GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
11 STANWIX STREET 17TH FLOOR, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 www.pittsburghchamber.com

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (GPCC) IS THE ADVOCACY AFFILIATE OF THE ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ACCD). THE CHAMBER WORKS TO IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE PITTSBURGH REGION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND GROWTH BY PROMOTING COMPETITIVE BUSINESS TAXES AND OTHER BUSINESS COSTS, AS WELL AS STREAMLINED PERMITTING AND REGULATIONS.

ADVOCACY TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESSTO IMPROVE OUR REGION'S COMPETITIVENESS AND RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS, AS PART OF THE 2018-19 AGENDA, THE GPCC IS ADDRESSING REGIONAL CHALLENGES BY FOCUSING ON EFFORTS TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND IMPEDIMENTS IN ECONOMIC INCLUSION, COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY, INFRASTRUCTURE, BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS AND WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION.ECONOMIC INCLUSION - THE PASSAGE OF PA HOUSE BILL 1419 (ACT 56 OF 2018), OR "CLEAN SLATE" LEGISLATION, IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN ADDRESSING THE PITTSBURGH REGION'S WORKFORCE CHALLENGE WHILE EXPANDING ECONOMIC INCLUSION TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THE BILL PROVIDES FOR AUTOMATIC SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WITH MISDEMEANOR CONVICTIONS, ALLOWING POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS TO LOOK PAST MINOR MISTAKES AND FOCUS ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.ANOTHER CRITICAL STEP IN SUPPORT OF THE ECONOMIC INCLUSION AGENDA, HB 163 (ACT 95 OF 2018) REFORMS THE POLICY OF SUSPENDING DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR MINOR OFFENSES, WHICH SERVES AS A BARRIER TO EMPLOYMENT AND REDUCTION IN QUALITY OF LIFE.THE STRONG BIPARTISAN PASSAGE OF THESE LAWS ARE WINS FOR IMPROVING EQUITY ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA AND WE THANK GOVERNOR WOLF AND THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP FOR THEIR SUPPORT.COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY - AN INCREASE TO THE NAP TAX CREDIT - WHICH PROVIDES LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT IN LOCALLY-BASED REVITALIZATION ORGANIZATIONS SERVING LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS - IS A REALITY. IN 2018, PA HOUSE BILL 645 PASSED BOTH CHAMBERS AND WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR WOLF AS ACT 100 OF 2018. THIS LEGISLATION SUCCESSFULLY INCREASES THE NAP CAP FROM $18 MILLION TO $36 MILLION AND PROVIDES CRITICAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT AND IMPROVE OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. THIS TAX CREDIT IS THE ENGINE OF OUR STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PARTNERSHIP (SCP) PROGRAM AND WILL ASSIST THE FUNDING OF OUR SCP COMMUNITIES: CONNELLSVILLE, HOMEWOOD, MCKEES ROCKS, MOUNT OLIVER/KNOXVILLE, SHARPSBURG, WASHINGTON AND WILKINSBURG. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THIS DIVERSE SET OF VIEWPOINTS AND OPINIONS AT THE TABLE, THE GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ALONG WITH THE ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE, ASSEMBLED THE COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNITY AND WORKED TO ESTABLISH CORE SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES TO FIT WITHIN THE SCOPE AND MISSION OF THE CONFERENCE'S AGENDA. THE RESULTS - DERIVED FROM THE U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS - ARE A SET OF INSPIRING AND FORWARD THINKING PRINCIPLES, WHICH WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE AND THE CONFERENCE BOARD.HERE ARE THE FIVE PRINCIPLES: PRINCIPLE 1: COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING. WE PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO IMPROVED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR RESIDENTS. PRINCIPLE 2: RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP. WE PROMOTE THE ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS, INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND MINIMIZED RESOURCE USE AND WASTE IN ALL ITS FORMS (I.E., LAND, WATER AND AIR), AND ACTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FOUR P'S OF PEOPLE, PLANET, PLACE AND PERFORMANCE. PRINCIPLE 3: CLEAN ENERGY. WE PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO MORE AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY FOR ALL. PRINCIPLE 4: INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY. WE PROMOTE FURTHER FUNDING AND DEPLOYMENT OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THAT INCREASES THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR INDUSTRIES, IMPROVES THE RESILIENCY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADDRESSES FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. PRINCIPLE 5: PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE THE PRINCIPLES. WE ENCOURAGE AND PARTICIPATE IN CROSS-SECTOR AND INCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE THE REGION'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS - IN 2018, WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR A LEGISLATIVE FIX TO THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE'S BULLETIN THAT MADE PENNSYLVANIA'S BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT LESS COMPETITIVE. SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE "BONUS DEPRECIATION" TAX ISSUE, WE WORKED WITH PARTNERS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH TO CHANGE A POLICY AND ALLOW PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESSES TO DEDUCT DEPRECIATION OF A PURCHASED ASSET BEFORE IT'S SOLD OR DISPOSED. WE PREVENTED PA FROM BEING THE ONLY STATE IN THE NATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TYPE OF TAX POLICY WITH THE PASSAGE OF SB 1056 (ACT 72 OF 2018).WORKFORCE & EDUCATION - WE MADE A SIGNIFICANT STEP TO ENHANCE THE PREPARATION OF THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE, THROUGH THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDERAL CARL D. PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT, NOW KNOWN AS THE STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT. THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THIS LEGISLATION WILL HELP TRAIN THE CURRENT AND FUTURE WORKFORCE IN DEMAND THROUGHOUT THE PITTSBURGH REGION.

THE GPCC HOLDS THREE SIGNATURE LEGISLATIVE RECEPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND REGIONAL POLICY MAKERS TO HELP STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUR REGION'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TO CELEBRATE OUR SHARED ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE RECEPTIONS, WHICH TAKE PLACE IN PITTSBURGH, HARRISBURG (IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR GREATER PHILADELPHIA) AND WASHINGTON, D.C., ARE ALWAYS WELL ATTENDED. THE GPCC'S MONTHLY FIRST FRIDAY SPEAKER SERIES INVITES THE REGION'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH ELECTED AND OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS ON ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE REGION.

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