The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), a trade association representing specialty chemical manufacturers, announced on Feb. 1 its top legislative priorities for 2013 and the 113th Congress.
SOCMA will focus on Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform, regulatory reform, chemical site security and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. The organization plans to share its vision of carefully tailored reform of the TSCA, possibly achieved in forms of “down payments,” lessening the chances of partisan gridlock, SOCMA said. SOCMA also plans to educate new members of Congress and heads of federal agencies about burdens regulations place on specialty chemical manufacturers.
On chemical site security, SOCMA continues to support permanent risk-based regulations that comprehensively address security at chemical facilities without mandating product substitution. SOCMA will support extensions of the Department of Homeland Security’s Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards to prevent their expiration but will also continue to advocate for passage of a stand-alone, long-term reauthorization of DHS’s current chemical security regulations.
Congress failed to pass the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill before it expired last year, and chemical manufacturers are now dealing with what is essentially a tax hike from increased duties on products imported for their manufacturing process, according to SOCMA. SOCMA will advocate for the reintroduction and passage of the MTB this Congress.
In addition, SOCMA will advocate for a U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement to be initiated this year.
For more information, visit www.socma.com.
