Be the First to Know News and Updates from TNLA! APRIL 24, 2020
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CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS & WHITE HOUSE AGREE ON NEW RELIEF FUNDING FOR BUSINESSES
TABLE OF CONTENTS Members' News You Need to Know -COVID-19 UPDATE ---Feature: Congressional Leaders & White House Agree on New Relief Funding for Businesses ---Local Jurisdictions Requiring Face Masks in Public & Temperature Checks ---TNLA COVID-19 Webinars -Embrace Your Space Update -Lawn & Garden Tax Holiday -Young Leader & Summit Nominations -2020-2021 Membership Renewal -2021 Scholarships -TNLA Partnering with TX-811 -DISEASE ALERT: Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 Detected in Geraniums; Texas Facilities Impacted -Nursery & Landscape EXPO | A Letter from the President, Amy Graham
Legislative & Regulatory -TNLA Continues Fight on H-2B Relief -TDA Adopts Hemp Rules; Grower Licenses are Being Issued -Texas Ag Chairman, Drew Springer, Urges Gov. Abbott to Help Processing for Legal Foreign Workers
Education - Certification Renewal in June 2020
Your Business U.S Govt. Relief Funds
TNLA's COVID-19 Resource Center is available for all members to get information on the things that are impacting the Green Industry. This includes information on legislation and advocacy, educational resources and opportunities, & communication resources for your business and team.
2020
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: Congressional Leaders & White House Agree on New Relief Funding for Businesses The House approved a new "stimulus" package, negotiated by Congressional leaders and the White House, to deliver more aid to the small business community. Primarily, the package will refill the Paycheck Protection Program, reserving $60 billion for smaller community banks. Reports from the press indicate with the backlog from the prior applications, this next installment may be depleted as quickly as 10 days. After speaking with the local SBA officials in Texas this week, it appears the system may be set up to disperse funds as soon as the bill is signed by the President. Specifically the package includes: $310 billion in new funds for the Paycheck Protection Program, which gives small firms loans that could be forgiven if they use them on wages, benefits, rent and utilities. Within that pool, $60 billion will specifically go to small lenders like community banks and credit unions. $60 billion for Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans and grants. $75 billion in grants to hospitals overwhelmed by a rush of COVID-19 patients. $25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing, a core piece of any plan to restart the U.S. economy Within this funding, there is $10 billion in aid in the Economic Injury Disaster Loan grant program. Reports indicate agriculture and agribusinesses were locked out of this program earlier. This new relief bill purports to fix that and allow our industry to have access to the EDIL loan program. With the bill passing the Senate and House it simply needs the President's signature, which he has indicated he will sign the legislation.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Local Jurisdictions Requiring Face Masks in Public & Temperature Checks A handful of local jurisdictions across Texas are following CDC guidelines and altering their COVID - 19 orders to include the requirement to wear face masks when out in public. Many allow for simple face coverings like a bandana or other cloth face covering. Please check with your local jurisdiction to see if they require this for your employees and/or customers. In addition, many major metro areas of Texas have instituted specific rules for essential construction or retail businesses that require the temperature checks of employees at certain intervals. Again, please ensure that you check with your local county & city order to guarantee you are compliant with the requirement to do so.
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: TNLA COVID-19 WEBINARS
TNLA is offering webinars in response to COVID-19 to provide our member companies assistance in navigating their way through updates and resources as they become available. Watch these Webinars and register for upcoming webinars on the COVID-19 Webinars page here!
ON THE WEB TODAY
TNLA LIVE Employment Law Town Hall Featuring Texas Workforce Commissioner Aaron Demerson and Director of Economic Development Adriana Cruz
COVID-19 FAQs and Updates on the H-2A & H-2B Programs Jarrod Sharp, FEWA
Info and Success with SBA's Paycheck Protection Program Panel Discussion with Green Industry Growers & Kerr Financial Services
Rights & Realities of Green Industry Business Owners: Coronavirus 2020 Straight Talk Laura Fowler & David Oliver, with Fowler Law
COMING UP NEXT... Landscaping During COVID-19 Panel Discussion MONDAY, APRIL 28 | 11:00AM Register Here!
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
EMBRACE YOUR SPACE UPDATE Get Your Community Back in their Garden! We all know that COVID-19 has been making a huge impact on communities and businesses. Take advantage of this opportunity to remind people why it feels so good to get your hands in the dirt! We are in this together, and we want to help you communicate that to your community. Please use the media kit for your social media or inspiration to keep customers inspired. We have updated the media kit to be easy-to-use and fresh with new content. Check it out here! Don't forget to use #EmbraceYourSpace and tag us on Social Media!
#Embrace Your Space
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
LAWN & GARDEN TAX HOLIDAY While we are encouraging customers to embrace their space.. it is also a great time to start preparing for the Lawn & Garden Tax Holiday! Keep the customers coming through the summer and maximize your return on this opportunity. On Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25, there is no need to charge customers sales tax on any water saving products. Head down to tnlaonline.org for more information and a media kit with downloadable media posts. We want to help you take advantage of this tax holiday and keep your Spring going hot! Let's Make this Memorial Day Weekend Water Smart!
YOUNG LEADER & SUMMIT NOMINATIONS Each year, TNLA recognizes outstanding contributions and achievements in the Green Industry with Young Leader Awards and Summit Awards. Nominations for these awards are currently being accepted! Please help TNLA honor individuals and Member companies doing great work in out industry by submitting nominations by May 15!
2020-2021 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Membership renewal statements are in the mail, and don't forget the deadline is coming up on July 1st!
2021 SCHOLARSHIPS We are accepting on-line scholarship applications for the 2021-2022 school year from students interested in the fields of Horticultural and Agriculture. If you know of a deserving student interested in these fields of study, please send them to this website for more details. If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact Cheryl Staritz at cheryl@tnlaonline or 512.579.3863.
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
TNLA PARTNERING WITH TX-811 TNLA is partnering with Texas 811 in efforts to help keep the Green Industry safe. Texas 811 provides research, tips and information to prevent unintended consequences from digging into an underground utility to keep injury, damage to property and service outages from happening.
DISEASE ALERT: Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 Detected in Geraniums; Texas Facilities Impacted The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (RSr3b2) in a single variety of geranium plants located in a Michigan greenhouse. This is the first confirmed case of RSr3b2 in a U.S. greenhouse since 2004. The agency confirmed that the infected plants came from a greenhouse in Guatemala. The importer immediately stopped shipments of geranium plants to the United States upon confirmation of the detection and has voluntarily agreed to destroy all shipments that were pending export or in route to the United States. They also provided a list of 288 greenhouses in 39 States that received geranium cuttings from the Guatemala facility. Federal and Texas agriculture officials are currently visiting the greenhouse locations in our state. TNLA held a call with USDA and TDA on Thursday to discuss the agencies' approach to mitigation. They will inspect, isolate and destroy all Fantasia ‘Pink Flare’ geranium plants and co-mingled and exposed host and non-host plants. They will also isolate, sample, and destroy other geranium varieties and co-mingled and exposed host and non-host plants, if the other geraniums test positive for RSr3b2. After the plants are destroyed, the greenhouses will be cleaned according to our sanitation protocol to clear the facility of the pathogen.
A WORD FROM THE STATE Legislative & Regulatory
Hear it straight from the State Office
TNLA CONTINUES FIGHT ON H-2B RELIEF TNLA alongside our partners in the national H-2B Workforce Coalition have been very busy the last few weeks. TNLA signed onto a letter to the Trump Administration urging for relief on the processing of H-2B visas, similar to the premium processing that H-2A has been receiving. You can find the 7 “asks� below: Reinstate premium processing for H-2B petitions. Given that the State Department has declared that H-2 visas are essential to the economy, H- 2A and H-2B petitions should receive similar treatment. If premium processing is not reinstated, H-2B petitions should be afforded the same expedited processing treatment during the pandemic that H-2A petitions receive. Permit H-2B workers who have transferred from another employer to begin work after the employer files the transfer petition and before it is approved. Immediately audit the number of H-2B visas granted by the State Department and visa applications pending to reassess the visa cap. Immediately permit transfers of workers in country and extensions of stay to H-2 employers and workers based on approved labor certifications on an emergency basis thus eliminating the need for I-129 adjudication. If the flexible transfer option is not feasible, immediately open and prioritize adjudication of petitions by capped out H-2B employers for transfers and unused visas. In the event economic activity rebounds swiftly, as the President has assured, and the certified need for H-2B workers is realized, quickly allocate supplemental visas to those employers with previously approved petitions that voluntarily transferred their workers to a fellow employer in need or underutilized the visa positions approved. Following this, President Trump tweeted Monday night that he would be signing an executive order to halt immigration and the H-2B Workforce Coalition quickly sent a letter to urge the President to avoid harming the H-2B program. As you know, the administration had already stopped the release of any supplemental H-2B visas. Reports are also indicating the administration has been very slow in processing the remaining H-2B visas under the cap. You can find our letter on the next page. According to early press reports, it appears the appeal was successful with administration officials telling the press that it was too complicated to craft an order affecting seasonal work visas. TNLA will remain vigilant for any reports to the contrary.
A WORD FROM THE STATE Legislative & Regulatory
Hear it straight from the State Office
TDA ADOPTS HEMP RULES; GROWER LICENSES ARE BEING ISSUED TNLA continues to monitor the implementation of the Texas industry hemp program. Licenses are being issued by the Texas Department of Agriculture and growers across Texas are examining the potential and drawbacks of diversifying in hemp production. For green industry professionals interested in studying the rules from TDA, you can find a helpful update from the Texas Agriculture Law Blog by Tiffany Lashmet HERE.
TEXAS AG CHAIRMAN DREW SPRINGER URGES GOV. ABBOTT TO HELP PROCESSING FOR LEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS This week Texas House Agriculture Chairman Drew Springer wrote a letter to Governor Greg Abbott about the need for DPS to find a solution to the\ processing of Temporary Driver's Licenses for foreign workers under the COVID-19 protocols. Due to restraints on in-person application for a Temporary Driver's License, non-immigrant foreign workers may be inhibited by this hurdle. As Chairman Springer says in his letter: "The economic challenges posed by the coronavirus epidemic have not changed the need for Texas business owners to use temporary workers....Yet the ongoing process is punishing those employers the State should be supporting – good actors, following the laws of the State, and hiring legal foreign workers."
A WORD FROM THE STATE Education
Hear it straight from the State Office
CERTIFICATION RENEWALS DUE JUNE 2020 Certification is a chance to promote yourself and your expertise. 2020 Renewals are in progress now. Renewal emails and letters have been sent and will be followed up regularly. CEUs MUST BE CURRENT FOR RENEWAL. To find out about your CEU status, email certification@tnlaonline.org. Additional CEUs can be gained through TNLA’s OnDemand Education. Explore TNLA's Education On-Demand for CEUs to get you renewed by June! The world is crazy out there, stay on the straight path through education. TNLA’s On-Demand Education is open and ready. Use this crazy time to get updated on new trends, new research and many other elements that are related to your business. On-Demand Education Elements include: PDF Downloads for yourself & your staff FREE Webinars & Education Shorts EXPO Keynote Sessions & Short Interviews TNLA’s Digital Savvy with Jack Jostes And much more!
EDUCATION & CEU OPPORTUNITIES Don't Ask The Expert, Be The Expert TNLA Green Magazine Articles Including: Notes From SFA Gardens Bugs & Fuzz GreenVision Authors Including: Meng Meng Gu, Ph.D. Kevin Ong, Ph.D. David Creech, Ph.D.
CEU Quiz in Every Issue!
TNLA Academics Education-On-Demand Self-Paced Online Courses Guided Web Courses TNLA Academics Mini Sessions Nursery/Landscape EXPO Keynotes Nursery/Landscape EXPO Interviews Green Industry Essentials (PDFs) Free Webinars TNLA Green CEU Quizzes