Your Voice on the Hill in 2019

Legislation and regulations are constantly changing, affecting our industry and the communities in which our member companies operate. We strive to keep our members in the know, give them a voice on Capitol Hill and share tools so they can prepare their businesses for success no matter what comes their way in the form of state or federal legislation.

In 2019, ESA tracked 922 state legislative bills and 85 federal bills to provide weekly legislative updates for its members. The Association also submitted public comments and supported participation  in advocacy campaigns related to industry-specific legislation and regulations.

Members engaged with ESA on the most important issues facing the electronic security and life safety industry with grassroots advocacy campaigns, including:

· A national advocacy campaign to raise funds for federal litigation against an unconstitutional ordinance that fines alarm companies in Sandy Springs, GA

· A national campaign to support the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1858 and S. 907)

· Opposition to electrical board regulation of low-voltage industries in Texas and North Dakota

· Opposition to New Jersey Public Works Contractor regulations that require union apprenticeship programs for all public work contractors

ESA held another instance of its annual District Week, during which members from 11 states engaged directly with their congressional officials to address workforce development and project labor agreement legislation that directly impact this industry. The association also participated in a business leader “Hill Walk” that included 80 congressional office visits by business leaders across the country to discuss workforce development issues. ESA was honored to provide input directly to the White House Domestic Policy Advisory Council.

In addition to all these efforts, ESA joined with numerous law enforcement and life safety organizations, was represented on 16 key Technical Committees in the NFPA, and supported Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) and the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC).