The NWRA applauds Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), John Boozman (R-AR) and Rob Portman (R-OH) for introducing bipartisan legislation that would increase the Paycheck Protection Program’s (PPP) flexibility by specifically including payments for waste and recycling collection services as an allowable expenditure under debt forgiveness provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“We thank Senators Carper, Boozman and Portman for introducing this NWRA-originated bill to amend the CARES Act to allow PPP funds to be used by businesses to pay for their waste and recycling collection services,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “The private sector waste and recycling industry is essential to preventing the spread of disease and illness, especially now during the COVID-19 crisis. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation and send it to the president for his signature.”
NWRA conceived the idea and worked with congressional staff and legislative counsel on the language. NWRA has conducted more than 150 teleconferences with congressional staff to urge support for such a measure in both the House and Senate. Separate House legislation addressing the issue was introduced by Representatives David McKinley (R-WV) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) at the urging of NWRA last month. That bill, H.R. 6987, currently has 13 cosponsors.