Advocacy News

  • 03.15.24

    Staff - Mark Valentini - Government

    Continuing Resolution Provides Long-Term Fix for Partial Government Shutdown, More to Be Done

    In another last-minute deal, lawmakers averted a partial government shutdown by agreeing to a long-term continuing resolution (CR) that would keep parts of the federal government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. This first tier of funding will keep the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and related agencies funded …

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  • 02.21.24

    Bradford White hvac Energy

    By What Authority? A Brief Overview of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)

    In 2023, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) was very active in regulating residential water heater and boiler product efficiencies, as has been addressed in this column previously. But what gives DOE the authority to take such actions, and what exactly are they allowed and not allowed to do? The answer to these questions come from EPCA. It is a federal law that was passed in 1975 and …

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  • 01.24.24

    Bradford White hvac Energy

    U.S. HVAC Regulatory Environment – What to Expect in 2024

    Happy New Year everyone! After what we at Bradford White hope was a relaxing holiday season for you and your family, legislative and regulatory bodies at all levels of government are beginning to go back to work. In this post, we’ll examine what we expect to see from them in 2024 at each level of government, and how it may impact the HVAC industry. Federal The United States Department of Energy  …

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  • 11.20.23

    Climate

    Climate Change Policies’ Pipe Dreams

    This article was written by guest columnist Terry O'Brien, Executive Vice President for the Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York, and Senior Director for the Plumbing Foundation City of New York. In light of Climate Week NYC, which occurred September 17-22, I would be remiss if I did not address a topic that has universal impact and is important to so many of us: combating …

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  • 09.25.23

    Bradford White hvac Energy

    Department of Energy Issues Proposals and Final Rule on Water Heater and Boiler Products

    On July 28, 2023, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) released over 2,000 pages of information that include a pre-published Final Rule for commercial water heater energy efficiency standards, as well as proposed rules for energy efficiency standards for both residential water heaters (published) and residential boilers, the latter of which was officially published on Aug. 14, 2023. …

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  • 07.14.23

    nlrb

    NLRB Captive Audience Meeting Interpretation

    The General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memorandum related to what constitutes a “Captive Audience” Meeting, GC 22-04. (See Memorandum) This memorandum informs regional offices that the long standing practice of allowing employers to require employees to attend mandatory meetings where employers could provide information in opposition to the union is unlawful …

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  • 12.15.21

    Election News

    PHCC Stands With Industry Stakeholders Against EPA Overreach

    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 …

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  • 10.06.21

    Advocacy News

    Reimbursements End for COVID-19 Leave Payments

    To help support workers during the pandemic, Emergency Family Medical Leave (EFML) and Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) programs were instituted. Originally mandatory for small businesses, these benefits were extended into 2021 as a voluntary program. Employers would be reimbursed by the federal government for limited payroll expenses that allowed workers to be paid to stay home and avoid …

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  • 09.30.21

    Advocacy News

    Legislative Crunch and Potential Crises Ahead

    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 also mobilizing to vote against BIF, and with a narrow Democrat majority it is very possible the infrastructure legislation could be voted down.

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  • 08.25.21

    Advocacy News

    Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Takes First Step on Major Reconciliation Package

    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.

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