Washington Retail has signed separate letters in support of streamlining the process of forgiving Paycheck Protection Program loans and ending a fraudulent practice of selling fake lists of associations and retailers interested in attending or exhibiting at trade shows.

The first letter to U.S. Senate and House leadership asks for support of S. 4117, a bill that would streamline the application process for forgiveness of PPP loans that have helped small businesses cope with lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved, the bill would allow small businesses more time to focus on recovering their businesses rather than engaging in a more complicated and time-consuming process of filling out extra paperwork, the letter states.

The other letter is to U.S. Attorney General William Barr and the Federal Trade Commission. It asks for an investigation into the sale of fake attendance lists sold to retailers and associations that attend trade shows. One recent solicitation falsely alleged that a planned show had been canceled but a list of attendees could be obtained for a fee to be determined. The show in question will go on virtually.

Such practices sully the reputations of retailers and trade show organizers and should be stopped, the letter states.