Why Government Affairs Are Critical to Our Success

With all the talk about ANSI accreditation, the increasing responsibilities of the IICRC committee should come as no surprise.

With all the talk about ANSI accreditation, the increasing responsibilities of the IICRC committee should come as no surprise. Part of the IICRC’s commitment to ensure that our industry has a clear voice when it comes to legislation that affects us all means we must educate officials about the importance of standards and training.

Our industry is impacted daily by some form of federal or state legislation and regulation, yet, until recently, we have had very little input into the legislative and regulatory processes. The IICRC’s involvement began at the state level a few years ago, and since then, has expanded to federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Homeland Security, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others, to represent the interests of IICRC registrants at a national level. And as the IICRC continues to grow internationally, we will look to broaden our reach and have a presence in all legislative and regulatory arenas in countries covered by our organization.

Our government affairs consultant, Dan Bernazzani, and IICRC executive administrator Tom Hill recently attended the The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in San Antonio, Texas. NCSL is the bipartisan voice of the states serving the legislators and staffs of the nation’s 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. The summit provides the perfect opportunity for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing issues facing states today.

One state the IICRC has been working with is Virginia. After a review of the IICRC’s Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) certification, the state of Virginia has determined that the IICRC certification AMRT is substantially equivalent to the Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, Mold, and Home Inspectors’ (Board) Mold Remediator Worker license type.

Currently, IICRC registrants who successfully complete the AMRT certification in Virginia will now be accepted as a Virginia mold licensure in the state. Since AMRT is equivalent to Virginia’s Mold Remediator Worker License, IICRC-certified schools do not need to apply to be approved training providers.

Wins like this in Virginia are reassuring reminders that the IICRC’s involvement in government affairs will continue to help government entities make better and more informed decisions when it comes to cleaning, restoration and inspection.