[Convention Extra] The Industry’s Washington Insiders

Editor’s note: With PestWorld 2008 being held in our nation’s capitol, PCT decided it was a good time to take a look at how pest management professionals and the National Pest Management Association work together to ensure that the industry’s voice is being heard on issues that impact their businesses. PCT’s Brad Harbison spoke with NPMA’s Bob Rosenberg and Gene Harrington to learn more about this relationship and also discuss regulatory challenges facing the pest management industry.

PCT: How can PCOs become involved with legislative issues that impact the pest management industry?

Gene Harrington: First of all, PCOs are always welcome to contact Bob or myself and ask us what the pressing federal legislative issues are. We can direct them on whom to contact and what bullet points they can deliver to their lawmakers. Another way is just on your own. Go meet with your elected officials at the district office at the local level. Meeting them at a time when you’re not necessarily asking for something is a good thing to do.

Bob Rosenberg: There’s a lot of ways. I think the strength of NPMA as an organization that influences policies rests on the active participation of its members. Certainly NPMA Legislative Day is one way, but also almost every state association has some sort of legislative event. Other things include: keeping up on the issues; making political contributions; getting involved in congressional campaigns — from passing out fliers to holding fundraising events. These are things they can do so that if a problem does arise that (elected official) will be more open and receptive to you.

PCT: What is the value of NPMA Legislative Day?

BR: Members of Congress are more receptive to their constituents than they are to Washington “hired guns.” So if they can go in and establish a relationship and find out who the right people are to work on the issues, we can always follow up and provide the background materials and do whatever the issue requires. These are connections that we probably would not have if there was not a Legislative Day. Another benefit is that if Gene or I were to contact a member of Congress who blew us off, we might approach a PCO and say, “Do you mind following up with the guy you met in March?” After they do that it almost always works.

GH: I think the importance of getting PCOs and others involved is that it really gives the pest management industry a lot more leverage when weighing in on legislative issues. Not only does hearing from constituents influence lawmakers and staff it also makes it easier for us to access staff ourselves. It truly does make an impact. Whenever Bob and I talk to lawmakers or their staff they’ll often mention that they’ve received e-mails, letters or visits from PCOs, i.e., their constituents.

PCT: How is the work you do at the state level different than the federal?

BR: We act more as a resource to the state pest control associations. That is really their turf. Besides, if you were to go to Sacramento or Springfield, they really would rather hear from their constituents than someone from Washington.

PCT: What are some not-so obvious things you work on?

BR: For example, we just had a meeting with HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). We’ve been working for about a month on a project to get HUD to adopt certain IPM standards for use in multi-family housing. It requires that they do business with companies that meet certain standards. For NPMA those standards are QualityPro Green. It’s not the type of thing you think of as lobbying in the “movie sense” of it. It’s more in the nature of trying to be helpful and cooperative and provide information. I think that’s what makes for a good program. Your credibility comes from your ability to be a source of good, reliable information.

PCT: What are some possible challenges on the horizon?

GH: For the last 8 to 10 years I would say that the federal government has been dominated by the executive branch of government. From the moment George W. Bush took office he made the executive branch much stronger following 9-11. Regardless of who is elected (President), I think there is going to be a bit of a reaction to that after these elections. I think the legislative branch will become the more dominant branch. Democrats will have larger working margins than in other years. This might allow them to get some legs under some issues that have been bottled up the last 8-10 years and move legislation in pretty quick succession. I think a lot of that will be environmental. I think it will be even more important for PCOs to get to know the federal officials and know their positions on issues impacting the pest control industry. I expect we’ll see a more active Congress in 2009 than in the past decade. n

What Lies Ahead?
Gene Harrington, manager of government affairs, NPMA, said the association is closely tracking a pair of legislative issues.

The first issue involves past and future attempts by lawmakers to include aircraft insecticide notification provisions in various bills. For example, last year the U.S. House of Representatives included a provision in the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2881) that prohibited ticket agents or airlines from selling a ticket in the U.S. to a customer for a flight on which an insecticide has been used within the last 60 days unless the airline or ticket agent informs the customer of the insecticide treatment, including the name of the insecticide. Although this bill stalled out in the Senate, Harrington said he believes it will resurface again.

“While that particular bill stalled, we’re seeing it pop up in other bills,” Harrington said. “It’s clearly a provision that key Democrats want to move and I think we are going to have be prepared to address it even more aggressively in the next Congress.” 

BED BUG LEGISLATION. Harrington said NPMA is closely monitoring bed bug legislation both at the state and federal levels, including H.R. 6068: Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2008. The purpose of this act is to establish a grant program to assist states in inspecting hotel rooms for bed bugs.

“Essentially what it does is provide funding to the states, which then pass along (to hotels) funds for inspections of hotels and remedial actions in hotels, to mitigate bed bug infestations in hotels,” according to Harrington.

According to the proposed legislation, a state may use a grant received under this Act to:

1. conduct inspections of lodging facilities for Cimex lectularius, including transportation, lodging, and meal expenses for inspectors;
2. train inspection personnel; and
3. educate the proprietors and staff of lodging establishments about methods to prevent and eradicate Cimex lectularius. 

“We’ve been in communication with the staff of this bill’s sponsor (G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.) and we see a lot of positive virtues in it. We are going to work with the sponsor’s staff further on it,” he said. n

Save the date
Legislative Day 2009
March 2-3, 2009
The Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.