How Should ACCA Fight for You?

Posted on:

March 14, 2023

Soaring prices.

Burdensome regulations.

Billions promoting electrification.

Flammable refrigerants.

Immigration reform.

These are just a few of the policy issues that will impact your business in 2023!

Whether you’re able to attend ACCA 2023 Conference & Expo in-person or not, ACCA’s Issues Smackdown! The Contractor Town Hall is your chance to weigh in on how ACCA should fight for you in the 118th Congress, state governments, and everywhere contractor interests are at stake.

We invite you to participate in TWO key ways:

In Advance: Submit brief cell phone videos, respond with comments on the Contractor Forum, or email comments to govt@acca.org.
Live on April 5: Whether you’re with us in New Orleans or streaming from home, you’ll hear from issue experts on the accelerating changes facing our industry and join a lively debate about what federal and state priorities ACCA and its allies should fight for over the coming year:

Issues Smackdown! The Contractor Town Hall

Wednesday, April 5, 12:15 – 1:45 PM Central Time

At ACCA 2023: New Orleans Marriott – Salons D-E

Watch the livestream of this session.

See what ACCA’s own Barton James has to say about the upcoming ACCA 2023 Conference & Expo and Contractor Town Hall:

What Keeps You Up at Night?

Our industry faces some really tricky choices over the coming years and we need guidance from members like you! We’ve broken the Town Hall agenda into four segments seeking to draw out nuanced opinions about how ACCA should position itself. If any of the following questions inspire a strong gut reaction, please speak up!

Featured Issue 1: Inflation Reduction Act

What kinds of consumer subsidies for HVAC upgrades should ACCA prioritize?

Should ACCA be more concerned about fighting deficit spending and overzealous tax enforcement?
How can ACCA fight for IRA program implementation that supports quality contractors vs. chuck in a truck?

Featured Issue 2: Refrigerant Transition/Electrification

Should ACCA fight to delay A2L (mildly flammable) refrigerant adoption OR is it now more important to ensure availability of alternatives as R-410A prices skyrocket?

Should ACCA support certification and/or continuing education requirements to handle flammable refrigerants?
Should ACCA be more concerned about jurisdictions banning natural gas in new development OR accelerating the phaseout of currently available refrigerants?
What else should ACCA prioritize as regulators seek to accelerate electrification, ban disposable cylinders, and more tightly regulate refrigerants?

Featured Issue 3: Workforce and Immigration

What should government be doing to attract students to the trades?
What kinds of Career and Technical Education funding would help prepare tomorrow’s HVAC workforce?
Should ACCA embrace immigration reform as a solution to workforce challenges? Guest workers only or permanent immigrant visas? Amnesty or no amnesty?

Lightning Round:

Do you see state licensing/CE requirements as protection for quality contractors or more of a burden/tax?
Are you concerned about polices that disadvantage non-union contractors?
Are you concerned about unfair competition from utilities and their partners?
Are you concerned about increased taxes and burdensome reporting requirements?
What else are we missing? Help us fight for you!

Do these questions affecting the HVACR industry make you excited? Mad? Concerned? Great! Here’s how to weigh in:

Submit Video: Use your phone to submit one or more 45-second videos on your opinions. Nervous? Don’t be! The instructions walk you though everything you need to know.
Comment Online: Comment on this post on the Contractor Forum.
Email Privately: Submit your comment via email. Or want to discuss the nuances of an issue before weighing in publicly? Email govt@acca.org, and we’ll talk it through.
Vote: We’ll be using Mentimeter surveys during the live event as well as polls on ACCA’s Facebook feed before and after.
Speak In-person: We’ll have an open mic at the Town Hall and encourage any contractor to speak up, but we also hope you’ll participate in advance.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Professional representation from DC to the code committees is a key benefit of ACCA membership; the Town Hall is your chance to steer the ship and join the fight! 