The American Supply Association advocacy office is striving to ensure the voice of its members is heard across the country both at the federal and state levels.

Through investment early this year in a new legislative/regulatory tracking platform, ASA has been able to further step up its game in monitoring legislative and regulatory activity at the state and local levels that have potential impacts on our members’ businesses.

As an example, the ASA advocacy team became aware of proposed legislation in the state of Rhode Island known as S339 – Appliance and Equipment Energy and Water Efficiency Standards Act of 2021. The proposed Rhode Island bill provides energy and water efficiency standards for various appliances and plumbing fixtures, including commercial dishwashers; faucets; showerheads; spray sprinkler bodies; urinals; water closets and water coolers.

If adopted, the legislation has an implementation period based on sell date of Jan. 1, 2023. Through our monitoring of the legislative process in Rhode Island, ASA became aware that the Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee would be considering the bill at a May 6, 2021 hearings. Prior to the hearings, ASA sent a letter to the Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee chair and members of the committee expressing our opposition to the bill.

The American Supply Association advocacy office is striving to ensure the voice of its members is heard across the country both at the federal and state levels.

Through investment early this year in a new legislative/regulatory tracking platform, ASA has been able to further step up its game in monitoring legislative and regulatory activity at the state and local levels that have potential impacts on our members’ businesses.

As an example, the ASA advocacy team became aware of proposed legislation in the state of Rhode Island known as S339 – Appliance and Equipment Energy and Water Efficiency Standards Act of 2021. The proposed Rhode Island bill provides energy and water efficiency standards for various appliances and plumbing fixtures, including commercial dishwashers; faucets; showerheads; spray sprinkler bodies; urinals; water closets and water coolers.

If adopted, the legislation has an implementation period based on sell date of Jan. 1, 2023. Through our monitoring of the legislative process in Rhode Island, ASA became aware that the Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee would be considering the bill at a May 6, 2021 hearings. Prior to the hearings, ASA sent a letter to the Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee chair and members of the committee expressing our opposition to the bill.

ASA’s opposition is summarized below:

• The implementation date of Jan. 1, 2023 is based on a “sell date,” which would not allow for the sale of products not in compliance with the new requirements after said date. The use of a “sell date” places a significant burden on our ASA distributor members. Distributors, in attempting to meet market demand, need to keep an inventory of products for our customers that today are in compliance but, based on an arbitrary implementation “sell date,” are no longer in compliance after that date. This situation leads to a significant economic cost of having to disregard inventory no longer in compliance.
• Concern that the Commissioner of Energy Resources is being given the authority to establish increased efficiency standards for any product listed in Section 39-27.1-3, and new efficiency standards for products not listed in Section 39-27.1-3, without public input
• Revising the definition of “showerhead” in the proposed legislation to be consistent with the industry standard for plumbing fixture fittings (ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1) that is referenced in the Rhode Island state plumbing code.

The good news is that the results of the May 6, 2021 hearing was a decision to hold off moving forward with the legislation for further study.

ASA is currently tracking more than 80 different state legislative initiatives that could have an impact on our members. To learn more about those areas being tracked by ASA and specific positions ASA has taken at the state level, you can visit the ASA State Issues web page here.