What is the American Coatings Association’s PaintPAC?
The PaintPAC is a voluntary nonpartisan political action committee established to make contributions to political candidates at the federal, state and local level. Such contributions would help political candidates that are supportive of the industry’s views on business and industry-related issues.
Who pays the cost of running the PaintPAC?
The operating expenditures will be defrayed by ACA, thus 100% of contributions will go to worthy candidates.
Product Safety
Communicating with employees, customers and consumers is an important element for a successful industry. This communication takes many different forms. One of the most prominent methods of communication for the coatings industry is the label on our product or the safety data sheet for occupational settings, which, in some cases, accompanies products. These efforts take on gigantic proportions, many different disciplines and significant internal resources.
Working with the many agencies at the federal and state levels that address these communications is a priority for our industry. We endeavor to be responsive and clear about the safe use and handling of our products and are constantly working to achieve this goal.
Trade
The U.S. paint and coatings industry is a modern, globally competitive industry that supports a substantial number of high-paying jobs in the United States, many of which are supported by exports, valued at $2.2 billion in 2020. Some 71 percent of that was to Canada and Mexico; and our industry’s annual trade with China accounts for the third largest market for the coatings industry, underscoring the importance of trade to the coatings industry.
Opening markets and establishing free trade agreements that protect U.S. manufacturers from deceptive and unfair practices is a priority for ACA. The coatings industry supports free trade, bilateral or multilateral agreements that provide clear instructions for dispute settlement, rules of origin determinations, digital trade, regulatory transparency and tariff-free transactions.
Security
Employees at coatings facilities are some of the most valuable resources in the industry. Some of these facilities may use raw materials that could be of interest to nefarious individuals intent on disturbing our communities, our industry or specific entities. ACA believes that security policies and regulations must focus on the specific risk presented by the facility’s environment and the chemicals that could be targeted. ACA and the coatings industry work with relevant agencies in understanding our facility processes, manufacturing practices, and the raw materials used to make high-performing products in order to ensure safety and security for members of the industry, its employees, and surrounding communities.
Post-Consumer Paint Management
Leftover paint is the number one product collected at household hazardous waste events in the United States. Yet, much of this leftover paint product is viable and should not be treated as a waste. As a trailblazer in industry product stewardship, ACA created PaintCare — the industry-led end-of-life management program for post-consumer paint. ACA’s endeavors to pass legislation requiring the establishment of paint stewardship programs at the state level is an on-going activity that is supported by the coatings industry. To date, laws mandating ACA’s post-consumer paint management PaintCare program have been enacted in California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
