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LTHBA: Advocacy in Action for Our Association
Lincoln Trail Home Builders Association President Charlie Corbett covers the basics on how our association assists in securing legislation to protect and benefit builders throughout the nation. Read the points below to see how maintaining national and state memberships through the Lincoln Trail Home Association benefits our industry as a whole through legislation.
We want to welcome you as a member to the Lincoln Trail Home Builders Association! If you haven't joined yet, click here to become a member. We are the only organization that is focused on the home building industry. Our local, state and federal legislators are bombarded every day with information and requests from manufacturers, trade groups, ecologists and so many sources and about rules and regulations on home building. When they look around the room and need good advice on home building, they are looking at us. That is the way it should be; this is the relationship we have built.
“When legislators look around the room and need good advice on home building, they are looking at us. That is the way it should be; this is the relationship we have built.”
The advocacy work we do is vital to each builder and to the American Dream. While you may not be concerned with the politics, the decisions made on the local, state and federal levels affect you and each American every day. By being proactive with our advocacy efforts, we are able to promote issues that have a positive impact on American homeownership and home building. We are so proactive that in the same vein that we promote these issues, we also divert or deflect issues that are detrimental allowing them to never see the light of day. The wrecks that never happen.
Here are some examples of advocacy at it's finest:
Successfully advocated to preclude a proposed change to the International Residential Code (IRC) that would have required fire sprinklers in all new residential homes. (Approx. $5000 added cost to a new home.) Relevant data indicated that sprinklers provided no actual life safety gain in homes equipped with code required smoke/fire detectors. There were more fatalities associated with fire department training exercises than due to fires in homes without sprinklers.
Successfully advocated for Mortgage Interest and Business Interest Deductions to remain in the Federal Tax Code following the 2018 Tax Reform Session. These deductions are vital for homeowners, builders, land developers, and for the overall strength of the American Economy. Our strong advocacy coupled with personal face to face meetings & discussions with our Congressional Leadership were absolutely effective. President Charlie Corbett was in attendance with a few select members of HBAK Leadership for several of these meetings.
Working on reducing Builder Liability occurrences with Legislation to amend KRS 198b.130 via Senate Bill 40 (SB40). This in-progress legislation (re-introduced for upcoming session) removes incentive to litigate by disallowing attorney fee recovery when a Certificate of Occupancy was issued. Also has the added benefit of promoting inspections in non-code enforcement areas.
International Code Council (ICC) Code Development Process. We have 4 members who are on ICC Committees for Building Code Review & Development. President Charlie Corbett and three other HBAK members attended multi-day meetings in Washington, D.C. , Richmond, VA, and in Albequrque, NM to review and debate the merits of Building Code related items.
Vital input to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Code Committees. President Charlie Corbett is a member of the Construction Codes & Standards Committee and the Construction Technology & Research Committee where housing construction issues are reviewed for building code incorporation, clarification, scope limits, revision, or deletion.
President Charlie Corbett is a member of the International Code Council (ICC) Proposal Oversight Group. This is a very small group of dedicated industry professionals who are proficient in specific building code areas of expertise. Charlie Corbett is enjoined with the Residential Code and Energy Efficiency councils.
Advocated to continue Kentucky’s adoption of the 2009 International Energy Efficiency (IECC) in lieu of adopting more recent editions. “Newer editions of this code contain numerous items that add significant cost with no measurable benefit”. LTHBA President- Charlie Corbett
Successfully advocated the Department of Housing, Building, and Construction (DHBC) to remove new building code requirement to resize interior doors, install window guards, and install wall blocking for future hand rails / bars in bathrooms. Worked with DHBC to produce a temporary injunction while the amendment process was completed.
Successfully advocated to allow Kentucky to amend the National Electrical Code as needed where appropriate. Currently working on amending the requirement to install Arc Fault Breakers due to their high failure rate and very limited safety enhancement.
Successfully advocated to allow Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship (KEES) funding to be used for Vocational & Skilled Trades Schools by graduating high school students. Prior to this legislation, KEES money could only be used for colleges & universities. This will help alleviate the shortage of skilled labor in our industry.
Currently advocating for a one call.. “Before You Dig”.. system that would require all utility providers to comply with notifications in a 72 hr. period.
Advocating to defeat a US Postal Service initiative to eliminate door to door delivery of mail by only allowing cluster mailboxes to be used for subdivisions.
Currently preparing to address Radon Mitigation in an upcoming International Code Council (ICC) Public Comment Hearing in Las Vegas, NV in late October.
Susan Hood is hard at work on preparations for the annual Parade of Homes which will be featured on our new website soon! Take a moment to browse through the new site at www.lincolntrailhba.com if you have not had the opportunity. Stay tuned for more.
Sincerely,
Charlie Corbett
2019 President
Lincoln Trail Home Builders Association