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| BIFMA Government Affairs Committee
The next meeting of the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is set for Oct. 18, 2011 in Chicago on the afternoon prior to the BIFMA Engineering Committee meeting. Each October, the GAC meets to prioritize legislative and regulatory issues of interest to the association’s members for the following year. Canadian Furniture The BIFMA Canadian Furniture Task Group (CFTG) was started to help the Canadian Government make fair and smart furniture purchases without eliminating the competition that provides high value when the number of manufacturers is not unduly limited. A Government Office Furniture Advisory Committee was established to advise PWGSC officials on best solutions for purchasing and productivity. The task group holds monthly conference calls to share information on procurement news in Canada. More information on activities of the task group can be found at http://bifma.org/govt/CanadianFurnitureTG/CFTG.html. Environmental Issues BIFMA's Environmental Mission Statement: The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association is committed to promoting sustainable work environments and business practices based on sound economics, environmental protection, and social responsibility. We will accomplish these goals by fostering partnerships between manufacturers, suppliers, end users, and the science community; providing association members with education in the concepts of sustainable design; and developing meaningful tools for quantifying and communicating industry progress to interested parties. (Click here for information on environmental and sustainability-related projects and resources.) Formaldehyde Executive Order 13514 Federal Leadership In Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance - EO 13514 requires federal agencies to take actions that will contribute to the “Greening of Government”. BIFMA has been assisting the Section 13 Interagency Product Standards and Ecolabels Subgroup in their efforts to determine the best tools to help the government meet the President Obama’s Executive Order of October 2009. BIFMA recently completed a survey designed to guage marketplace tools and their effectiveness. The Section 13 report is scheduled to be completed in February. It will go to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and a government-wide process could be in place by May. OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Revision Update - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that their proposed rule has not been published yet. It is in the final stages of review at the U.S. Department of Labor, and after that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will need to review it for the White House. Under the new rule, companies in the United States will need to adopt the globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals. Product labels, material safety data sheets (soon to be called “safety data sheets”), and written hazard communication plans must be revised to meet the new standard. Worker training must also be updated so that workers can recognize and understand the symbols and pictograms on the new labels as well as the new hazard statements and precautions on MSDSs. More information can be found at the following website: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/global.html Phthalates Alternatives Prison Industries BIFMA has long sought relief from a requirement in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) that U.S. federal agencies buy products from Federal Prison Industries (FPI) rather than the private sector. Over the years, legislation has been passed to hold this “mandatory source” status at bay by giving government purchases more power to choose the products that best serve their needs. Monitoring the agency continues however to make sure FPI doesn't reclaim that unfair advantage in the federal marketplace. (History: http://www.bifma.org/resources/govt_talkpts_fpi.php) Reclamation BIFMA and Michigan State Industries (MSI), a program of the Michigan Department of Corrections, worked together to create a furniture reclamation program to disassemble obsolete furniture and keep it out of landfills. The program was confined to state agencies at first and state legislation at the end of 2010 expanded it to the private sector. This "end of product life" solution has a win-win outcome of keeping prison workers productively busy while addressing an environmental need. Taxation 3% Withholding Relief - On Thursday, October 13, 2011, the House Ways and Means Committee favorably reported H.R. 674 out with a voice vote. Comments by Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Levin as well Congressmen Herger and Blumenauer underscored the bipartisan support this bill enjoys. Rep. Camp said it will “reduce the uncertainty facing America’s job creators” while Rep. Levin called the 3% withholding tax “misguided”. Rep. Blumenauer warned that the total cost of this mandate “dwarfs” the receipts that would be generated. Everything indicates that the legislation is on track for H.R. 674 to be on the House floor the week of October 24, 2911. Mobile Workforce Legislation - BIFMA supports H.R. 1864, the Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2011 and urges the Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law of the United States House of Representatives to favorably report the bill out of Committee as soon as possible. H.R. 1864 was introduced by Chairman Coble of North Carolina and Representative Johnson of Georgia, and it enjoys strong bipartisan support on the Judiciary Committee. The bill would enhance compliance with state personal income tax laws and simplify greatly the onerous burdens placed on employees who travel outside of their resident states for temporary periods and on employers who have corresponding withholding and reporting requirements. |
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| This page updated 2011-10-17 | |
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