HBAA Legislative Alert
March 9, 2012

ELECTRICAL LICENSE BOARD BILL CLEARS COMMITTEE  

HB 465 received a favorable report this week in the House Boards and Commissions Committee. The bill is designed to remove the annual testing requirement from the current law for those electrical contractors who possess a local license to work within a specific jurisdiction.

 

There has been a fair amount of confusion about the changes approved during the 2010 legislative session concerning the "provisional" license. Local governments can still issue local electrical licenses and will be able to continue to do so unabated. Anyone licensed locally will be required to obtain a provisional license from the state for a minimal fee and adhere to the continuing education requirements. Keith Warren, the Executive Director of the Alabama Electrical Contractors Licensing Board is available to answer specific questions and can be reached at [email protected] or at 334-269-9990.

 

STORM RETROFIT DEDUCTION BILL AWAITS COMMITTEE ACTION 

The HBAA worked closely with Senator Ben Brooks (R-Mobile) and Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) on passage of legislation that would become Act 2011-644. The Act provides for a $3,000 tax deduction on any retrofit to existing structure or new construction that improves a home's ability to withstand wind storm events.   The Act also provides for the deduction to apply to storm shelters.

 

Representative Steve McMillan (R-Bay Minette) has introduced HB 457 which modifies the current tax deduction into a tax credit. The tax credit would be for $1,500 for improvements to a structure's ability to withstand storms and for safe room construction. An additional credit would be available on excess insurance premiums.   The owner would be allowed a credit to cover an amount up to $1,250. The $1,500 tax credit is a 10 fold increase over the effective tax cut that the $3,000 tax deduction creates. In addition to helping home owners and would be home owners have homes built to above code standards, the tax credit will help stimulate economic activity for builders and remodelers while offsetting costs to the consumers.

 

Due to the state's current budget problems, moving tax credit legislation may prove difficult. As a member of the committee, Rep. McMillan will have the opportunity. The HBAA will work closely with Rep. McMillan and the committee to give the bill a favorable report.

WORKERS COMP BILL GAINS TRACTION  

The HBAA is working with a number of other business groups in support of two workers comp bills that together represent a major reform to the current Alabama statute. If passed, SB 77 by Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) would redefine certain liability that an employer has on specific disability claims and set a time frame for a claimant to seek medical attention. Representative Paul Demarco (R-Homewood) introduced HB 104 which limits an employer's liability when the claim is a result of intoxication of the claimant. Although two distinctly different bills, both have the end result of lowering the cost of workers comp on small business.

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