Sixteen NEFBA members and staff spent three days in Tallahassee participating in the Florida Home Builders Association Spring Legislative Conference. While in Tallahassee, NEFBA members gained a renewed appreciation for the talented FHBA staff working hard to advocate for the association’s legislative agenda.
This session was busier than ever. On March 28, FHBA was tracking seven different pieces of legislation appearing in five different committees. Members were able to participate in the process by attending those committee meetings and speaking with legislators about key issues that impact our industry.
NEFBA members and staff visited 10 members of the House and the Senate, sharing with them concerns about changes to the code process, worker compensation reform, workforce development and funding for affordable housing. House Bill 901, a major concern for FHBA and NEFBA, would extend the building code update cycle from three years to five years and would create a Florida Building Code rather than the automatic adoption of the ICC. The changes would help maintain a Florida-friendly code that protects both the consumer and the builder from code rules that do not work in Florida’s unique environment.
Government Affairs Chair Nate Day led the group that consisted of NEFBA President Lee Arsenault, Incoming State President Greg Matovina, Past President Denise Wallace, Past President Chet Skinner, Past President Michael Bourré, First Vice President Chris Dostie, Second Vice President Harlan Bost, Third Vice President Gene Rover, Josh Garrison, Bill Webb, Tim Adkinson, Janet Herrick, Jeff Ferguson, Mo Rudolph, and Doug Wenzel. NEFBA Executive Director Corey Deal and Government Affairs Director Jessie Spradley were also in attendance.