CE Pro May 2024 - 8

Industry Pulse
NEWS | ANALYSIS
CEDIA Meets with
D.C. Legislators to
Support Custom
Integration Industry
Personnel from CEDIA talked to senators
and representatives during Day on the
Hill regarding reclassifying " integrator "
and expanding 529 plans for education.
By Arlen Schweiger
CEDIA continues to
ramp up its advocacy role
representing the custom
integration industry, amplifying
the important issues
and messaging to political
change-makers.
The latest example came
on March 6, when key
stakeholders in the association,
led by CEDIA Global
President and CEO Daryl
Friedman, organized a Day
on Capitol Hill in Washington
to petition support for
the smart home industry.
Meetings with political
leaders addressed two
critical matters, according
to the association:
The Freedom to Invest in
Tomorrow's Workforce
Act (S. 722, H.R. 1477) and
creating a classification of
" integrator " in the Standard
Occupational Classification
(SOC) system.
CEDIA board members,
executives, and industry
leaders met with the legisla8
| CE Pro May 2024
tive offices of U.S. politicians
during the agenda.
Political participants
included Rep. Linda Sánchez
(D-CA-38), Sen. Tim Kaine
(D-VA), Rep. Don Beyer
Jr. (D-VA-8), Rep. Rob
Wittman (R-VA-1), Rep.
Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1),
Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA-9),
Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD3),
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA),
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-2),
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA2),
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN),
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT),
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (DVA-7),
Rep. André Carson
(D-IN-07), and Sen. Michael
Bennet (D-CO).
CEDIA pledged support
for The Freedom to Invest
in Tomorrow's Workforce
Act (S. 722, H.R. 1477) and
urged congress to recognize
" integrator " as a profession
in its next revision of the
SOC system.
The association outlines
its efforts as twofold:
CEDIA's Day on the Hill had a big turnout on March 6 in
Washington, D.C.
1. The Freedom to Invest
in Tomorrow's Workforce
Act would expand eligible
uses of tax-favorable 529
savings plans to cover costs
associated with workforce
training and credentialing
programs.
The legislation would also
enable 529 plan beneficiaries
to use their funds to
pay for exams to obtain and
maintain recognized private
professional certifications
and other credentials.
2. Smart home professionals,
or integrators, are
currently misclassified as a
subset of the electrical trade
within the SOC system.
An integrator's skill set is
separate and more diverse
than that of an electrician,
and therefore requires its
own accurate classification
in the SOC system.
CEDIA representatives
conducted a series of sitdown
meetings with U.S.
legislators and urged its
members to magnify these
efforts by sponsoring the
legislation and sending a
letter to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, which oversees
the occupational codes.
" At CEDIA's first annual
Day on the Hill, we reinforced
our commitment to
the smart home industry,
advocating for policies that
will benefit both current and
future generations, " states
Friedman, who recently received
a contract extension
through 2027.
" The outcomes we seek
will not only open doors
for aspiring professionals
but also elevate the status
of our industry as a whole.
Support from leaders in
Washington is pivotal in ensuring
that the smart home
industry continues to thrive
and innovate. "
In October, CEDIA personnel
visited Michigan's
state capitol as part of a
similar advocacy effort.
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CE Pro May 2024

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