In a document addressed to Congress, the National Retail Federation (NRF) laid out 10 proposals for consideration as legislators craft the next fiscal stimulus package. Noting that Congress already has passed several packages to help businesses get through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the document said “many companies are still facing urgent liquidity issues and desperately need access to capital in order to continue serving their customers.”
The priorities listed in the document, dated May 6, include liability reform, business tax relief, enhancements to the Paycheck Protection Program, rent forgiveness, pandemic risk insurance and financial aid for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
“Retailers of all sizes are relying on USPS to deliver goods to consumers in every zip code across America, especially as online sales increase in response to stay-at-home orders and government-mandated restrictions or closure of normal retail operations,” the document said.
NRF called for legislation limiting employer liability for COVID-19 personal injury claims, a position also taken by business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce but contested by unions and other worker advocacy organizations. In a Chicago Tribune article, Harold Kim, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, said liability concerns could cause businesses to hesitate to reopen and interfere with the “pathway to economic recovery.”
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“To provide more liquidity to businesses until customers can return to stores,” NRF proposed several business tax relief recommendations. The organization also proposed an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through December 2020 to “provide meaningful relief for a larger number of severely impacted small businesses.” Through a Rent Forgiveness Program (RFP), NRF proposed the formation of a federal-state agency partnership to provide rental assistance directly to both businesses and consumers in order to cover up to three months of rent through August 2020.
