(Publisher's Note: In the time since this letter was originally written, the pertinent legislation has moved through the Florida Legislature and is currently awaiting the signature of Florida Governor Jeb Bush. For more information go to www.badmoldlaw.com or www.fchie.com).

In response to some legislation currently being considered by the state of Florida, I decided to put pen to paper and outline what I believe are some serious flaws in its scope and power. This letter was sent to every member of the Florida Legislature.

Dear Florida State Legislator,

I am writing to you as publisher of ICS Cleaning Specialist, the leading magazine serving the professional carpet cleaning and water damage restoration industry.

ICS Cleaning Specialist is a monthly publication read by over 63,000 professionals nationwide (over 4,500 in Florida)* who work in the fields immediately affected by the proposed Florida state legislation HB117 / SB590. While we absolutely support reasonable regulation for contractors involved in mold remediation, we believe that these proposed bills would not protect Florida consumers as intended. Worse, the proposed legislation (if approved in its current form) will support unqualified/untrained contractors and not support those that are qualified, trained and certified in the area of mold remediation. Your residents will be best served by making certain that those whom you sanction to provide these services are indeed qualified to do so.

We are aware that there are many unscrupulous operators preying upon consumers in Florida and elsewhere. We applaud the Florida Legislature for putting their energy into this cause on behalf of the residents of Florida. However, it is important that any legislation in this matter take into account that there is a recognized mold remediation standard, The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation IICRC S520, and that thousands of qualified professionals who have been educated in proper remediation practices are following this standard.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if ICS can provide any further information to you or other Florida lawmakers on the water damage and mold remediation industry. Further, I have attached a list of several contacts that could provide greater technical background to support this position.

Respectfully,

Evan Kessler, Publisher