Club Updates – Jan. 6 As the number of cases of coronavirus surges across the U.S., NCA continues to keep clubs informed on new and updated federal and state mandates and restrictions and news related to the private club industry. Please be sure to visit our Coronavirus Resource Center for the most up-to-date information to keep your club informed on COVID-19.
Legislative Update
Coronavirus Relief Bill Signed
After a tense standoff, President Trump relented and signed the $2.4 trillion package containing government funding and $900 billion in coronavirus relief. President Trump issued a statement with his signature highlighting provisions he opposes that are in the bill and expressed his desire for Congress to consider a package of rescissions. By signing the 5,593-page behemoth, the president averted a shutdown of the federal government and extended various programs to support the economy and provide unemployment benefits to out of work Americans.
What’s In the Bill For Clubs?
The package includes a few provisions that will be of benefit to the club community. The primary relief is an extension and enhancement of the employee retention tax credit (ERTC). The program was expanded to include businesses with fewer than 500 employees—the previous program was capped at fewer than 100. The credit was increased to 70% on up to $10,000 of wages per employee per quarter. This equates to up to $14,000 per employee in 2021.
The business meal deduction was also increased to 100% for the next two years. For those clubs that were eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the program was extended and changes were made to the forgiveness terms of the loan. It also allows those businesses receiving a loan in 2020, to take a second draw from the program in 2021. Unfortunately, the PPP is still not available for 501(c)(7) entities.
The appropriations portion of the package contained provisions authorizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL) to increase the H-2B cap for fiscal year 2021 by up to approximately 69,000 visas if it determines that the needs of the seasonal businesses cannot be met with U.S. workers. It also provides for a maximum season of 10 months as opposed to the current 9-month season in DOL regulations.
Federal Guidance
The CDC has published and updated a significant number of COVID-19 and vaccine materials and resources on their dashboard. Please continue to check these for information on things like recommended quarantine periods and return-to-work guidance. To highlight a few of the recent updates:
- Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings
- Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
- A new COVID-19 Communication Toolkits webpage provides links to all FDA toolkits on COVID-19 topics
General
- Employer Considerations Regarding Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations, Thompson Knight
- EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance on Employer Administered or Mandated Vaccinations, National Law Review
- COVID Money Tracker, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
- Tips for Overcoming COVID Fatigue, KPA
- A Guide to Who Can Safely Get the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine, STAT
- Updated COVID-19 Guidance Includes Indoor Air-Quality Best Practices, National Restaurant Association
COVID-19 Guides and Resources from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Small Business Reopening Playbook
- State-by-State Business Reopening Guidance
- Backgrounder on Health Coverage Options
- Backgrounder on Unemployment Insurance Under the CARES Act
- Independent Contractor’s Guide to CARES Act Relief
- Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist
- Temporary Paid Leave and Family Medical Leave Guide
- Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program Guide
State Updates
- NASHP has developed a COVID-19 State Action Center which serves as a state-level policy dashboard. Governing is also keeping a running tally of coronavirus news and impacts at the intersection of the health and economic crises in the states and localities.
- This site from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides state-level information on cases/deaths, social distancing measures, health policy actions, and more.
- This series of maps shows how states are responding to COVID-19.
- California AB 685 New Notice and Reporting Rules for COVID-19 Workplace Exposure started January 1, 2021.
U.S. COVID-19 Cases Report from the CDC: The COVID Data Tracker from the CDC shows a state-by-state breakdown, state trends, cases by demographics and forecasting for COVID-19 cases and deaths. Vaccine distribution by state is also reported. See the full report here.
News Updates
- Rare Small-Business Win in Insurer Lawsuits Keeps Hope Alive for Payouts, WSJ
- Millennials and COVID-19: The Unlucky Generation, Cushman & Wakefield
- Fauci Explains How to End the COVID Pandemic, Scientific American
- Online Training Tops The List of 2021 Fitness Trends, Per ACSM, Club Industry
- As 2020 Comes to an End Here’s What We Still Don’t Know About COVID-19, Science News
- Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take Us, The Atlantic
- As COVID-19 Vaccine Nears, Employers Consider Making It Mandatory, NPR
Join NCA – It’s a Good Business Decision:
NCA provides real-time value for clubs as they navigate this crisis and other areas from workforce management and compliance, governance, strategic planning, and much more. View all the benefits you get with an NCA membership. Click here or contact Katina Cavagnaro at [email protected] and 202-822-1291 to learn more about a membership at the National Club Association.
Stay Up to Date
The National Club Association is continuing to closely monitor this crisis and will provide you with the best information available to help your club during this difficult time. Please visit NCA’s Coronavirus Resource Center. To submit questions or to share your club’s resources and plans, please use this link. For more information, contact Cindy Vizza at 202-822-9822 or [email protected]