Mark Valentini

12.21.22

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA, originally Workforce Investment Act [WIA]) was reauthorized in 2014, continuing a popular workforce grant program originally started in 1998 to help jobseekers find employment and training opportunities to secure work in high-demand fields. With the current workforce shortage, combined with shifts in the post-pandemic labor market, WIOA is …

11.15.22

This has been a historic, if not unusual, midterm election season. Republicans have just secured a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will be the next Speaker of the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) are stepping down from their leadership roles, making way for a new generation of …

08.18.22

PHCC legislative staff is looking through the 700+ page bill to understand its full impact on contractors. Below is what we have learned about the pros and cons of this bill thus far. PROS AND CONS What we like: There are tax incentives for contractors that perform work improving the energy efficiency of their customers’ homes and businesses, and tax credits have been increased for homeowners …

03.28.22

New York State has been ground zero for the energy choice battle since New York City successfully implemented a ban on natural gas connections in new construction and major renovations beginning in 2023. PHCC National has been working with PHCC of New York and PHCC of Long Island to advocate against natural gas bans and in favor of fuel choice legislation that allows homeowners and consumers …

03.02.22

The New York State Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC), and its state and local counterparts across the country oppose efforts to eliminate the use of natural gas. Plumbing and HVAC contractors are environmentalists by trade, ensuring the American people have access to clean water and air through modern, …

02.23.22

PHCC of Virginia leaders visited the state Capitol in Richmond on Feb. 17 to urge state senators to support passage of House Bill 1257, a bill preventing local governments and municipalities in the Commonwealth from banning natural gas connections in new construction. House Bill 1257 would preempt the type of activity we’ve witnessed in New York City and other localities across the country …

12.17.21

There have been several developments in the past month in New York and North Carolina on the natural gas front. In New York City, the City Council is getting ready to vote on a highly restrictive ban on natural gas that would prohibit gas installations in new construction, and phase out existing connections in existing construction where major renovations are undertaken. Similar legislation  …

12.15.21

The President signed a stopgap measure on Dec. 3 that keeps the federal government funded through Feb. 18, 2022 at FY21 funding levels, averting a government shutdown. Senate leaders have also reached an agreement on how to pass a debt ceiling increase, and also on passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The debt ceiling increase and NDAA are must-pass pieces of legislation, as …

12.15.21

PHCC has joined industry stakeholders Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) in filing a petition for judicial review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The petition asks the court to overturn the ban on single-use cylinders and …

11.09.21

On Friday evening, Nov. 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework where it now goes to the President for his signature. The $1.2 trillion legislation is the largest investment in U.S. infrastructure since the Eisenhower administration. Roughly half the cost of the proposal will be slated toward surface transportation projects, with the rest focused on- …

09.30.21

The House is expected to vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF) today, September 30, 2021. Liberal House Democrats have threatened to vote against BIF if there is no agreement with the Senate on passage of a separate spending bill, the Build Back Better plan, a $3.5 trillion piece of legislation embodying the Biden administration’s social priorities. House Republican leadership is …

08.25.21

On Aug. 10, the U.S. Senate passed a long-awaited infrastructure package on a bipartisan 69-30 vote. The package is valued at approximately $1 trillion, about $600 billion of which is new spending. $55 billion has been earmarked for water infrastructure projects, including drinking and waste water treatment, as well as lead pipe replacement. An additional $5 billion has been earmarked for …