AIR-CONDITIONING, HEATING, AND REFRIGERATION INSTITUTE for AIR-CONDITIONING, HEATING, AND REFRIGERATION INSTITUTE

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

H.R. 3515 - HVAC Expensing and Technology Act of 2017 - Amending the IRS code to provide for expensing of qualified energy efficient heating and air-conditioning property for certain taxpayers and accelerated cost recovery for such property for other taxpayers. H.R. 3507 - Bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings make the deduction permanent and allow partnerships and S corporations to receive the full benefit of a deduction allocated at the partner or shareholder level, and exempt property placed in service in a qualified low-income building from the requirement to reduce the basis of the property by the amount of the deduction. H.R. 1090 - Technologies for Energy Security Act - Extending IRS code Section 25D to allow for certain geothermal technologies to receive tax credits. S. 1409 - Technologies for Energy Jobs and Security Act of 2017 - Extending IRS Code Section 25D to allow for certain geothermal technologies to receive tax credits. S. 1144 - INVEST Act - Provisions relating to the modification of rules for expensing depreciable business assets, the definition of qualified real property, provisions relating to cost recovery rules and the examination of the depreciation schedule for classes of depreciable property. Expensing and Depreciation - Supporting the amendment of Sections 179 and 168 the IRS code to allow for the immediate expensing of HVACR products as well as an accurate depreciation period for HVACR equipment. Tax Rates - Lowering the corporate tax rate and the pass-through rate to allow for U.S. products to remain globally viable.

Contacted: Energy, Dept of; Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.

Bills named: S. 1409 (115th), H.R. 3515 (115th), S. 1144 (115th), H.R. 1090 (115th), H.R. 3507 (115th)

Small Business SMB

H.R. 33/S. 584 - Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act - Ensuring that impacts to small businesses are considered when promulgating regulations. Test Procedures - To provide a small business exemption from certain testing requirements under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

Contacted: SENATE; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); President of the U.S.; Energy, Dept of; State, Dept of (DOS); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Bills named: S. 584 (115th), H.R. 33 (115th)

Environment/Superfund ENV

H.R. 2858 - SUPER Act of 2017 - Provisions relating to the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol - Supporting the U.S. ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol in order to phase down HFCs and remain globally competitive. SNAP Program - Supporting the EPA's Significant New Alternatives Program as the primary regulatory process for refrigerants.

Contacted: Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Energy, Dept of; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); SENATE; State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); President of the U.S.

Bills named: H.R. 2858 (115th)

Government Issues GOV

Regulatory Reform - Promote flexibility in requirements if an agency is engaged in a Negotiated Rulemaking or Direct Final Rule and deferring to industry consensus standards rather than creating duplicative standards. H.R. 5/S. 951 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 - Judicial Review of Information Quality Act, issuance of guidelines by OIRA for conducting cost-benefit analyses, and requiring OIRA to ensure rules are consistent and compatible with other federal agency regulations. S. 1734 - Regulatory Improvement and Transparency Act of 2017 - Creating a commission on retrospective review of regulations, requiring plain writing for regulations and creating a regulatory transparency form to easily explain cost analysis of final major rules. Support for the nomination of Dan Brouillette to be the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); President of the U.S.; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Energy, Dept of; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Bills named: S. 951 (115th), S. 1734 (115th), H.R. 5 (115th)

Tariff (miscellaneous tariff bills) TAR

Section 232 Review of Steel and Aluminum - Relating to the Section 232 review of steel/aluminum and the potential imposition of tariffs or quotas on steel/aluminum if they are found to impact national security.

Contacted: State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Labor, Dept of (DOL); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Energy, Dept of; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); President of the U.S.; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

NAFTA - Relating to the renegotiation of NAFTA and on provisions relating to the harmonization of standards and the regulatory process. ISDS- Investor State Dispute Settlement - Issues relating to ISDS ensuring the rule of law will be upheld for foreign investors and to provide a neutral forum for the resolution of investment disputes. KORUS - Maintaining the U.S. involvement in the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); State, Dept of (DOS); Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); President of the U.S.; SENATE; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol - Seeking continued funding for the multilateral fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency Funding - Seeking continued funding for the Department of Energy's energy efficiency programs. Energy Star - Seeking continued funding for the Energy Star program. Amendment No. 63 to H.R. 3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act of 2018, Amendment would prohibit the use of funds to implement or enforce the final rule published by the Department of Energy entitled "Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps".

Contacted: Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Energy, Dept of; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); State, Dept of (DOS); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: H.R. 3219 (115th)

Energy/Nuclear ENG

EPCA Modernization - Needed reforms to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to improve the regulatory process and accountability. Systems Efficiency - Reforms needed to address that energy performance is dependent on how parts of the system relate to one another and to pursue an integrated system approach. Energy Star - Reforms to improve program and possible relocation of program from DOE to EPA S. 1460 - Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017 - Provisions relating to product definitions, rulemaking procedures, and regional standards. H.R. 1443/S. 385 - Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act - Provisions relating to voluntary verification programs for air-conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water products. Water Heater Definitions: Working with the Department of Energy on the definition and classification of residential and commercial water heaters. Furnace Metric: Determining AFUE levels for a final rule on furnace energy efficiency standards. Efficiency Standards Process - Seeking improvements to the Department of Energy's Process Rule for the development of energy efficiency standards.

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); SENATE; State, Dept of (DOS); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Energy, Dept of; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Bills named: H.R. 1443 (115th), S. 385 (115th), S. 1460 (115th)

Education EDU

H.R. 2353 - Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act - Provisions relating to the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.

Contacted: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); President of the U.S.; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Energy, Dept of; State, Dept of (DOS)

Bills named: H.R. 2353 (115th)

Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR

Labeling - Hazard communication standard labeling application for refrigerant reclamation cylinders.

Contacted: President of the U.S.; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Energy, Dept of; State, Dept of (DOS); Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)