Improvement to the workers compensation laws is one of the top legislative priorities of Louisiana Home Builders Association. These workers compensation issues were addressed in a proactive manner rather than waiting for a crisis in the system.  Two comprehensive reform bills passed successfully in both the 2012 and 2013 legislative sessions thanks to LHBA legislative advocacy.  

Recent changes allows the employer or your workers compensation insurer to not be subject to penalties or attorney fees if the employee is provided a new form that notifies the employee of his initial loss wage payment and subsequent changes to his benefits.  This applies in scenarios such as, disputed payments and modified, terminated or suspension of benefits. Expedited hearing procedures are also now clarified over physician choice or vocational rehabilitation disputes.  

Another significant law change clearly defines the employee and employer balance.  The courts are to now construe workers compensation law as written by the Louisiana Legislature and should not favor one party over another.  The new law levels the playing field between employers and employees by recognizing that employers and employees both give up certain rights in exchange for no fault benefits to injured employees.

 This October, the Governmental Voting Members (code officials) of the International Code Council (ICC) will gather in Atlantic City, N.J., to make their final decisions on proposed code changes to the ICC family of model building codes. 

These code officials will decide the outcome on thousands of proposed new or modified code requirements to be included in the 2015 editions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), International Residential Code (IRC) and other model I-Codes that govern residential construction.

 Recently, we reported that NAHB's actions on the legislative, regulatory, codes and legal fronts ended up saving the typical home builder roughly $7,250 per housing start in 2012. NAHB has steadily built on that impressive achievement in the past few months to provide even more bang for your membership buck.

Below is a summary of steps that NAHB is taking to further save builders money and help with their day-to-day operations. You are encouraged to take a few moments and click here for all the details on these and other action items. 

-A NAHB-supported stormwater court ruling could save Virginia taxpayers $300 million.
-NAHB members saved more than $1 million at the 2013 International Builders' Show.
-llinois builders save $6,300 per home with NAHB's defeat of the fire sprinkler mandate.
-NAHB actions on 25C tax credit support 140,000 remodeling jobs.
-ICC building code wins could save builders more than $42,000 on the cost of a new home.
-NAHB designations can significantly boost a builder's or remodeler's bottom line.
-45L tax credit provides home builders $77 million in tax savings.
-NAHB 20 Club members double their profits.
-Expert free legal advice saves members more than $225,000.
-New map tool for endangered species saves members $1,500 in consulting fees.

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