The 2017 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature convened at noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, beginning a 90-day session that will adjourn on April 2nd. As always, we will be focused  on items important to you.

Going into the session, we are already working on several areas of legislative interest. First, we are working on a bill that would put in place license requirements for subcontractors working with plumbing, mechanical, electrical and HVAC in excess of $1,500 to ensure safety. This same legislation would also clarify current license standards for negotiating contracts for work provided to consumers. We will also be focused on clarity in the current tax structure relating to residential construction. We have already started working on potential legislation that could impact our home builders and will keep members up to date.

As always, we will be focusing on communication for our members. We will begin our weekly legislative e-briefings next Friday (January 13). We will include a progress report and tracking sheet with all of the bills and resolutions being monitored by HBAM on your behalf. During the Session, we will be sending Member Alerts (via our new grassroots system) when important votes are pending in committee or on the floor of either chamber. Please pay special attention to the requests contained in these alerts as they are generally when HBAM's grassroots' strength is especially important.  We have a great year ahead, and at HBAM, we are committed to help build a better Mississippi.