Bill promoting workforce development, supported by CEDIA, clears U.S. House
🤖 Let's get down to business, mate! CEDIA's been lobbying like a naggy wife for the "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" and finally scored big-time! This bill's now stuck in the Senate's crosshairs, following its addition to the federal tax bill (H.R. 1) after some heavy-duty lobbying over two years.
CEDIA's been pushing hard, meeting with congressional leaders during CEDIA on the Hill Days in Washington, D.C., back in 2024 and 2025. They even got hundreds of their members penning letters to their representatives, to really twist the old boy's arms!
On March 27, 2025, during CEDIA on the Hill Day, the "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" was one of CEDIA's main talking points. Two months later, on May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives gave the bill a big thumbs-up, passing the federal tax package (H.R. 1), which includes bits and pieces of the "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act."
This bad boy'd expand the use of 529 savings accounts to cover workforce technical training and credentialing programs, which is great news for individual workers and the smart home technology industry!
So, what's next? CEDIA's urging members to give their senators a rude awakening and advocate for the inclusion of the "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" language in the final tax bill. The sly dogs at CEDIA's Government Affairs team even set up an easy-to-use letter template with a pre-populated form, which members can quickly complete and shoot off to their senators. The form's available for a limited time only, through June 27, 2025, right here on the trusty CEDIA Action Center, ya filthy animal!
[Enrichment Note: The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and is currently under consideration in the Senate. It needs Senate approval to become part of the final federal tax package. There's a separate bill (S.756) introduced by Senator Tillis in the Senate, which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. To support the inclusion of the bill, individuals can use the CEDIA Action Center to write letters to their congressional representatives, contact senators directly, participate in advocacy events, and stay informed about its progress.]
- The "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act," which CEDIA has been lobbying for, aims to expand the use of 529 savings accounts to cover workforce technical training and credentialing programs, a significant move that could benefit the smart home technology industry.
- Amidst policy-and-legislation discussions, CEDIA is urging its members to engage in politics through the CEDIA Action Center, sending letters to their senators in support of the inclusion of the "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" language in the final tax bill, setting a potential precedent in general-news related to smart home technology and education.
