2021 Federal Policy Recap

Before we jump into 2022, let’s take a look at where we left off in 2021. Below is a brief report on several policy issues from 2021 that impact the nonprofit sector:

• The ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) continues into 2022 after its introduction in March 2021, and has the potential to help nonprofits provide their services amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. 
  • Call to Action: Please contact your local city hall (mayor, council members, etc) and your county commissioners to advocate that a portion of the allocated ARPA funds can and should go to nonprofits on the front lines.
  • Note: Each county/city that received ARPA funds has full discretion of how, when, and where to spend them so it is critical that nonprofits make their voices heard or risk losing out on access to a portion of these funds. 
    
    
• OSHA Temporary Standard (aka vaccine mandate): We held a webinar on the topic to help nonprofits with more than 100 employees comply with the order here.
  
  
• The Build Back Better Act entered 2021 in limbo, with disagreement over whether the conversation surrounding the economic plan’s implementation was over.
  
  
• Biden’s infrastructure plan now is in place. It is unclear at this time what opportunities may be available for nonprofits in the coming months and years of this funding. We will keep you posted. 

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Expired Tax Credits:

• Employee Retention Tax Credit: See if your nonprofit is eligible to take advantage of this program which could put money back in your pockets. We also recently hosted a webinar with Harris CPAs on the topic here.
• A bipartisan group of Representatives presented the Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act (H.R. 6161) to restore the important incentive in December. 
• Universal Charitable Deduction: The standard deduction of up to $300 per individual and $600 per couple is no longer an active tax credit, requiring congressional action to restore.

Content Credit: National Council of Nonprofits
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Idaho Legislature is Back In Session!

The Second Regular Session of the Sixty-sixth Idaho Legislature began on Monday. To stay up to date on what is happening in the 2022 Legislation and for more information, visit legislature.idaho.gov.

• Find the House Committee Agendas here 
• Find the Senate Committee Agendas here
• You can access live audio/video streaming of sessions here

We will be hard at work tracking and educating on each bill that is relevant to nonprofits. Stay tuned!

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Happening Now in Idaho

Idaho State of the State and Budget Address: What You Should Know

• Governor Little’s State of the State on Monday, January 10th largely focused on the economy and state budget, noting Idaho’s largest surplus at a current value of $1.6 billion. Among the budget’s focuses are education, public safety, and transportation. Little did not address the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
  
  
• Watch Governor Brad Little’s full address here or read the full text here.

Preview of the Legislative Session: Idaho House Leaders Lay Out Priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session

• House Minority leader, Democrat Ilana Rubel began outlining her priorities with the claim that Idaho has “some serious unmet needs” to be addressed before considering the current $1.6 billion dollar surplus as such. Focuses include prison system security, foster care systems, property tax relief and infrastructure improvement were all mentioned as “critical needs” by Rubel, while education was named as the #1 priority for the Democrats this session. 
  
  
• Speaker of the House Scott Bedke began with claims that the surplus “gives us the opportunity to fix some things, to pay off debt”. Education was stated to be “one of the highest priorities” by Bedke, who suggested giving money directly to local school districts. Additionally, Bedke predicted a shorter legislative session than last year, given the coming elections this year. 
  
  
• Watch KTVB Viewpoint’s segment on House priorities for 2022 here.

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Tips for Advocacy Leaders

“Nonprofit advocacy campaigns allow your organization to mobilize your supporters and advance your cause through grassroots action. These campaigns will require your nonprofit to direct volunteers to take several specific actions over multiple months, making strong leadership a necessity for retaining volunteers and giving your advocacy campaign its best chance at success.” - Nonprofit Leadership Alliance ​

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Stay Connected with the Idaho Legislature: Idaho In Session & Idaho Reports

Idaho Public Television offers Idaho In Session, a gavel-to-gavel service that includes live on-air and online coverage of the Idaho Legislature. Meetings of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) and all other committees will be available online.

Now in its 50th season, Idaho Reports, IdahoPTV’s weekly legislative news show, continues to bring viewers state government news and analysis, including updates on education, taxes and voter initiatives, and the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic each Friday at 8 PM. Look for Idaho Reports in audio form wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and read breaking news updates on the Idaho Reports blog.

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