Government Relations Committee

Accomplishments

• Guidance and Advocacy: Provides guidance and representation of SIA members and their interests before federal and state lawmakers and drafts comments on regulations and agency proceedings on polices affecting the security industry
• Publications and Tools: Provides resources such as the SIA Federal Grants Guide, Guide to School Security Funding, Guide to U.S. Biometric Privacy Laws, Guide to Cannabis Security Requirements and Guide to Facial Recognition Laws
• Tax Reform: Helped secure key incentives for businesses to purchase fire and security systems in the tax overhaul signed into law by President Trump in December 2017 (P.L. 115-97)
• Procurement Policy: Enactment of the “Local Preparedness Acquisition Act” legislation authored by SIA, which extended General Services Administration (GSA) Cooperative Purchasing to Schedule 84 (security products) under the Federal Supply Schedules program, allowing state and local governments to make purchases through the program
• School Security: Secured key provisions in the Stop School Violence Act of 2018 and supported increases to these programs that were included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022
• Regulatory Relief: Enactment of the Power and Security Systems Actin 2017, which culminated a yearlong effort to preserve an important exemption from federal energy efficiency rules critical to the operation of security and fire alarm systems
• State Policy: Secured exemptions for sensitive security and life safety equipment from right-to-repair laws in New York and California and overturned a ban on law enforcement use of facial recognition software in Virginia, replacing it with a regulatory framework ensuring responsible use of this technology
• Political Engagement: Formed the influential Security PAC political action committee