Legislative Agenda

The results of the 2020 Presidential and Congressional elections are in and the Jewelers of America Political Action Committee, JAPAC, had one of its most successful years yet.
Jewelers of America ensures our members are the most informed on legislative issues that can affect jewelry businesses. In our latest Legislative Update, we update you on the latest movement on the Trump Administration’s trade war with China and how last year’s sales tax decision by the U.S. Supreme Court will affect jewelers at the state level and beyond.

The results of the 2018 midterm Congressional elections are still coming in and Jewelers of America has prepared a summary of the major changes on Capitol Hill and what they could mean for key issues that affect jewelry businesses.
In a landmark decision announced June 21, the United States Supreme Court took a major step toward sales tax fairness when it voted to overturn a 1992 judgement (Quill Corp v. North Dakota) that was creating an uneven playing field on sales taxation for traditional and online sellers by prohibiting states from collecting sales taxes from sellers that do not have a physical presence in-state, i.e. e-commerce businesses. While change may not be immediate, Jewelers of America offers an overview of the case and what’s to come so jewelers can begin to plan for how the ruling may impact their businesses.
As of December 14, Republicans in the House and Senate had reached a deal on a final tax reform package that reconciled differences in their respective versions of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act." The House and Senate voted on final passage December 20 and it was signed by the president on December 22. Here's a summary from JA’s legislative counsel, Haake Fetzer, of some of the key business-related provisions in the final version of the bill:

The 2016 Presidential and Congressional elections could bring major changes on Capitol Hill. Regardless of which direction the country swings, jewelers will need to keep the pressure on lawmakers to pass legislation – like sales tax fairness – that will help traditional jewelers, and fight against laws and regulations that could harm the industry. In our legislative update for Jewelers of America Members, we look at the upcoming elections and three key legislative issues that could have both short- and long-term impact on the jewelry industry.