Advocacy Flyer

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V OICE ASA’s Advocacy Program Works to Protect Our Members’ Ability to Build Successful and Profitable Businesses

ASA Keeps Its Eye on Vital Issues That Impact Your Business Each year, more than 150,000 federal and state pieces of legislation and more than 70,000 federal and state regulatory actions are introduced and monitored

by ASA through a sophisticated monitoring system.

Jim Kendzel (left) and Steve Rossi

We are Working Full-Time to Protect Your Interests No other association is as heavily engaged in representing your interests when it comes to advancing reasonable building and product standards, sound regulations and legislation that will allow you to run your business profitably.

While you are concentrating on running your day-to-day business, our strong advocacy team keeps its eye on the regulatory, code and legislative changes that can have an impact on how you operate your business. Through monitoring the thousands of legislative and regulatory bills introduced each year at the national, state and local level, we are able to act quickly on those issues having the largest impact on your business, and when necessary, educate and engage you, your team and other industry leaders behind the most critical issues.

We focus much of our attention on those PHCP- and PVF-specific issues that no other organization is focusing on to have our greatest impact. In addition, on those major issues that are just too large a lift for any one organization, ASA becomes engaged in working through coalitions where we can lend our voice and support alongside hundreds of other industry groups being affected.

Of all those bills, ASA closely monitors and takes action on hundreds of bills that have a realistic chance of becoming law and would have an impact on our industry.

The ASA Advocacy team not only can track each bill being introduced, but we can specifically sort those bills impacting our plumbing or PVF members and their customers.

This gives us the capability to focus our attention and resources on industry-specific issues that affect us the most. Few organizations can provide this level of political sophistication. What does that mean for you? You can rest knowing that while you are focusing your time and attention toward building a great business, we are watching out for you.

It is our goal that through our advocacy team, you and fellow members of our association will be the most educated and engaged leaders when it comes to advocating for our industry and for association interests.

Each week, we report what is happening on the advocacy front, letting you know what is being talked about from the halls of Congress to the state houses and the impact it will have on your business. While it’s also our goal to win on those issues having the greatest impact to the way you do business, sometimes it’s not always possible. So when we can’t win, we work to at least educate you early enough for you to make the necessary changes to your business that will mitigate the impact these new regulations, laws and standards will have on your bottom line.

We are extremely proud of the strong team of staff and volunteer leaders that work every day to protect your future.

In this brochure, you will learn more about what ASA does to advocate your interests. We hope that you will find those areas where you can help.

Steve Rossi, Government Affairs Director

Jim Kendzel, Codes and Standards Director

Each Year, ASA Monitors More than 150,000 federal/state pieces of legislation.

More than 70,000 federal/state regulatory actions.

In 2021, tracked 125 pieces of legislation directly impacting our industry.

ASA is a Leading Voice in Codes and Standards Activities

ASA Has Assembled a Strong Advocacy Team of Staff and Volunteers Focused Full-Time on Protecting Your Interests Having the ability to monitor the thousands of bills introduced each year and the ability to engage an industry to act is just part of a successful advocacy program. Equally important is having strong full-time professionals and dedicated member volunteers working together to assess the most significant threats to our industry, and develop our response to these threats. Led by two dynamic staff members working in the codes, standards, legislative and regulatory arenas, supported by hundreds of volunteers, ASA’s advocacy operation is unequaled in our industry and related industries.

The PHCP and PVF marketplace is regulated by an array of model codes and product standards that have a direct impact on our members’ access to the market. ASA participates in the development of model codes covering buildings, plumbing, fire, energy and water efficiency, and mechanical systems. In addition, ASA represents our members by participating in a wide range of product standards. ASA has shown a high rate of success when taking a position on model codes or product standards with an 80% success rate.

The following graphic shows a highlevel overview of how the model codes and standards systems work in the U.S.

Help Make a Difference, Join Our Team!

Product Standards The goal of ASA’s Congressional Visit Program is to expose Representatives and Senators to the unique nature of the PHCP/PVF industries and the role ASA members play in delivering products and services through direct contact with our members and their employees. There is nobody better suited to educate our elected officials on our $80 billion industry, the impact legislation and regulatory efforts have on our businesses, and the jobs that we support than our members. The ASA Congressional Visit Program puts a face on our industry and connects the laws that our elected leaders debate with their impact on the jobs and livelihoods of industry professionals. Each ASA member can play an important role in delivering this education and message both in Washington, D.C. and locally

ASA’s Congressional Visit Program

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Model Codes

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Federal Regulations State Adopted Codes Local Adopted Codes

ASA’s Political Action Committee Supports Pro Business PHCP & PVF Candidates to be Your Advocate When Issues are being debated by elected officials In today’s political climate, the term political action committee (PAC) carries with it a very negative opinion by the average American. After all, nobody wants to feel that their vote is wiped away because of the millions of special interest dollars thrown behind candidates for federal office.

But not all PAC’s are negative. Never has there been a more important time for our industry to have a well-funded PAC to support good candidates for political office. The ASA Political Action Committee champions candidates for federal office that are supportive of the critical issues facing the PHCP and PVF industry. Every two years, the ASA PAC Committee reviews hundreds of candidates seeking our support and then selects only those candidates most deserving of a campaign contribution from our PAC. Our donation is only one of thousands of campaign contributions candidates receive during each campaign cycle, but our donation can help print 50 of yard signs, 2,000 direct mail brochures or pay for 20 radio commercials.

That’s the game and we need to ensure that our voice is heard when critical issues are being debated in Washington

In 2020 25

Candidates Supported

23

Won Their Elections

ASA IS SUCCESSFUL ON MORE THAN

80%

OF CODE CHANGE POSITIONS IT TAKES.

Connect With ASA's Advocacy Team

Steve Rossi Director of Government Affairs srossi@asa.net Jim Kendzel Director of Codes and Standards jkendzel@asa.net