AICC group to push for national licensing

WASHINGTON—Following the New York state licensing debate over Article 6-E, the Alarm Industry Communications Committee—the membership committee that handles the security industry's lobbying in Congress and with the FCC—has formed a subcommittee to execute the push for a national license for central stations. The committee, which had its first meeting on March 3, has important work to do, according to industry leaders.

“The subcommittee is tasked with developing language and a game plan for approaching Congress,” CSAA president Ed Bonifas said. “The project is important because central stations are continuously subjected to redundant state and municipal licensing and registration.”

Lou Fiore chairs the AICC and said the subcommittee was ready to pick up the national licensing torch.

“I think it was five or six years ago, that John Murphy was pushing for reciprocity in the monitoring industry, but we didn't get enough support behind it,” Fiore said. “But with the 6-E issue it breathed new life into this push, and people are saying, 'We should do this,'” Fiore said. “We came up with a draft, based on the old draft. Bill Cooper who co-chairs the subcommittee wrote it.”

ADT industry liaison manager Bill Cooper co-chairs the subcommittee with C.O.P.S. president and COO Jim McMullen.

“Our agenda for the immediate future includes presenting a bill for public comment. We'll ask for suggested changes, additions, etc.,” Cooper said, noting the committee had a deadline May 13 for comment on the bill, which will be on the AICC website soon. “If the bill looks feasible, we'll then find a sponsor.”

McMullen on March 25 sent a press release detailing the subcommittee's future plans to Security Systems News.

"AICC is calling upon the experience and expertise of national monitoring companies and other industry professionals to provide constructive input necessary to draft a comprehensive bill that details the criteria or requirements of a 'Nationally Recognized Monitoring Company,'" the release reads. "The AICC has established a website that contains the first draft of the proposed bill along with an online form to collect the input from various sources."

Fiore said he was hopeful the AICC subcommittee could carry a bill through with the current momentum the issue has.

“The way this will probably end up reading is that if your state has licensing and you're licensed there, then you'll be vetted to monitor in other states,” he said. “We're putting the draft up on our website and looking for comments back by May 13, after which time we'll bring it back at the AICC June 2 meeting for approval and preparation to take to congress.”