New Bipartisan Legislation Would Provide COVID-19 Relief to Trade Associations
Earlier this week, Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Gil Cisneros (D-CA-39), and Greg Steube (R-FL-17) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure local chambers of commerce, trade organizations and other nonprofits who support small businesses can receive the federal assistance they need to weather this economic downturn while they continue working to help America’s Main Street businesses. Securing COVID-19 economic relief for trade associations has been a top NMMA priority and the organization applauded the members of Congress for introducing the important legislation.
Like the businesses they serve, many local chambers, tourism-related organizations, and other 501(c)(6) nonprofits are now experiencing their own financial challenges brought on by COVID-19. These organizations are not currently eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to get financial support. The Local Chamber, Tourism, and 501(c)(6) Protection Act would expand PPP eligibility to include 501(c)(6) organizations with 300 or fewer employees to ensure they can continue supporting main street businesses and local economies.
“Our local chambers, associations, and non-profits will continue to play an instrumental role in ensuring our Main Street businesses and regional economies can weather this storm,” said Congressman Pappas. “This bipartisan legislation will expand crucial small business assistance to the groups whose mission it is to support them. It is going to take all of us doing our part to get our economy back up and running in a safe and orderly fashion. I look forward to continuing working across the aisle to introduce common sense legislation to ensure that happens.”
For more information, please contact NMMA senior vice president of government and legal affairs, Nicole Vasilaros at [email protected].