Advocacy News

09.26.24

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a piece of federal legislation that was signed into law by President Joe Biden over two years ago. While not necessarily indicated by its name, the IRA is touted by its supporters as the largest investment in clean energy in American history. As it relates to home appliances, one main program in the IRA that contractors and installers should know about is the …

08.28.24

Observers of American politics often note that policymaking swings like a pendulum. One political party will earn control of government and enact policies they believe will improve the country. Later, the opposing political party will inevitably seize governmental control and undo much of the work of their predecessors. This process then repeats. While there may be examples of this idea proving …

08.28.24

Earlier this month, at the recommendation of the PHCC Government Affairs Committee, the PHCC Board of Directors voted to support two pieces of legislation currently making their way through Congress. The CTE Student Mental Health and Wellness Act sponsored by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) would allow career and technical education schools access to federal grants to provide mental health and …

08.28.24

On August 15, PHCC of California hosted another successful Legislative Day at the state capitol in Sacramento. The annual event attracts over a dozen contractors and local executives from across the Golden State to participate in a morning issues briefing hosted by the state chapter, followed by an afternoon of meetings with legislative offices in the capitol building. PHCC—National Association …

07.24.24

Since the City of Berkeley passed an ordinance that prohibited natural gas hookups to newly constructed homes in 2019, the future of natural gas as a building fuel source has been a hotly debated topic in our industry. Indeed, Berkeley was followed by dozens of other California communities that adopted similar policies, and Washington State even enacted residential and commercial building codes …

06.14.24

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently revised the regulations governing eligibility for overtime pay, specifically raising the annual pay level for certain exempt employees. The current threshold is $35,568 annually ($684 weekly) but will be raised in steps. The first step set for July 1 of this year would raise the threshold payroll to $43,888 annually ($844 weekly), and the second step …

06.04.24

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a Final Rule for energy conservation standards for residential water heaters. While this topic has understandably caught the attention of many in our industry who are still working on examining and analyzing the document, it in some ways serves as a reminder that DOE has already finalized energy conservation standards for …

04.24.24

On February 28, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) put forth a landmark proposal to require all space and water heater equipment sold in the state of California to meet zero-emissions by a set date. The proposal comes on the heels of the Zero-NOx space and water heating standards adopted by Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in March 2023, and recent Zero-NOx water heating …

03.26.24

At the beginning of this year, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) proposed amendments to how the state regulates HFC refrigerant gasses that are contained within appliances. While other states have been content to largely follow the lead established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on regulating these substances, DEC’s proposal represents an …

03.20.24

In what is likely one final last-minute deal on government funding for the remainder of the fiscal year, lawmakers look to avert a partial government shutdown by agreeing to a long-term continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the federal government fully operational through September 30. A first tier of funding keeping the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, …