SIA Calls for Senate Action on PASS Act

An industry coalition led by the Security Industry Association (SIA) yesterday strongly urged U.S. Senate leaders to ensure swift passage of H.511/S. 190, the Power and Security Systems (PASS) Act, before an important regulatory exemption for external power supplies expires July 1. Click here to read the industry letter.

​Power supplies used in security and life safety systems are currently exempt from the U.S. Department of Energy’s energy efficiency standards for standby or “no-load” mode (i.e., when a phone charger is plugged into the wall but disconnected from the device), as these systems are always on and in “active” mode to detect signals from sensors and initiate alarm communications.

SIA originally fought for this exemption, successfully arguing that no energy savings would result from applying a no-load standard. If the exemption expires, it would significantly raise the cost of the equipment and potentially create a supply disruption while products are redesigned unnecessarily.

Passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives in January, the PASS Act awaits Senate passage before enactment. The bill was cleared by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in March and a unanimous consent request to pass the bill was initiated this week by its sponsor Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo.

SIA will continue to press for rapid adoption of this legislation.