Legislation
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, along with other trade associations and businesses, sent a letter to Sens. Bingaman and Murkowski of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as to Sens. Boxer and Inhofe of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, urging them to contact the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to delay the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) rule. Starting on April 22, 2010, renovation work that disturbs more than six square feet on the interior of a home built before 1978 must follow new Lead Safe Work Practices (LSWP) supervised by an EPA certified renovator and performed by an EPA certified renovation firm, as outlined in 40 CFR § 745.85. Currently, EPA has only 135 accredited trainers and 13,669 certified renovators nationwide, although its own compliance-needs estimates indicate that it needs at least 200,000 or more certified renovators. Obviously, these numbers are far too insufficient for the millions of renovations carried out annually, even without a substantial retrofit incentive program like HOME STAR. With the April 22, 2010 deadline nearing, it is clear that EPA cannot ensure enough certified renovators will be available for compliance with the LRRP. Please click here to view full letter. Please Contact Your U.S. Senators and Urge Them to Delay the EPA Lead Rule by Clicking Here For more information regarding EPA lead rule here are some helpful links: Firm Certification/Renovator Training Information Firms/contractors seeking certification please click here for more information. Firms/contractors seeking Certified Renovator training please click here for a list of EPA-approved trainers. Please click here to view the full EPA brochure, "Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting."
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President Obama has announced a proposal for consideration in an upcoming jobs creation bill in Congress that would provide incentives for energy-efficient home improvements. Called the "Cash for Caulkers" proposal by some and "Home Star" by others, it would essentially be a rebate program for consumers who retrofit their homes through such measures as insulation, window replacement and duct sealing/replacement. While such a proposal could have many positive impacts on the LBM industry, we need to make sure that all dealers, and not just large retail chains, are involved in crafting the proposal so that it produces its intended results: job creation across the country, growing small businesses and improving energy efficiency. TAKE ACTION: Click here to quickly send an email message to ask your senators and representatives today to make sure any "Cash for Caulkers" program provides all building material dealers an opportunity to participate in the program so that it has the biggest impact on job creation and assisting small businesses. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NLBMDA Issue Briefing: Health Care Reform The U.S. Senate has begun debating the health care reform bill. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and many Senate Democrats are pushing to have the bill passed out of the Senate chamber before Christmas, though any bill that passes the Senate will have to be reconciled with the previous House-passed bill (HR 3962). We are told that President Obama would like the bill on his desk to sign into law before his State of the Union Address, which will more than likely be held towards the end of January. Please click here to read a side-by-side comparison of the recently passed House health care bill and the Senate health care bill currently being debated. *********** While we applaud Congress for attempting to pass genuine health care reform, the current Senate bill is a step in the wrong direction. It would create a government-run health plan, force employers to offer health insurance or pay big fines, tax working Americans, and add hundreds of billions of dollars to the budget. The play-or-pay mandate is particularly troubling as it will force employers to offer government-approved health insurance to employees, regardless of whether the business can afford it. It could lead some businesses to lay off workers to avoid closing their doors. This provision will depress economic activity and exacerbate an already high unemployment rate. Please click here for more information on the play-or-pay mandate. NLBMDA will continue to work constructively with members on both sides of the aisle to ensure that health care reform proposals ultimately help, not hurt, both employers and employees. NLBMDA is also working with the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Health Care and Start Over Coalition. Please click here to view the most recent health care coalition letter NLBMDA signed onto. *********** Senate Bill Top-Line Facts: • Spending: The cost of the bill is $2.5 trillion over 10 years of full implementation. • Tax increase: Taxes will go up $493.6 billion- nearly half a trillion dollars. • Total Number of Pages: 2,074 • Employer Mandate: The bill will impose $28 billion in new taxes on employers that do not provide approved health plans. These new taxes will ultimately be paid by American workers in the form of reduced wages and lost jobs. • 24 million people would be left without insurance • 5 million Americans would lose their employer coverage • Only 19 million people will get a subsidy to help them buy health insurance. None of the 162 million with employer-based care will even be eligible for a subsidy. More top-line facts can be found by clicking here. *********** NLBMDA and Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare host Healthcare Teleforum "A Conversation on Healthcare Reform" It is the most talked about issue across Washington, D.C., and its impact will be felt across America... Here's your chance to hear first-hand about what healthcare reform, means to your small business Please join NLBMDA members and Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare for an exclusive teleforum on: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 1:50 p.m. EST Join the teleforum and receive an update from the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare on the Senate healthcare reform bill and what it means to small business. Topics include: · The small business insurance tax · The employer mandate · The paperwork reporting mandate · The Medicare Payroll tax · The insurance market reforms · The small business tax credit Most important, get the answers to two of the most important questions: Will healthcare reform lower my insurance costs? Will healthcare reform increase the cost of doing business? It's easy to participate. Please visit: http://www.nfib.com/issues-elections/issues-elections-item/cmsid/50351/ The call will last about 60 mins. If you have any questions please contact Jeremy Stine at
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or the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare at
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NOTE: National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), as a member of the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare is hosting this sign-up form. No personal information will be retained for any future use. Questions? NLBMDA members with questions may contact Colleen Levine at
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or Jeremy Stine at
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