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Federal IssuesNet NeutralityThe business of real estate is increasingly conducted on-line. Streaming video, virtual tours and voice-over-internet-protocol are just some of the technologies that are commonly used by real estate professionals today. Net neutral practices are essential to ensure that real estate content can be freely and efficiently distributed online. NAR supports legislation that will restore the 2015 Open Internet Order and protect access for real estate content. Learn more at www.nar.realtor/net-neutrality. Association Health Plans Health care reform continues to be a primary concern for REALTORS® across the country. Repeal and replace efforts in Congress have lagged in momentum while many sole proprietors and small businesses face increasing health insurance premiums. NAR is supporting a new regulatory proposal issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in early 2018, which would allow for expanded access to Association Health Plans (AHPs) and potentially provide more affordable health insurance options for REALTORS®. An AHP plan would be treated as a large employer plan under federal law, subject to different rules than plans in the individual and small group insurance markets that tend to be more costly. DOL is now reviewing the hundreds of comments submitted, including those by NAR, and will issue a final rule reflecting that feedback — likely later this year — that will be used by insurers for plan design. For more information, visit www.nar.realtor/health-care-reform. Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Exclusion The exclusion for forgiven home mortgage debt following a foreclosure, short sale, or loan modification should be made permanent to provide relief to troubled borrowers and minimize the damage to families, neighborhoods and communities. That’s according to testimony NAR before the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy at a hearing evaluating recently expired tax provisions. NAR has long advocated for mortgage forgiveness tax relief, policy that was first established in 2007 at the onset of the housing and economic downturn and that has expired and been extended several times; most recently, early in 2018, it was retroactively extended to cover 2017. Read more. Patent Trolls On March 22, 2018, Representatives Steve Stivers (R-OH) and Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the STRONGER PATENTS Act, a companion bill to legislation introduced in the Senate last year by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). NAR joined with the United for Patent Reform Coalition to express concerns with the bill. Read more about NAR’s concerns. NAR will continue to work with Congress to protect REALTORS® from frivolous lawsuits brought by patent trolls. Corporate Ally Program at WorkCongratulations to the Alabama Association of REALTORS® on its successful campaign to enact First Time Home Buyer legislation. Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill into law in March 2018. Hats off to the Baldwin County Association of REALTORS® MLS and the Greater Alabama MLS for the generous CAP investments that provided an important source of funding to assist Alabama REALTORS® with this campaign.The Boise Regional REALTORS® Association chalked up a win for a community in its territory by helping to get a school bond initiative passed with a 68.8% majority. The bond will provide funding for a new high school, and elementary school for the growing West Ada School District. Kudos to Idaho CAP investors Intermountain MLS and Coeur d’Alene MLS. Your generous CAP investments provided enough local allocation revenue to cover 100% of Boise’s skin-in-the-game requirement for this issue campaign. CAP is currently at work on 13 other state and local issue campaigns in Alabama, California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. |
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| 1 800 874 6500 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® Headquarters: 430 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 DC Office: 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-2020 |