The New York State Assembly and Senate are in very serious talks about legislation regarding the registration of home improvement contractors in New York State.  (A.658 Pheffer/S.4314 Fuschillo)

Next Wednesday, June 15, NRLA will be meeting with the New York State Builders Association (NYSBA), the sponsors of this legislation, and the Chairs of the Consumer Protection Committees in the Assembly and Senate. We need you to flood the legislature with calls and letters OPPOSING this measure.

Step 1: Please CALL or WRITE to Assembly Consumer Affairs & Protection Chairwoman, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, and Senate Consumer Protection Chairman, Sen. Charles Fuschillo, to OPPOSE this legislation today.

For faxing: Please the following letter onto your letterhead.

Assemblywoman Pheffer:
Tel: 518-455-4292 Fax: 518-455-4723
Senator Fuschillo:
Tel: 518-455-3341 Fax: 518-426-6823

Step 2: Also, please call or e-mail your State Legislators and urge them to oppose this legislation. 

To find your Legislators: Call NRLA at 800-292-6752 or see below:
New York State Senate: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/
New York State Assembly: http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

The main number for the Assembly is 518-455-4100. 
The main number for the Senate is 518-455-2800.

Go to www.nrla.org to locate an electronic copy of this letter for you to cut and paste into the e-mail to your Legislators.

Step 3: Please fax or e-mail a copy of any correspondence to:
Aisha Tator, NRLA, at aisha@nrla.org or fax: 518-286-1949

June 13, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing you in opposition to A.658 (Pheffer)/S.4314 (Fuschillo), “An Act to amend the general business law, in relation to the registration of home improvement contractors.”

As a member of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, which represents 400 independent lumber and building material dealers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors, who employ 12,000 New York State residents and generate $1.7 billion in sales revenue, I OPPOSE A.658/S.4314.

This type of legislation only serves to over-regulate homebuilders and home improvement contractors in New York State. New York State's Home Improvement and Custom Home Contracts law and the New Home Warranty law already have consumer protections in place. These protections also need to be enforced by the Attorney General or local district attorneys.

Registration legislation would do nothing more than add another layer of regulation to an already overly-regulated industry.  The home building and home improvement industries are currently regulated through the New York State Building Code (under the State Building Code; when a permit is filed for a project the Building Code officers enforce a guarantee of workmanship set by the State). New York State's Health Department, Labor Department, and the Department of Environmental Conservation also regulate the building industry on other levels.

Currently, dozens of local governments across New York State have home improvement and new homebuilder licensing laws on the books.  Unfortunately, neither the current local licensing laws nor this legislation protect consumers in the event of a dispute over poor workmanship or unscrupulous actions by contractors. Further, licensing contractors on a statewide level is an expensive process, not only for the state to manage, but also for the homeowner as the cost of licensing is added to the cost of new homes and home improvements.

Based on the foregoing, we urge you to OPPOSE this legislation.

Sincerely,

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