Edward Briggs, VP of Government Relations, and Will George, Junior Lobbyist, from RSA Consulting Group, LLC (RSA) met with members of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (RACCA) of Tampa Bay on December 12. 2024. Held at the Victor Distributing training facility in Clearwater, the meeting covered 2025 legislation being watched closely by the statewide Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (FRACCA).
Mr. Briggs began by explaining that the 2025 legislative session returns to their normal cycle since it is not an election year. “This month, into next month, we actually are starting the legislative committees. So, we’re kicking those off in January and February. ending up with five committee weeks between those two time frames, and then session will formally kick off in March and end in May.”
According to Mr. Briggs, the FRACCA Board of Directors proposed three general priorities.
The longest running of the three is apprenticeship funding. Currently, funding goes through Local Education Agencies and there are no standards for allocation of funds to the individual apprenticeship programs, making it difficult to budget for each year’s programs. There are representatives in the House and Senators who plan to address this.
Another one of the FRACCA Board’s priorities is unlicensed contracting. which was discussed by Representative Randy Maggard at a FRACCA Board meeting earlier this year. Being a HVAC contractor, the Representative has an interest in solving the problem. “We don’t know exactly what the solution is yet,” Mr. Briggs stated.
“We’re going to meet with them soon to find out what the language and enforcement details could be,” Mr. George added. “Like Edward said, we’re just starting to get into the legislative session. There have been 30 or 40 bills filed out of what will end up being 800 or so.”
The last priority RSA has been directed by the board to follow is expanding the scope of work for class A and B air conditioning contractors to be able to install and replace pool package heaters. The argument may be a matter of consumer choice. The current system is not convenient or economical for pool heat pump owners, particularly when it comes to repair and/or replacement.
Mr. Briggs concluded by explaining RSA’s overall involvement and the importance of contractors contacting their representatives in the legislature. “We monitor every piece of legislation, and If we feel there’s an ancillary effect on the HVAC industry, report it up to the board, seeking their permission to engage. And we can’t stress enough the importance of contractor participation in our efforts. The annual FRACCA trips to Tallahassee and personal communications to Representatives and Senators considering matters of importance to your businesses played a large part in achieving the successes of last year regarding disconnects and warranties.”
Mr. Briggs and Mr. George will be visiting local FRACCA-affiliated chapters to share their message over the next few weeks. Check with your local chapters or monitor the ACprosite.com regional calendars for dates.
From the Director: To refresh your memories, here’s a summary of what was achieved in last year’s legislative session as a result of engagement by HVAC contractors, large and small, in the process of providing input to the politicians that decide how your businesses are run.
Get involved! Attend your local FRACCA affiliated chapter meetings to stay informed. Join to show full support.
CS/HB 481 — Building Construction Regulations and System Warranties
by Civil Justice Subcommittee and Rep. Maggard (CS/SB 612 by Commerce and Tourism Committee and Senator Hooper)
The bill expands the kind of work that Class A and Class B air-conditioning contractors and mechanical contractors may undertake to include replacing, disconnecting, or reconnecting power wiring on the line side of a dedicated existing electrical disconnect switch on a single phase electrical system; and repairing or replacing power wiring, disconnects, breakers, or fuses for dedicated HVAC circuits with proper use of a circuit breaker lock.
The bill prohibits the conditioning of an HVAC system warranty on product registration and specifies that the full length of such a warranty’s coverage term begins on the date a licensed contractor installs the system. The bill also requires that an HVAC warranty or product registration card or form must specify that the card or form is for the product registration and that failure to complete and return the form does not diminish any warranty rights.
