Chamber Advocacy

We are halfway through the month of May 2020, and the U.S. House of Representatives has authored the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, and will vote on Friday, 15 May to pass this legislation onto the U.S. Senate. Indications are that the bill will not have much standing in the U.S. Senate. That said, it’s likely a starting point for U.S. Congressional leaders to begin crafting the next piece of federal stimulus, as states and localities unwind stay-at-home orders, and get back to business, and fruitful economic activity. Important in the HEROES Act to the Greater Flagstaff Chamber is inclusion of 501(c)6 non-profits, including local chambers of commerce who were excluded from the Paycheck Protection Program funding offered CARES Act I & II. “Chambers have been the first responders of the economic crisis, working tirelessly to support local businesses during this crazy period of halted activity,” commented Chamber President, Julie Pastrick. “We’ve worked non-stop to support the northern Arizona business community, and it’s not been easy to maintain our activities without PPP support granted to other non-profits,” Pastrick continued. “Our lobbying efforts have not gone unheard, though, as most all the Arizona congressional delegation supports PPP funding for local chambers, so we’re very grateful,” Pastrick finished. Additional, notable help in the HEROES Act for small business includes the following:

• The covered period for PPP loans would be extended to December 31, 2020; • PPP funds could be stretched over 24 weeks instead of the eight weeks originally passed in the CARES Act; • Businesses and organizations that receive PPP loans would be allowed to defer payroll tax payments; • Coordination between the PPP and Employee Retention Tax Credit would be improved to “ensure borrowers can take advantage of both types of assistance;” and • The legislation would direct the Federal Reserve to create a nonprofit-specific program within the Main Street Lending Program.

The Chamber will continue lobbying for small business support and relief at the federal level. As you have thoughts and feedback on the federal stimulus packages and relief efforts, or if you have a personal story related to applying for and receiving or not receiving SBA EIDL or PPP monies, please send us a note at advocacy@flagstaffchamber.com. We wish to hear from you!