From governors to senators, IHRSA’s been busy making the case that health clubs are vital to their communities’ health.

September 20, 2023 Update: The health and fitness industry continues to strongly advocate for Congress to #PassPHIT. To participate in active campaigns, visit the IHRSA action center. For more recent updates and resources, check out our PHIT page.

Beginning in the early days of the pandemic, our team has worked nonstop to advocate for the industry to Congress and state lawmakers. We’ve sent letters, organized grassroots campaigns, met with official reopening teams to discuss guidelines, collaborated with national and international health organizations, and more.

Since the first month of dedicated lobbying efforts, we’ve been so focused on what we can do to help keep clubs in business that we haven’t done the best job sharing our latest actions. To remedy this, we’re creating this page that we’ll frequently update with all the work being done to help the fitness industry.

IHRSA’s July Lobbying Activity

Os republicanos do Senado estão a tentar reunir um pacote de alívio económico de 1 bilião de dólares. Esperamos que revelem o seu projeto de lei em breve. Depois, vão negociar com os democratas.

Atividade de lobbying da IHRSA na semana de 20 de julho

• Os líderes republicanos do Senado reuniram-se na terça-feira, 21 de julho, para discutir o seu pacote de medidas de alívio económico. Foram divulgadas secções do pacote. Espera-se que a versão completa seja divulgada até ao final da semana.
• Os peritos prevêem que o projeto de lei do Senado representará um pouco mais de 1 bilião de dólares em despesas. Para comparação, o projeto de lei da Câmara era de 3 biliões de dólares.
• A IHRSA continua a envolver os gabinetes do Senado, discutindo as nossas prioridades para o projeto de lei através de reuniões virtuais com operadores de clubes, lobistas e funcionários do Senado. Atualmente, estamos a concentrar-nos na marcação de reuniões para os membros da IHRSA que são constituintes da Comissão de Pequenos Negócios do Senado e da Comissão de Finanças do Senado.
• Given the closing of clubs in additional states, IHRSA sent another letter to Congressional leadership documenting the crisis facing the health and fitness club industry. Congress must act to save hundreds of thousands of jobs. In the letter, we stress that “without immediate federal assistance, IHRSA estimates that 8,000 businesses could shutter permanently, affecting tens of thousands of workers across the industry.” This effort is accompanied by a targeted push to get coverage from D.C. media on how badly the latest coronavirus surge is impacting the industry.
• As part of an effort to address the severe problems COVID-19 has created for physical activity and kids sports, the PHIT Coalition (interest groups spanning the medical field, health and fitness clubs represented by IHRSA, youth sports organizations and professional sports leagues) and the PlaySports Coalition—representing over 4,000 organizations—sent a letter to Senate leadership asking for passage of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act (S. 680/H.R. 1679).

Desde o início, o nosso lobby junto do Congresso tem-se centrado na obtenção de alívio imediato, proteção futura e estímulo para que a indústria e a América voltem a ser saudáveis.

Eis a situação atual das questões pelas quais lutamos:

• Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) – We’re asking Congress to modify the PPP to allow mid-sized health and fitness chains to participate. While we anticipate additional changes to the Small Business Administration’s PPP, at the moment the prospects for expansion of eligibility are unclear.
• RESTART Act – We’re asking for direct financial assistance to the industry through additional loan forgiveness via the RESTART Act (S. 3814). Preliminary reports of the Republican leadership package do not include the RESTART Act. However, the bill’s Congressional champions remain optimistic that aspects of the bill—if not the whole thing—will find their way into the final version. Part of the optimism is because currently, there are 22 co-sponsors in the Senate with another 10 expected, meaning one-third of the Senate supports the measure.
• Business Interruption Insurance (Rep. Maloney bill) – No movement. We don’t anticipate Business Interruption Insurance to be part of the current economic relief negotiations. A committee hearing is expected in September.
• Liability Protection – Expected to be a key piece of the Republican proposal.
• Clean Start: Back to Work Tax Credit Act – Early indications show that we could see a provision addressing this. The bill could provide credits or other relief to businesses for COVID-19 related cleaning expenses.
• PHIT – We continue to urge Congress to provide tax incentives to spur consumer spending on health and fitness. The Youth Sports Coalition—part of the PHIT Coalition—began lobbying Wednesday, July 22, for the RESTART Act and PHIT, among other things.

Atividade de lobbying da IHRSA na semana de 13 de julho

• Estão a decorrer reuniões com os gabinetes do Senado através de encontros virtuais, com chamadas concluídas e/ou agendadas com Rubio (R-FL), Cassidy (R-LA), Warner (D-VA), Casey (D-PA), Toomey (R-PA), Booker (D-NJ), Stabenow (D-MI), Murkowski (R-AK) e Hassan (D-NH).
• A IHRSA juntou-se a uma coligação que apoia um crédito fiscal para os custos de limpeza associados à COVID-19.
• Contactámos a Casa Branca sobre as necessidades de ajuda e estímulo da IHRSA, incluindo o PHIT.
• A Coligação PHIT entregou uma carta a todos os membros da Comissão de Finanças do Senado e realizou uma visita virtual na quarta-feira, 22 de julho.
• Mantivemos conversações com o Senador Thune (R-SD), patrocinador do PHIT, sobre a inclusão do PHIT no pacote de ajuda económica.
• A IHRSA continua a apoiar as protecções de responsabilidade para as empresas que operam enquanto a COVID-19 é um risco.

Atividade de lobbying da IHRSA na semana de 6 de julho

• A IHRSA enviou cartas à SBA, ao Departamento do Tesouro e ao Comité das Pequenas Empresas do Senado (Rubio e Cardin (D-MD)) sobre a necessidade de os fundos remanescentes das PPP serem canalizados para indústrias encerradas, como os clubes.
• Os lobistas da IHRSA contactaram todos os membros da Comissão das Pequenas Empresas do Senado
• Visita virtual para marcar reuniões com a Comissão das Pequenas Empresas (PPP e Restart Loan) e com a Comissão de Finanças do Senado (PHIT)
• A senadora Capito (R-WV) sublinhou a necessidade de direcionar a ajuda para os clubes e ginásios
• Debate com o patrocinador da PHIT, o deputado Kelly (R-PA), para fazer avançar a PHIT nesta ação de socorro

The letter signed by 60+ ILC members and sent to governors made a great media hit. Here’s our letter highlighted on The Today show and here it is on Fox Business.

Três formas de ajudar

Pode ajudar os nossos esforços de lobbying de três formas:

1. participar,
2. partilhar,
3. contribuir.

Your voice matters. Participating in grassroots efforts helps lawmakers understand what is important to their constituents. Every communication matters! IHRSA is running grassroots campaigns on the national level and in multiple states. See current efforts you can participate in with the IHRSA Action Center.

A partilha de campanhas de base com os seus membros permite-lhes ter um papel ativo na ajuda para salvar o seu clube. Quando os clubes do Michigan partilharam com os seus membros a campanha que pedia ao Governador Whitmer para reabrir os health clubs, mais de 6.000 frequentadores de ginásios participaram. Os seus sócios preocupam-se e querem ajudar.

Finally, you can help by contributing to IHRSA’s lobbying efforts. Accomplishing the fitness industry’s goals in every state and at the federal level—now and for the future—takes resources. Even in good times, a unified association with a strong advocacy arm is necessary to track, confront, and overcome threats, jump on opportunities, and deliver results.

Now, more than ever, that strong advocacy arm is needed. And it needs your support! Learn more about how you can help by contacting Mike Goscinski at mike.goscinski@ihrsa.org.