Advocacy News

The Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill that would restrict a locality’s ability to regulate short-term rentals managed by a Virginia realtor. Virginia Senate Bill 1391 legislation takes away control from local authorities and creates an unfair playing field. AAHOA is working alongside the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association to coordinate efforts and oppose SB 1391. Additionally, AAHOA encourages any members ...

A new ordinance was approved Wednesday by the Metro Council members to help crack down on violent crimes and fatal overdoses taking place at hotels and motels in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The new hotel ordinance will take effect 60 days after its adoption and strengthens language found in a 2018 ordinance. Over the years, Officials have continuously responded to criminal and drug activity at several hotels off busy interstates and highways in Baton ...

With the Omnibus spending bill that was passed by Congress and is about to be signed into law by President Biden, a new Assistant Secretary of Travel and Tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce has been created for the travel and tourism industry for the first time in history. The bill will create a position in the Department of Commerce to coordinate industry strategy on many levels and authorize studies with the collection of new data. ...

In October, the DOL proposed a new rule on independent contractor classification, framing economic dependence as the determining factor of whether an employee or contractor is a dependent or independent worker in relation to the employer. AAHOA sent in a letter opposing the proposed rule and will continue to advocate for concise and clear labor regulations. “AAHOA Members seek consistency in the determination of the independent contractor status ...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is seeking to redefine the joint-employer standard, significantly expanding the scope of what constitutes joint employment, which could cloud the employment status of many workers and significantly extend employers’ liability. AAHOA has engaged with the Small Business Administration, numerous coalitions, and our industry partners on the issue. Earlier this week, AAHOA submitted a formal comment on the joint-employer ...