Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – June 23, 2020
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Juneteenth: A National Day of Reflection, June 19, 2020 The PilieroMazza family paused to reflect and take a collective breath in remembrance of this day in our country’s history. Working with PilieroMazza’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, we are using this time to listen, learn, and engage in discourse, and work to do better as individuals and as a team. We are honored to have an incredible team . . . Read More
SBA and Treasury Release New PPP Application Forms
As we reported in our previous alert , President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (“Flexibility Act”) into law. The bill makes numerous changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) aimed at improving loan forgiveness procedures and loosening restrictions on PPP funds. In accordance with the Flexibility Act, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) released revised application forms for businesses participating in the PPP. The new PPP application forms differ substantially from their previous . . . Read More
BLOG: New Judicial Order Offers Clarity on Maryland Statutes of Limitations Impacted by COVID-19
Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of state-level court systems, including Maryland’s courts, declared judicial emergencies and issued orders automatically tolling, or postponing, the expiration of statutes of limitations [1] for claims filed within those states. These orders offered plaintiffs a reprieve from the strict filing deadlines. Now, as Maryland begins the process of reopening its court systems to the public, the state’s highest court has issued an order offering clarity as to the new filing deadlines for the expiration of . . . Read More
Landmark SCOTUS Decision Holds Title VII Prohibits Discrimination on Basis of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers who discriminate against gay and transgender workers violate Title VII. The Court’s 6-3 decision resolves a longstanding circuit split on this issue and extends Title VII protections to LGBTQ+ employees across the country. Justice Gorsuch drafted the majority opinion for the Court, and was joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan. For employers, we examine the ruling below and offer key takeaways. In its long-awaited and hotly-debated decision, the . . . Read More
BLOG: 5 Steps for Preserving and Preparing Your Miller Act Claim
As the United States economy continues to grapple with the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus pandemic, many contractors are concerned about making and receiving payment for work. The Miller Act provides the process for subcontractors to ensure they are paid for their work on federal construction projects, but they must be familiar with its requirements and deadlines to seek payment. This guide outlines five steps subcontractors and material suppliers should take to ensure they preserve their right to recover payment . . . Read More
Treasury and SBA to Make Changes Regarding Enactment of PPP Flexibility Act
On May 28, 2020, we wrote about the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (the Act), a new piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives. The Act’s intended purpose was to give employers more latitude regarding the use of their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans while also increasing loan forgiveness in order to stimulate the economy. Since then, the Senate has passed the Act and President Trump signed it into law . On June 8, 2020, U.S. Department of the Treasury . . . Read More
Congress Approves Significant Changes to SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program
As we reported in our previous alert , the bipartisan bill the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 , was passed on May 28, 2020 by the House of Representatives. Last night, the Senate passed the bill, which now heads to President Trump for his signature. If signed into law by the President, the bill will make significant changes to SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program, including: Extend the “covered period” under which small businesses can spend the loan proceeds from eight weeks to 24 weeks or until December . . . Read More
The Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application: Cracking the Code and Deciphering the Confusion
As noted in our previous alert , SBA recently released its long-awaited PPP Loan Forgiveness Application. Unfortunately, the Forgiveness Application is difficult to understand and complete. To help crack the code, we have put together the following analysis with our review of the application, SBA’s newly released guidance as to the loan terms, and key issues in the application, as well as input from our accounting partners. 1. Necessary Documents Before you fill out your Forgiveness Application, you will need to have . . . Read More
House Passes Legislation Modifying Existing PPP Regulations
On May 28, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (the Act), new legislation meant to provide additional assistance to small businesses and loosen regulations related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Should this bill become law, it would make major adjustments to the PPP. The Act makes a few notable changes to PPP’s current loan forgiveness guidelines by: extending the period for which a PPP Loan may be obtained to December 31, 2020; increasing the length of time . . . Read More
BLOG: CARES Act Section 3610 – Part 2: A Rock and A Hard Place
In this second part of our blog series on the CARES Act Section 3610 (visit this link for Part 1), we move on to the conflicting information out there, and the basis of one of the most frequently asked questions we receive: What is the potential conflict between state shelter-in-place orders and federal contract performance requirements? State shelter-in-place orders come with various enforcement mechanisms, some of which include large fines and even imprisonment. This is true in, for example, California, used . . . Read More