Legislative Updates: A Weekly Roundup of Federal, State, and Local Actions – February 12

Your Chamber advocacy team is working to share legislative updates and continue to advocate for your business in Washington, D.C., Harrisburg, and Philadelphia. We’ve created a round-up of recent activity including Key Takeaways for Your Business and a Detailed Legislative Update. This represents our best knowledge of the situation as of 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 12, 2021.

Chamber members are invited to join weekly legislative update calls hosted by our Advocacy team to hear the latest on COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts at the federal, state, and local level as well as other legislative matters concerning our community.

To learn more about how our region is preparing for recovery, visit our Recharge & Recover PHL Information Hub:

• New legislation was introduced to City Council that would, among other things, appropriate revenue to support the Same Day Work and Pay program and provide job training through the revitalization of neighborhood commercial business corridors.
• Unfortunately, new legislation was also introduced by Councilmember Brooks that could dramatically increase costs on already struggling businesses by extending and expanding paid sick leave for workers without offering tax credits to businesses to help them cover the costs of an expanded benefit.
• The Chamber urges its members to email City Council and ask that they hold the revised Emergency Paid Sick Leave bill bill until the round of Federal relief is finalized.
• Bills and resolutions were also reported on from committee including legislation that seeks to appoint Diana P. Cortes, Esq. as the City Solicitor, among other issues.
• The Committees on Licenses and Inspections; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Children and Youth and Education; and Public Health and Human Services will each hold hearings in the coming week. Read the full report for more details.
• Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Philadelphia have exceeded 109,448 with over 2,900 deaths.
• The City’s Department of Commerce announced its investment of $1M in organizations and programs that intentionally address the specific challenges Black, brown, and other historically disadvantaged residents face when preparing for and entering the workforce.
• The City announced this week that restaurants which certify they meet new ventilation standards can operate their indoor dining at up to 50 percent capacity beginning today.
• The Department of Public Health will provide weekly updates about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Philadelphia, highlighting the number of vaccines Philadelphia is receiving each week, racial and gender breakdowns of vaccine recipients, and more.
• The Department of Public Health also announced its seeking to expand its usual network of vaccine providers by engaging agencies and organizations to build programs able to administer COVID-19 vaccine to Philadelphia residents
• The Chamber will host virtual events with Anne Fadullon, Deputy Mayor, Department of Planning & Development (February 22) and Managing Director Tumar Alexander (March 1). Read the full update below to learn more and register.

• On Wednesday, the Wolf Administration announced that $145 million in funding will be distributed to all 67 Pennsylvania counties through the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program to help support the commonwealth’s hospitality industry.
• Governor Wolf recently proposed that legislators expand the legal scope of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to include broadband infrastructure.
• On Tuesday, Governor Wolf announced the creation of a joint task force aimed at improving the state’s vaccine rollout, including Republican and Democratic members of the General Assembly.
• The state House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee on Monday announced the schedule for its 2021-22 Pennsylvania state budget hearings, slated to begin on Feb. 16.
• The state Senate has yet to announce their budget hearing plans, with leaders saying they’re waiting to see what additional stimulus the federal government provides.
• The Chamber will host a virtual event with State Senator Kim Ward (March 11). Read the full update below to learn more and register.

• Last week, Congress passed the FY2021 budget resolution, providing the opportunity for Democrats to pass President Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion relief package without any Republican support through the budget reconciliation process.
• Each House Committee expects to draft and markup their respective relief sections by February 16.
• Senate Majority Leader Schumer has said that he would like to pass a relief package before several emergency assistance programs expire as early as March 14.

Partnership to Build an Inclusive Recovery – Update
Two weeks ago, the Chamber of Commerce proposed a new partnership among government, business and the community focused on creating jobs for city residents as Philadelphia prepares to emerge from the lock-downs the COVID-19 virus necessitated.

The importance of working together was made clear again this week as there were signs the national economy may be slowing down, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported that tenants who lost jobs in the pandemic owe $11 billion in past due rent, and COVID has “devastating” Philadelphia’s hotels, with overnight stays down 60%.

Its good news that vaccines are being deployed and that officials at all levels of our City government are working to speed up the rate of vaccination. Likewise, as the region begins to re-open, we need ensure a focus on getting people back to work.

The introduction of legislation this week in Council that would, among other things, appropriate revenue to support the Same Day Work and Pay program and provide job training through the revitalization of neighborhood commercial business corridors is a step in the right direction.

The Same Day Work and Pay Program, run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), trains returning citizens in landcare and gets them paid the same day for their work so they can reestablish themselves as earners — critical for anyone trying to establish credit, buy a car or even rent an apartment. Chamber Chair, Sue Jacobson spoke at the announcement of this program, Championed by Council President Clarke, in the fall and the Chamber made a commitment to assist with procuring equipment for the program and to encourage our members with large footprints to hire some of the graduates of the program upon completion.

The proposed funding to provide job training through the revitalization of neighborhood commercial business corridors, spearheaded by Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, is in line with what the Chamber called for when it announced its new partnership two weeks ago. We are encouraged by these initial moves by Council to fund comprehensive neighborhood commercial corridor revitalization and small business recovery.

Unfortunately, it appears that not every member of City Council wants to work together in order to rebuild Philadelphia’s jobs base. Today, without consulting or even notifying the Chamber, Councilmember Kendra Brooks introduced legislation that could dramatically increase costs on already struggling businesses. In new legislation, Councilmember Brooks proposed extending and expanding paid sick leave for workers in the city and even some working in the suburbs. Unlike the federal paid sick leave plan, the Brooks plan does not include tax credits to businesses to help them cover the costs of an expanded benefit.

This isn’t a question about whether it’s important to help protect people’s safety — of course it is.
This is a question of why something that may limit job creation and raise costs higher on already struggling businesses was proposed without even talking to the impacted businesses — especially when there is a federal plan under discussion?

Call to Action for Council Connectors

The Chamber urges its members to email City Council and ask that they hold the Brooks bill until the round of Federal relief is finalized. As the City is looking to recover and re-open businesses safely, now is not the time to advance legislation that makes it harder to bring employees back into the office.

It will take all of us working together to rebuild a stronger, more inclusive economy for Philadelphia. Smart legislation like the Same Day work and Pay and rebuilding our commercial corridors help, while a likely redundant extended sick leave bill doesn’t.

Become a Council Connector

Council Connectors help advance our inclusive growth agenda through informal engagement with members of City Council. Such interaction would include meetings, phone calls or emails to members of Council to discuss our share priorities. These direct relationships with members of Council and other decision makers are critical to making progress on Philadelphia’s biggest challenges. To sign up to become a Council Connector please email Darrell Davis at ddavis@chamberphl.com.

Updates from City Council

Bill Introductions

• On behalf of Council President Clarke, Councilmember Maria Quinones Sanchez-introduced a bill authorizing an appropriation to fund Council’s “New Normal Jobs” initiative.
• Councilmember Bobby Henon introduced a bill revising the rules on bouncers, by revising definitions of covered establishments and personnel.
• Councilmember Kendra Brooks introduced a bill modifying existing provisions regarding COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave. The bill has 11 co-sponsors.

Bills Reported from Committee

• Committee of the Whole
  • Resolution 200715– Appointing James Aros, Jr., to the position of Chief Assessment Officer of the Office of Property Assessment.
  • Resolution 200716– Confirming the appointment of Diana P. Cortes, Esq., as the City Solicitor.
  • Resolution 210031– Confirming the appointment of Cecilia Thompson to the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia.
  • Resolution 210032– Confirming the appointment of Lisa Salley to the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia.
  • Resolution 210033– Confirming the appointment of Reginald L. Streater, Esq., to the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia.
• Committee on Finance
  • Bill 210004– Authorizing and approving the execution and delivery of a Service Agreement between The City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development relating to the refunding of certain bonds previously issued to finance and/or refinance Alternative Funding Mechanisms for a portion of the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the City of Philadelphia Retirement System implemented pursuant to the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act.
  • Bill 210006– Authorizing the City Treasurer to deposit funds in Santander Bank.

Upcoming City Council Hearings

• Committee on Licenses and Inspections
  Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 10am
  • Bill 200618 – Amending Chapter 9-4200 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Donation Bins,” to modify the locations at which donation bins shall be permitted.
• Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
  Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 10am
  • Bill 200617 – Authorizing an initial 10-year conversion of the current Term with up-to two 5- year Renewal Terms for a Lease Agreement the City has entered into with the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia for operating, managing and maintaining the John F Byrne Golf Course.
• Joint Committee on Children and Youth and Education
  Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 2pm
  • Bill 200630– Authorizing the Committees on Children and Youth and Education to conduct joint hearings on protocols and decision-making processes in place to protect the health and safety of young people as the School District of Philadelphia navigates a return to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the City’s role in bridging the digital divide for children and families in the 2020-2021 school year
• Committee on Public Health and Human Services
  Friday, February 19, 2021 at 2:30pm
  • Bill 210082 – Amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Contracts and Procurement,” by amending Chapter 17-1400, entitled “Non-Competitively Bid Contracts; Financial Assistance,” to provide procedures applicable to the awarding of contracts to non-City providers of vaccine doses for COVID-19 and related variants, all under certain terms and conditions.

View the status of pending bills and resolutions »

View upcoming confirmed City Council meeting dates and agendas »

COVID-19 Case Data

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Philadelphia has reached 109,448. The number of residents who have succumbed to the virus in Philadelphia has reached 2,969. Of the total deaths, 1,115 (38%) were long-term care facility residents.

City Invests in Developing Innovative Workforce Solutions and Strategies to Address Long-Standing Workforce Challenges

The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce—in partnership with Philadelphia’s economic and workforce development partners—today announced a renewed strategic commitment to address workforce challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and that have been exacerbated by long-standing racial inequity and injustice. In alignment with this commitment, the City, through the Workforce Solutions Grant, also announced an investment of $1 million in organizations and programs that will intentionally identify, elevate, and address the specific challenges Black, brown, and other historically disadvantaged residents face when preparing for and entering the workforce.

Through the Workforce Solutions Grant, the City sought proposals from organizations which were evaluated on their ability to identify and accelerate innovative, evidence-informed approaches to supporting un- and under-employed Philadelphians. These organizations will serve local job seekers to prepare for and connect to sustainable career pathways that pay a living wage. The Workforce Solutions Grant is one piece of the City’s commitment to workforce development in 2021.

More information about the efforts these organizations are undertaking using funding from the Workforce Solutions Grant is available online.

Enhanced Ventilation Standards for Restaurants to Increase Capacity

The City announced this week that restaurants which certify they meet new ventilation standards can operate their indoor dining at up to 50 percent capacity (above the current 25 percent for all indoor dining) beginning Friday, February 12, once their application is approved.

Businesses must fill out an online application attesting to their compliance with the new standards. The Department of Public Health will strive to review and respond to these applications as quickly as possible. The application and a worksheet to help businesses calculate air changes per hour are posted to the Guidance page of the COVID-19 website.

If restaurants have an HVAC system or standalone ventilation unit in use, the following ventilation standards are required to open to 50 percent capacity:

• HVAC system is fully operational and ventilates the entire indoor dining area.
• At least 20 percent outside is air circulated by HVAC system.
• Filtration MERV 11 or higher.
• At least 15 air exchanges per hour are measured indoors.
• Exhaust vent has a minimum six-foot clearance from tables, chairs, or other items.
• If restaurants use window fans instead of an HVAC system, at least 15 air exchanges per hour must be measured indoors.

Businesses must submit documentation certifying their establishments meet the ventilation standards from their HVAC maintenance company or the establishment proprietor. During subsequent inspections, the Department of Public Health will validate this information by checking the documentation from the HVAC maintenance company and measuring dining space size, vent sizes, and air flow.

Weekly Vaccine Distribution Updates

The Department of Public Health will provide weekly updates about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Philadelphia. The updates will include highlights of new information for the week, the number of vaccines Philadelphia is receiving each week, running numbers of doses administered, racial and gender breakdowns of vaccine recipients, and a list and map of all sites administering vaccines. Additional categories of information may be added in the future.

New Request for Proposals for Community Vaccine Providers

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health seeks to expand its usual network of vaccine providers by engaging agencies and organizations to build programs able to administer COVID-19 vaccine to Philadelphia residents. PDPH has contracted with PMHCC to solicit proposals from qualified agencies and organizations to implement the COVID-19 Community Vaccine Program.

Upcoming Local Advocacy Programs

• February 22 – [Virtual] City Hall Connectors: The Future of Development in Philadelphia »
• March 1 – [Virtual] City Hall Connectors: Managing Director Tumar Alexander »

Questions? Contact William Carter (wcarter@chamberphl.com) for more information about local legislative affairs.

Gov. Wolf Announces Hospitality Relief Funding

On Wednesday, the Wolf Administration announced that $145 million in funding will be distributed to all 67 Pennsylvania counties through the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program to help support the commonwealth’s hospitality industry. Funding will be provided in the form of block grants to each county based on population and will be allocated by February 28. Grants will be awarded in $5,000 increments with a $50,000 maximum and administered through Certified Economic Development Organizations (CEDO) or Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI).  Program guidelines are available on the Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) website.

Borrowing Proposed to Help Pay for Broadband Deployment

Governor Wolf recently proposed that legislators expand the legal scope of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to include broadband infrastructure. A total amount needed for broadband expansion was not provided and does not include the Governor’s $1 billion proposal to expand RACP projects to include school lead and asbestos removal projects.

 Vaccine Task Force Announced

 On Tuesday, Governor Wolf announced the creation of a joint task force aimed at improving the state’s vaccine rollout, including Republican and Democratic members of the General Assembly.

The task force will share vaccine information and communicate solutions on behalf of and to the broader General Assembly. Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout has been the focus of multiple hearings last week in the state legislature.

According to the Governor, Pennsylvania needs 8 million vaccine doses to vaccinate 4 million people. It’s only gotten a little over 2 million doses.

PA House Provides Budget Hearing Schedule

The state House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee on Monday announced the schedule for its 2021-22 Pennsylvania state budget hearings, slated to begin on Feb. 16. All hearings will be livestreamed.

The state Senate has yet to announce their budget hearing plans, with leaders saying they’re waiting to see what additional stimulus the federal government provides.

View a full listing of House budget hearings at pabudget.com/budgethearings.

Upcoming State Advocacy Program

• March 11 – [Virtual] State Advocacy Update with Senator Kim Ward »

Questions? Contact Liz Ferry (lferry@chamberphl.com) for more information about state legislative affairs.

Congress Passes FY21 Budget Resolution

Last week, Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2021 budget resolution, providing the opportunity for Democrats to pass President Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion relief package without any Republican support through the budget reconciliation process. Each House Committee expects to draft and markup their respective relief sections by February 16.

The House Ways and Means Committee released details of its section of the relief package that fall within its jurisdiction, the largest of any committee worth over $940 billion.   Some of the key provisions of its section of the relief package include the economic impact payments of $1,400 per person, extending the enhanced unemployment benefit through August 29, 2021 and increasing the weekly benefit from $300 to $400, extending paid sick time and paid family leave credits from March 31, 2021 through September 30, 2021, expanding the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under 6), and subsidizing COBRA continuation coverage through September 2021 as well as providing Affordable Care Act premiums tax credits.

The House Financial Services Committee is advancing key provisions of the relief package including an additional $15 billion for the Payroll Support Program to support airline workers, $10 billion for PPE and vaccines procured under the Defense Production Act, $35 billion in homeowner and rental assistance, and $10 billion for the State Small Business Credit Initiative to support $100 billion in small business financing through state governments.

The House Small Business Committee is considering $50 billion of small business assistance, including $25 billion in grants for restaurants, $15 billion of additional funding for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants program, and $7.25 billion in additional funding to the Paycheck Protection Program which would allow the program to be expanded to additional nonprofits and internet-only news outlets.

The House Education and Labor Committee will consider provisions that provide $130 billion for K-12 schools, $40 billion higher education institutions, and gradual increases to the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.  Although, a federal minimum wage hike will likely not be allowed to pass through the reconciliation process under the current Senate rules.

The House Energy and Commerce will mark up a proposal that includes $7.5 billion to promote and administer COVID-19 vaccines, $46 billion for testing and tracing, $7.6 billion in investments to public health workforce, $3.5 billion for mental health block grant programs, and a temporary increase to the state’s base FMAP by five percentage points for two years for states that newly expand Medicaid.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released details of its nearly $100 billion portion of the relief package within its jurisdiction.  The proposal provides $50 billion for FEMA reimbursement to state and local governments dealing with ongoing response and recovery activities, $30 billion to transit, $8 billion to airports including $800 million for airport concessionaires, $3 billion to the Economic Development Administration to prevent or respond to economic injury, $3 billion in payroll assistance to aviation manufacturers and $1.5 billion to Amtrak for payroll assistance and daily long-distance service.

Senate Majority Leader Schumer has said that he would like to pass a relief package before several emergency assistance programs expire as early as March 14, 2021.  The effort to quickly pass a relief and assistance package runs simultaneous to the impeachment trial of former President Trump, currently underway. House impeachment managers and former President’s lawyers will each have 16 hours over two days to present their case to the Senate after delivering their opening statements on Wednesday. If House impeachment managers make the decision to call witnesses to the trail, it could significantly extend the timeline of the trial.

Questions? Contact Anselm Sauter (asauter@chamberphl.com) for more information about federal legislative affairs.

The constantly changing nature of this public health crisis requires continued engagement with public policy developments. We invite you to reach out to our advocacy team directly with your questions: 

• Anselm Sauter, Federal Affairs – asauter@chamberphl.com 
• Liz Ferry, State Affairs – lferry@chamberphl.com 
• William Carter, Local Affairs – wcarter@chamberphl.com 

Chamber members are invited to join weekly legislative update calls hosted by our Advocacy team to hear the latest on COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts at the federal, state, and local level as well as other legislative matters concerning our community.

To learn more about how our region is preparing for recovery, visit our Recharge & Recover PHL Information Hub: