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.

UPDATED March 23, 2018. Despite going down to the wire, 2017 turned out to be the year that Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration pushed through historic tax reform. Will 2018 be a similarly historic year when it comes to sales tax fairness? Jewelers of America’s latest legislative report summarizes major developments -- both in Congress and the United States Supreme Court -- that could finally even the scales between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce sales tax.

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:

At the half-way mark, 2017 has proven to be a challenging year in Washington, D.C., with heightened debate and disagreement. Our latest update on Jewelers of America’s current legislative agenda looks ahead to the focus on tax reform and the provisions that could have the biggest impact on jewelers.

With the New Year came major changes in Washington, D.C., with Republicans now controlling the Legislative and Executive Branches for the first time since 2000. This shift in power means that big policy initiatives -- including comprehensive tax reform -- are realistically in play in 2017. Our latest legislative update for Jewelers of America Members reviews five issues that will impact the legislative landscape for the jewelry industry in 2017.

While the dust settles on the results of the 2016 Presidential and Congressional elections, Jewelers of America has prepared a summary of the big changes on Capitol Hill and what they mean for key legislative issues that affect jewelry businesses.

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.