business contractors within 15 days of the receipt of a proper invoice. While this is only a goal for the federal government and not a direct mandate, which NECA advocated for in the past, we view this final rule and its upcoming full implementation as a positive step forward.

NECA’s Look Ahead: We encourage NECA contractors to read the final rule and monitor its implementation on DOD contracts. With your feedback and on-the-ground experiences, we will be better able to make lawmakers and agency officials aware of its progress.