Garage Door Tax Credits Endangered by Legislation
URGENT: Contact Your Legislators Now

New proposed legislation would essentially kill the eligibility of insulated garage doors for the $1,500 U.S. energy tax credit in 2010. On Nov. 20, DASMA sent a delegation to Washington, D.C., to present the industry’s case for continuing the tax credits for insulated garage doors.

The legislation is found in a Senate bill (S.1792) introduced on Oct. 15 and an identical House bill (H.R. 4112) introduced on Nov. 18. If enacted, the legislation would limit the tax credits in 2010 to only Energy Star program products. The eligibility of insulated garage doors would then end on Dec. 31, 2009, instead of Dec. 31, 2010.

Contact Your Legislators Now

DASMA is urging dealers and other manufacturers to contact immediately their senators and representatives to express support for modifying the bill to specifically include insulated garage doors. Since the bill is a minor amendment, it can get approved quickly and without formal debate.

Two key senators are Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the Senate bill’s major sponsor, and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Two key representatives are Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), the bill’s sponsor, and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Contacts with these individuals could be critical to the success of the DASMA effort.

What to Say

When you contact your legislator, DASMA suggests using the following language:

Please amend S. 1792 / H.R. 4112 so that garage doors continue to be eligible for the Energy Tax Credit. This new bill refers to Energy Star which doesn’t include garage doors. The existing credit has vastly improved energy efficiency in homes in our area, and the credit has stimulated badly needed sales in our depressed market.

Please add this language at the end of Sect. 1 (a) and at the end of Part III, Sect. 1121 (4). After “ ... January 4, 2010)”, please add “or is an insulated garage door that is equal to or below a U factor of 0.30 and SHGC of 0.30.’’

Track the Bills

The complete text of the Senate bill (S.1792) is at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.1792:. Its current status can be tracked at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.01792:.

The complete text of the House bill (H.R. 4112) is at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.4112.IH:. Track its status at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.04112:.