ASA Top Issues
ASA’s legislative and regulatory initiatives focus on those issues that specifically impact supply chain partners throughout the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Piping (PHCP) and Industrial PVF industries.  These initiatives and the positions on the issues are updated and revised as needed on an ongoing basis. 

Click here for a complete overview of ASA’s legislative and regulatory agenda. 

TAX & BUSINESS ISSUES
ASA supports federal tax and business policies that enable ASA members to operate productive and efficient businesses.  Click here to read our policy.

• LIFO Repeal
  ASA opposes repeal of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method of accounting for inventory. Repeal will create serious tax liabilities for many ASA wholesalers and manufacturers.
• Accelerated Depreciation for Showrooms 
  ASA supports federal legislation which provides a statutory 15-year recovery period for qualified retail improvement property provided such legislation is applicable to supply house showrooms.
• Government Contracts 
  ASA supports legislation to repeal a sweeping new requirement on all government contracts that goes into effect in 2011.
• Permanent Repeal of the Death Tax 
  ASA supports permanent repeal of the death tax, but recognizes that a compromise may be necessary.
• Copper Theft Prevention Act
  ASA supports legislation requiring the transactions between the sellers of copper and secondary metal recyclers to be documented and for penalties to be assessed for noncompliance.

LABOR MANAGEMENT
ASA supports federal policies that allow employers and employees to work together.

• Employee Free Choice Act, i.e. “Secret Ballot” or “Card Check” 
  ASA is an active part of the effort to ensure the continued right of American workers to freely choose whether or not to be represented by a labor organization.
• Family & Medical Leave
  ASA opposes legislation to require employers to provide seven days of paid sick leave annually for full-time workers. 
• Small Business Health Plans
  ASA supports federal legislation to allow creation of federally regulated small business health plans (SBHPs), also known as association health plans (AHPs).

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY
ASA recognizes the importance of worker health and safety.

• OSHA Alliance 
  ASA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have formed an alliance to provide ASA members with information and access to training resources to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces.
• Asbestos Liability
  ASA is dedicated to enactment of congressional legislation ensuring a fair resolution of the asbestos litigation crisis.
• Ergonomics - Position paper coming soon!
  ASA continues to oppose stringent ergonomics regulations.

ENVIRONMENT, WATER CONSERVATION & ENERGY EFFICIENCY 
ASA supports and promotes policies which will conserve our nation’s natural resources and protect our environment, including the promotion of water efficiency products through its voluntary public-private partnership in the USEPA’s WaterSense program.

• Water Infrastructure 
  ASA supports legislation to adequately finance America’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Appliance Efficiency Standards 
  ASA supports uniform efficiency standards for heating and cooling equipment. However, ASA opposes the recently enacted regional standards for residential heating and cooling products.
• Lead in Plumbing Products
  ASA opposes state and federal initiatives to reduce the lead content in plumbing products to such restrictive levels that manufacturers will not be able to comply as well as those with aggressive deadlines that do not allow for the normal turnover of existing inventories.