Published by Sarah Harrington

Tile Roofing Industry Alliance Lobbyist, Craig Brightup, has provided the latest government relations update and activities for September 2023:

Appropriations Bills

With the federal government’s fiscal year 2023 ending Sept. 30, Congress has two weeks to pass all 12 appropriations bills for FY24. Debates over spending levels in the House and amendments in the Senate have stalled individual bills so a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend current funding will be necessary. However, a short-term CR might also be difficult and a government shutdown is possible at every stage of the process.

OSHA Heat Standard

NRCA’s Rod Petrick (Ridgeworth Roofing Co., IL) and John Fleming (Weathercraft, CO) will participate in Small Business Advocacy Review teleconferences on Sept. 18 and 19, respectively, to offer feedback on unrealistic options in OSHA’s draft Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard. NRCA and TRIA have been working together in prep sessions for Petrick and Fleming facilitated by the law firm Conn Maciel Carey for the Employers Heat Illness Prevention Coalition.

Corporate Transparency Act

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 to crack down on criminals who use shell companies to launder money. The CTA’s disclosure requirements apply to businesses with under $5 million in annual revenues and fewer than 20 employees (approximately 32 million entities). But its unlikely criminals will self-report while legitimate businesses must contend with more paperwork, privacy risks, and big fines. Also, Treasury hasn’t finalized CTA regulations for the Jan. 1 effective date, so Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, introduced the Protecting Small Business Information Act (H.R. 4035) to delay the CTA. Attached is a coalition letter to McHenry in support of his bill that’s signed by TRIA.

DACA

On Sept. 13, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled a revised version of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by President Obama in 2012 is still illegal. Hanen declared DACA unconstitutional in 2021 and the Biden Administration tried to satisfy his concerns with a new version in Oct. 2022. Hanen’s ruling extended the injunction in place since 2021 which bars new applicants but leaves the program intact for existing recipients during the ongoing legal review. Eligible undocumented youth receive protection from deportation and work permits, but DACA status must be renewed every two years.

For more information on our Government Relations Committee or the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance (TRIA) please email us at info@tileroofing.org or visit our website at www.tileroofing.org