PHILADELPHIA — The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association presented two advocacy awards to state chapter organizations at the CONNECT 2012 conference in Philadelphia. The PHCC of Illinois received the 2012 Legislative Service Award and the PHCC of Pennsylvania was recognized with the 2012 Legislative Excellence Award.
The Legislative Service Award recognizes an individual or chapter that has made a significant legislative contribution in the past year. PHCC of Illinois was selected for its successful effort to close a loophole in the contractor portion of the state plumbing licensing law. Chapter representatives introduced a bill in the general assembly several years ago and worked diligently to push this bill forward through the legislative amendment process. It passed in the House and Senate, and the governor signed off on it late last year.
With the passage of this bill, contractors throughout the state no longer have the administrative burden of reapplying for registration in multiple localities. This saves them both the time and expense of duplicating certificates of insurance, bonds, and registration fees and forms.
The PHCC of Pennsylvania was awarded the Legislative Excellence Award for its efforts to mobilize a grassroots network and pass a statewide licensure bill. Through collective efforts of members, staff, contractors and consumers, the mission to establish a licensure law to protect public health and safety is gaining traction. Chapter leaders used an automated letter-writing campaign to encourage fellow members to petition legislators, then extended their campaign to include non-member contractors and consumers.
Although the battle for licensure is ongoing, its efforts have established PHCC as a recognizable force to be reckoned with in the state capitol.
The PHCC of Pennsylvania and the PHCC of Illinois are affiliated with the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association.