The work of an industry association inherently involves advocating on behalf of whatever it is that group represents. In recent years, CEDIA, the Association for Smart Home Professionals, has made sure to put those efforts truly into action in the literal sense, bringing the message of the industry straight to Capitol Hill.
The group traveled to Washington, DC, on March 27th for its second-ever Smart Home Day on Capitol Hill event. There, the CEDIA Board of Directors alongside manufacturer CEOs and other industry leaders met with numerous members of Congress to discuss key policies that impact the smart home industry.
“This was our second Smart Home Day on Capitol Hill, and the impact of rallying together in person cannot be overstated,” said CEDIA Global President and CEO, Daryl Friedman. “With changes in government and evolving policy landscapes, it’s more important than ever that we proactively engage with lawmakers to shape the future of our industry.”
In a statement, CEDIA highlighted the three key issues that were the focus of many of those conversations:
- Exclusions on tariffs. The timing here couldn’t have been better. Days before the rollout of the Trump administration’s “reciprocal tariffs” on dozens of countries around the globe, CEDIA talked with lawmakers about maintaining the same tariff exclusion process that was available during Trump’s first term. CEDIA said that maintaining that exclusion process would help support the strength of the U.S. economy and technical-skills job market, while also sustaining low prices for product and services.
- The CHIPS and Science Act. CEDIA lobbied for continued support of the bill, which aims to bring more of the semiconductor supply chain back to the U.S. and provide increased support for and investment in the tech sector.
- Jobs training. Another bill that was on the minds of the CEDIA Hill Day participants was the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act. The bill would allow for expanded use of 529 savings accounts to cover things like workforce training and credentialing programs, which would directly benefit custom integrators in desperate need of finding and hiring skilled workers.
“I want to thank everyone who joined us on the Hill, as well as those who continue to advocate from home,” said CEDIA Director of Government Affairs, Darren Reaman. “Industry advocacy is an ongoing effort, and every voice strengthens our impact.”
Coming off of its Hill Day, CEDIA also announced that it has made available a pre-populated letter for members to send to their congressional leaders that highlights the above initiatives. For more information on the group’s global advocacy efforts and how to get involved, head to www.cedia.org/advocacy.
