Air Conditioning Contractors of America» Hot Air! Blog

Around the States: Contactor Protection and Efforts to Level the Playing Field

Pennsylvania: Putting Liability in its Proper Place Pennsylvania State Senator Lisa M. Boscola introduced a bill in Harrisburg that would take steps to protect HVAC contractors from claims related to mold or mold damage. SB 647 would make HVAC contractors, unless otherwise agreed in writing, not liable for personal injuries, property damage or other damages, [...]

Find Incentives in your Area

We’re excited to announce a new feature on the ACCA website that is designed to help contractors find energy efficiency incentives for their customers. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) is an ongoing project of North Carolina State University and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. DSIRE serves as a comprehensive source [...]

Here’s Why You’ve Received A Bunch Of Emails Warning You About The Need To Buy A New “Labor” Poster

Today the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially issued the final rule requiring nearly all employers to display a poster explaining to employees their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The new rule was first proposed by the NLRB in December of 2010 with a comment period that closed in February 2011. As a [...]

Industry Capitol Hill Event Features HVACR & Hot Water Equipment Cake

Last night ACCA, along with our partners AHRI, HARDI, NATE, and PHCC, hosted a reception in the Rayburn House Office Building to introduce members of Congress and staff to our industry and its products. The featured attraction was a 250 pound cake depicting heating, ventilation, air condition, refrigeration, and hot water equipment from Carlo’s Bakery [...]

Congress Passes Debt Limit Increase Along With Spending Cuts and Deficit Reductions Package

Congress approved a bill today increasing the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion, averting default and the loss of the federal government’s AAA bond rating. The legislative package not only raised the debt limit enough to keep the government operating through next year, it set out an ambitious and complicated deficit reduction plan that includes spending [...]

Airline Taxes Lapse But Airlines Continue To Collect Tax

Here’s a Washington story you may have missed with all the attention focused on the debt ceiling balanced budget vote. When Congress failed to pass a bill last week extending the authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airlines were no longer required to collect a host of taxes added to a passenger’s ticket price. [...]

Around the States: Financing Opportunities Pop Up Along the East Coast

Power NY: New York Passes First in National On-Bill Financing Legislation This summer, New York became the first state to offer on-bill financing to fund energy efficiency retrofits. The Power NY Act of 2011 allows low to moderate income utility customers to make energy efficiency upgrades to their homes and pay for them through the [...]

Obama Administration Looking to Change Union Organizing Rules

As you may know, Big Labor and their allies in the federal government are trying to enact the failed “card check” legislation through regulatory fiat. Federal regulators appointed by the Obama administration at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Department of Labor (DOL) have proposed two new rules that threaten employers’ ability to seek [...]

How Is The Debt Limit Like A Rookie Salary Cap?

If you had asked me two months ago which would be resolved first, the debt ceiling debate or the NFL Lockout, I would have told you that it was a no brainer that Congress would raise the debt ceiling before the August 2 deadline. Just a few weeks ago there was talk of getting it [...]

Rehberg Amendment Passes Critical Committee Vote

A bill to fund the EPA has passed out of committee with a key amendment that would ban enforcement of the Lead Rule until the agency approves a commercially available lead test kit. The House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee passed the FY 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill by a vote of 28-18 last [...]