CEDIA, the Association for Smart Home Professionals, continues to ramp up its advocacy role representing the custom integration industry, amplifying the important issues and messaging to political change-makers.
The latest and most important example came on March 6, when key stakeholders in the association, led by CEDIA Global President and CEO, organized a Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to petition support for current and future generations of the smart home industry.
Meetings with political leaders addressed two critical matters, according to the association: The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (S. 722, H.R. 1477) and creating a classification of “integrator” in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.
CEDIA board members, executives, and industry leaders met with the legislative offices of U.S. politicians during the Day on Capitol Hill agenda.
Political participants included Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA-38), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rep. Don Beyer Jr. (D-VA-8), Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-1), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1), Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA-9), Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD-3), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-2), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-2), Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), Rep. André Carson (D-IN-07), and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).
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CEDIA pledged support for The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (S. 722, H.R. 1477) and urged congress to recognize “integrator” as a profession in its next revision of the SOC system.
CEDIA Addresses Two-Pillar Industry Initiatives
Elaborating further on the reasons behind CEDIA’s organization of the Day on Capitol Hill, the association outlines its twofold efforts.
1. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would expand eligible uses of tax favorable 529 savings plans to cover costs associated with workforce training and credentialing programs.
The legislation would also enable 529 plan beneficiaries to use their funds to pay for examinations necessary to obtain and maintain recognized private professional certifications and other credentials.
2. Smart home professionals, or integrators, are currently misclassified as a subset of the electrical trade within the SOC system.
An integrator’s skill set is separate and more diverse than that of an electrician, and therefore requires its own accurate classification in the SOC system.
CEDIA representatives conducted a series of sit-down meetings with U.S. legislators and urged its members to magnify these efforts by sponsoring the legislation and sending a letter to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which oversees the occupational codes.
“At CEDIA’s first annual Day on the Hill, we reinforced our commitment to the smart home industry, advocating for policies that will benefit both current and future generations,” states Daryl Friedman, CEDIA global president and CEO.
“The outcomes we seek will not only open doors for aspiring professionals but also elevate the status of our industry as a whole. Support from leaders in Washington is pivotal in ensuring that the smart home industry continues to thrive and innovate.”
Friedman’s calling it the “first annual” event should be promising news to the custom channel on what’s to come as far as support in subsequent years.
Back in October, CEDIA personnel visited Michigan’s state capitol in Lansing as part of its similar “Legislative Day” advocacy effort.
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