West Virginia Lawmaker Wants to Repeal State’s HVAC Regulations

There’s some HVAC-inspired trouble brewing in the state of West Virginia, according to the West Virginia Gazette, as Eric Eyre writes that Republican Delegate Eric Householder sponsored a bill that would repeal all state laws that regulate HVAC contractors. The issue many have with this is that Householder himself is a licensed HVAC contractor.

Even so, Householder said there is not a conflict of interest, according to the Gazette.

Householder’s Martinsburg-based company, Air-Row Sheet Metal, employs HVAC technicians.

“The bill talks about licensing HVAC technicians, and I already have my license, a contractor’s license, so there’s no direct benefit to me with the bill,” Householder said. “I’m just trying to advocate and do the right thing.”

At a House Industry and Labor Committee meeting last week, Householder sparred with Democrats over his bill, which would repeal regulations passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature last year. The new laws — sparked by a carbon monoxide poisoning death of a guest at South Charleston hotel in 2012 — aim to protect the public from unsafe, substandard HVAC work.

Where do you stand on this issue? Is there a conflict of interest for Householder as an HVAC professional? Let us know.