Concerned About Legislation That Affects Your HVACR Business?
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Share your thoughts at the ACCA 2022 Conference & Expo Town Hall
The ACCA Town Hall is among the highlights of ACCA’s 2022 Conference & Expo in St. Louis, MO March 28-30. All ACCA members are invited to express their thoughts and insights on ACCA’s advocacy activities to help shape key initiatives and future priorities.
Kyle Gargaro, Editor-in-Chief of ACHR NEWS, will moderate this open conversation about current legislation that directly affects HVACR companies. Panelists Chris Czarnecki, ACCA Government Relations Representative and Coalitions Manager, Barton James, ACCA President/CEO, and Martin Hoover, Owner, Empire Heating & Air Conditioning, will offer their insights as well.
Among this year’s Town Hall topics:
JOBS Act S. 864, H.R. 2037. Known as “Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2021” or the “JOBS Act of 2021,”’ this bipartisan, bicameral legislation increases the flexibility of Pell Grants by extending eligibility to short-term job training programs which are in high demand. ACCA supports this legislation that would allow the Department of Education to distribute Pell Grants to students enrolled in career and technical education programs at higher education institutes that provide both instructional time and training. The HVACR industry—among other trades—is facing an increased labor shortage. This bill can help close the labor gap and increase earning potential and offer fewer barriers to pursuing a four-year degree.
Tax hikes for small businesses as well as the PRO Act. ACCA urged Congressional leadership to reject H.R. 842 and S. 420, the PRO Act. This legislation would change U.S. labor laws in ways that favor labor unions, creating a threat to employer and employee rights, and threatening the rights of employers and employees alike.
The Main Street Certainty Act. This legislation would make the 199A deduction of 20 percent of qualified business income (QBI) a permanent measure. It is currently set to expire in 2025. The 199A was originally included as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 as a measure to create greater tax parity for small businesses (S-corporations or pass-through entities), as opposed to larger businesses (C-corporations).
The Incentivize Residential Energy Efficiency Act of 2021 supports the EPA’s ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program (ESVI). The EPA estimates that half of all HVAC systems are improperly installed. ACCA is the only organization that accredits contractors to participate in ESVI. Contractors enrolled in ACCA’s Quality Assurance program can offer consumers a certificate recognizing their system was installed according to ACCA’s quality installation standard.
The EPA ban on disposable cylinders imposes financial and logistical burdens on contractors, should it go into effect in 2023. Among ACCA’s concerns: a complete transition from disposable cylinders to reusable ones could cost upwards of $2 billion. From a logistical perspective, contractors may need to retrofit their vehicles to safely transport the new containers, which are 200 to 320 percent heavier than the disposable ones most used in today’s market. The added weight will also require more fuel to transport and place greater stress on both fleets of vehicles as well as the bodies of technicians and other HVACR professionals tasked with handling the cylinders.
Other topics may include greater funding, HVACR improvements in schools, liability protection in more than half of the U.S., COVID-19 policies, and vaccine access for frontline workers.
Don’t miss this lively and important conversation! You can still register for the ACCA 2022 Conference & Expo.
Posted In: Events, Government
