Regulatory and Legislative Changes Affecting Tile Roofing Pros

Tile Roofing Industry Alliance Lobbyist, Craig Brightup, has provided the latest government relations update and activities on the following from November 2025:

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Government Shutdown Ends
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended Nov. 12 with eight Democrats joining Republicans in the Senate for a bill to reopen.  Democrats had demanded Biden-era Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that expire Dec. 1 be renewed by withholding Senate votes for a House-passed Continuing Resolution.  The bill brokered by Senate Republicans extends federal funding through Jan. 30 for most programs and Sept. 30 (the end of FY25) for three appropriations bills: Agriculture, Military Construction, and Legislative Branch.  Despite the shutdown ploy, Democrats failed to get an extension of the ACA subsidies nor $1.5 trillion of additional spending they wanted.  Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith explained the ACA subsidies’ costs and fraud on Nov. 30’s FNC Sunday Morning Futures (If Covid Subsidies Can't Expire, Budget Cuts Are Impossible), and Republicans are working on a health care package with market reforms.

Trump Administration Staffing
November saw a number of agency leaders sworn in at the Dept. of Labor (DOL) including Dave Keeling (OSHA), Jonathan Berry (Solicitor), and Andrew Rogers (Wage and Hour Division).

IRS Inflation Adjustments for 2026
An IRS Bulletin for 2026 inflation adjustments (attached) includes Sec.179 (page 703) which will be $2,560,000 for the expensing cap.  Sec. 179 applies to commercial roofing per the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

U.S. Chamber’s Labor Relations Committee
The U.S. Chamber’s Labor Relations Committee met Nov. 6-7 with the OSHA, NLRA, Immigration, and EEOC subcommittees meeting Nov. 6.  OSHA’s proposed Heat Standard dominated the OSHA subcommittee with a focus on why replicating the Silica Rule’s Table 1 engineering controls in the Heat Standard is a bad idea. 

Bill Introduced to Stop OSHA Heat Standard
On Nov. 20, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) introduced the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025 which would prevent OSHA’s proposed Heat Standard from being finalized.  At a fundraising breakfast I attended for Rep. Messmer, he said he’d introduce the bill after being told by White House staff that President Trump would sign it.

WIRT Breakfast with Rep. Sheri Biggs  
Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-SC) was the speaker at a Nov. 20 Washington Industrial Roundtable breakfast I attended (photo attached).  Biggs is on the Homeland Security; Foreign Affairs; and Science, Space, and Technology Committees.


For more information on the TRIA Alliance and our Government Relations efforts, please visit our website at www.tileroofing.org.