While Congress continues its heated debate over infrastructure and President Biden’s Build Back Better initiative, legislative activity on the state level continues to address environmental initiatives such as building electrification and water/energy efficiency initiatives. California, Florida, Massachusetts and Ohio, to name a few states, are seeking to move forward with such initiatives as the 2021 legislative session winds down.
— Steven Campeau
Manager, Governance
scampeau@nkba.org
FEDERAL ACTIVITY
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): EPA Ruling Caps Production of HFCs in Refrigeration, and will phase down the U.S. production and consumption of HFCs by 85% over the next 15 years.
U.S. – China Tariffs: President Biden and President Xi Jinping agree to attend a virtual summit to discuss U.S. – China trade differences, as U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai builds on President Trump’s tariff foundations.
U.S. Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act: Bipartisan, bicameral Act that would enable 529 plan beneficiaries to use their funds to pay for examinations necessary to obtain and maintain recognized private professional certifications and other credentials, gains traction with new bill sponsors.
Canada: As some Federal Government COVID-19 assistance expires, a new $7.4 billion program, the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit, is announced.
STATE ACTIVITY
California: Governor Newson signs into law Senate Bill 68 which requires the Energy Commission to gather, develop, and publish guidance and best practices to help the construction industry, building owners, and local governments overcome barriers to electrification of buildings.
Florida: Legislature prefiles House Bill 201 and Senate Bill 356 for 2022 legislative session which would provide a sales tax exemption for certain ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products.
Massachusetts: State continues to implement its Climate Act, which includes regulatory updates to water and energy efficiency on products such as showerheads, faucets and residential ventilating fans.
Missouri: Attorney General confirms that individuals who have earned privately issued professional certifications with the title “registered” may lawfully continue to use those titles, clarifying a 2018 statute change.
Ohio: House Bill 389 seeks to reinstate and promote voluntary energy efficiency programs.
COVID-19 RESOURCES
To keep current on what individual states are doing to combat COVID-19, this interactive map, online platform and resource center might be of interest. The interactive map shows all COVID-19-related legislative activity that each state has enacted, while the online platform and resource center provide important information related to COVID-19. Interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccinations? Track vaccination doses by state here.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Federal and State Legislative Contacts
Interested in some of the topics above? Don’t forget to contact your Federal and State Legislators to let them know your thoughts! Legislative staff are available to answer any questions on legislation, or walk you through governmental processes.
NKBA Legislative Contact
NKBA will monitor relevant legislative developments at the state and federal levels, and, where appropriate, provide information to members concerning material issues and developments — including laws and regulations that might impact the kitchen and bath industry. If you have any questions or comments on legislation or have suggestions on topics you want to see in future newsletters, please reach out directly to Steven Campeau, NKBA’s Governance Manager, at scampeau@nkba.org.
NOTE: NKBA is providing this material for general information only. This information does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax/investment advice, accounting services or professional consulting of any kind, nor should it be construed as such. NKBA is not a lobbying organization and does not have a Political Action Committee (PAC). Resources such as this are meant solely for informational purposes.
