ACMA in Washington: The Voice of Composites, Advocating for our Industry
As ACMA headquarters and Washington DC emerged from the pandemic, we reinvigorated our government relations program. With the hiring of new staff and a renewed focus on growing our relationships with Congress and the Administration, ACMA’s government affairs team secured real victories in 2022:
- Updated ACMA’s U.S. Membership Map: ACMA members have facilities in over 300 Congressional districts and 49 states. (If you have operations in Hawaii, please let us know!)
- Department of Transportation Discretionary Bridge Program: For the first time ever, DOT included a requirement that applicants to the discretionary bridge program evaluate advanced materials, including composites, as part of the funding process. This is a significant victory for composites and stems from years of advocacy by ACMA and our members through the IMAGINE Act, Fly-Ins, and other outreach.
- Congress Tasks NASA To Fund Composite R&D, Testing: ACMA successfully lobbied the House and Senate to include funding in the NASA Authorization included in the Chips and Science Act aimed at the use of composites in advanced air mobility applications, with a goal to quickly commercialize any technology developments. The bill, signed into law in August, asks NASA to invest in research and development on the use of composites, the domestic manufacturing of composites, and non-destructive, non-invasive testing of composites in aerospace applications.
- Washington’s Hydrogen Focus Presents A Serious Opportunity: As the Biden Administration ramps up funding for provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, hydrogen in industrial applications will emerge as a real opportunity. ACMA has highlighted the role that hydrogen can play, both in producing composites and as a market. Look for more content in 2023!
- Inflation Reduction Act Funds Key Markets: The surprising resurection of the Inflation Reduction Act in August led to expansions of production and investment tax credits in win, solar, hydrogen, and electric vehicles. Check out ACMA’s September webinar walking through key provisions.
- Webinars, Articles, Campfires, and More: ACMA’s staff want to make sure we are getting information out to members on key issues in a timely manner. In 2022 we hosted webinars on the Inflation Reduction Act, new forced labor regulations, supply chain challenges, and the new Congress. As we move into 2023, please make sure we know the right people to contact on issues related to tax, supply chain, manufacturing incentives, and regulatory challenges.