The U.S. EPA Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) met May 20-21 via conference call. As reported in February 2020, Mark Johnson, associate director of environmental programs, was named to the PPDC and will serve on the committee through Dec. 9, 2021. Established in 1995, the PPDC is a diverse group of stakeholders chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide feedback to EPA Office of Pesticide Programs on various pesticide regulatory, policy and program implementation issues.

In dealing with the coronavirus, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker implemented many restrictive measures on golf courses in the Prairie State. After being completely closed for play for nearly two months, Pritzker eventually allowed for limited reopening of golf courses. The problem was restrictions were so harsh it simply did not make sense for many courses to open. Those restrictions included twosomes only spaced in 15-minute tee times, no golf cars, no practice facilities, and carry out food could not be consumed on the course. Add that together and the result was eight rounds an hour with very little other revenue – a losing proposition.

On May 20, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public works held a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency”. The hearing offered an opportunity for Committee Members to pose questions to Administrator Andrew Wheeler as well as hear from the Administrator about the work the agency has done to protect the air, water, and environment in the United States.

On May 15, the House voted on and passed a $3-trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill unveiled by the Democratic Majority as part of the next steps to address the pandemic. The great news is that it would expand eligibility for the popular Paycheck Protection Program to include all 501c organizations, including 501c6 orgs and 501c7 orgs.

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt and postpone most major events planned for 2020, election officials have found themselves in an unprecedented predicament this election season. So far, the coronavirus outbreak has impacted, or is poised to impact, four major aspects of the elections: the primary schedule, campaign trail, voter turnout, and incumbent performance.

The Department of Homeland Security made a decision late last week on how many additional H-2B visas will be issued this year.  The total number of additional visas will be 35,000, which is 10,000 less than the 45,000 visa number GCSAA had been hearing would be distributed. Further, the visas are not being made available all at once.  Instead, 20,000 visas are being made available April 1^st and 15,000 visas are being made available May 15th.  Finally, 10,000 of these visas – for either April or May 1^st – must come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.  The DHS’s rationale for this carve-out is that 1) these nations are doing more to promote border security and 2) these nations are currently underrepresented in the H-2B program.

Chava McKeel, GCSAA’s director, government affairs, spent a busy week in Washington between December 9-13. The week started out with her participating in the SFIREG meeting at the U.S. EPA offices. The State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) and it’s working committees provide a platform for the states and EPA to resolve challenges to successful implementation of pesticide programs and policies in the USA and territories.  Full SFIREG consists of state representatives from the 10 EPA regions who come together biannually to meet with EPA staff.  SFIREG’s activities are supported by a grant through EPA, in recognition of the strong co-regulatory relationship required by the states’ primacy role in pesticide enforcement and/or certification programs.

Congress allowed for an additional 69,000 visas in the FY19 Omnibus Appropriations bill and the Department of Homeland Security responded with 30,000 visas in May 2019. Our advocacy goal is to see that Congress includes the full 69,000 in the next appropriations bill which is expected to be complete by the end of December 2019.

GCSAA will host an H-2B Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13.