GFOA of the US & Canada

Federal Government Relations - GFOA's Federal Liaison Center 

Our Mission:

The mission of the Federal Liaison Center is to inform GFOA members about federal legislation, regulations, judicial actions, and policies that affect public finance functions and to represent the interests of GFOA in Washington, DC. Center staff collects, analyzes, and disseminates information to GFOA members and provides policymakers with information on GFOA positions.

The center's activities include participating in many working groups with other state and local organizations on issues of importance to GFOA members including: public financing, tax, pension and benefits, and banking issues. We maintain close working relationships with many regulatory agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), and have constant dialogue with other organizations such as the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National League of Cities (NLC), the National Governors Association (NGA), and the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST).

Information about legislation that is closely monitored and GFOA's positions on issues may be found on this Web page.

The Federal Liaison Center coordinates the efforts of GFOA's seven standing committees, the Women's Network, the Black Caucus, and the FOCAL Team. To learn more about these groups, please click on these sections below.

We always appreciate and would like your input and suggestions about the GFOA's Washington activities. Please e-mail Susan Gaffney with your ideas.

Legislative Agenda for 2008

2008 IRS Taxable Fringe Benefits Guide for Federal, State and Local Governments

SEC/MSRB Proposed Rules for Disclosure Document Central Repository 

• SEC Proposed Rule
• GFOA's response
  
• MSRB Proposed Rule
• GFOA's response  

U.S. Supreme Court: States Can Keep Current Tax Policies on Muni Bonds

• Court opinion
• GFOA's Amicus Brief, Davis v. Kentucky, written on behalf of Kentucky

2008 Municipal Bond Market Disruption Issues

Uniform Ratings

• GFOA et al letter to Chairman Barney Frank supporting legislation for uniform ratings, 6/24/2008
  

• SEC Letter to GFOA RE: Filing Material Event Notices When an Issue Has Been Downgraded Due to the Downgrade of a BOND INSURER, 6/16/2008
• GFOA letter to SEC asking for clarification about material event notices for insured bond issues that have been downgraded, 2/20/2008

• GFOA letter to rating agencies asking for clarification about notification on insured bond downgrades, 2/20/2008

General Issues

• GFOA letter to House Committee on Financial Services, 3/11/2008

• SEC Provides Guidance to Allow Issuers to Bid on Their Own Auction-Rate Securities, 3/14/2008
• Memo explaining the SEC Announcement
  

• Treasury Guidance: Converting out of Auction Rate Securities and Variable Rate Demand Bonds and Bidding on Own Auctions, 3/25/2008
• Treasury announcement: Converting out of auction rate and other securities without having the transaction classified as a reissuance, 2/19/2008

• Memo explaining Treasury announcement

SEC Proposal to Extend Authority over Disclosure Practices and Governmental Accounting

• "Is More Regulation the Right Rx for the Muni Market?" 
• SEC Chairman Cox White Paper: "Disclosure and Accounting Practices in the Municipal Securities Market"
  
• GFOA Letters
  

3% Withholding Requirement on Government Payments  

• GFOA Joins Other Groups In Letter to Treasury Re: Withholding Provision (4/25/08)
  
• Department of Defense Report
  
• Letter Supporting HR 5719
  
• Treasury's Call for Comments about Withholding Provision - Due April 25, 2008
  
• Letter to House Ways & Means
  
• Member Survey Regarding Impact of Provision on Your Jurisdiction  

• Legislative language
• GFOA/NLC/NACo letter to House members against the provision
• GFOA/NLC/NACo letter to Senator Craig supporting repeal of the withholding provision
• GFOA/NLC/NACo letter to Congressman Herger supporting repeal of the withholding provision
• Senate Finance Committee background and summary of provision

Delisting Cell Phones as Taxable Fringe Benefit Property

• Letter to House Supporting Legislation
• Letter to Senate Supporting Legislation

Telecommunications Reform

• Statement of Commissioner Gail Mahoney from Jackson County, Michigan, on the preemption of state and local government taxation of mobile telecommunication services before the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
• Statement of Tillman Lay, municipal telecommunications attorney, on the preemption of state and local government taxation of mobile telecommunication services the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
• Local Government Association Comments on State Video Tax Fairness Act
  
• Letters to House and Senate on Internet Tax Freedom Act Compromise
  
• GFOA Amicus Brief Opposing FCC's Order Restricting Local Franchising Authority
  
• Local Government Coalition Report on Telecommunications Taxes
• Testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee 
  
• Mayor Fellman
  
• Mayor Guido
• Letter to Senators Stevens and Inouye
• Draft Letter to Senators Opposing Telecom Legislation

Collection of Remote Sales Tax

• Streamlined Sales Tax Project - Local Government Workshop Information
• The Streamlined Sales Tax Project Web site
• NGA-Commissioned Study: Growth of Multichannel Retailing (July/2004)
• NGA-Commissioned Study: State and Local Sales Tax Revenue Losses from E-Commerce: Estimates as of July 2004

Public Pension Reform 

• Congressman Pomeroy's Letter on Market Value of Assets and Liabilities (09/11/08)
• PPN Letter to the Actuarial Standards Board (08/01/08)
• GFOA Statement to Joint Economic Committee (07/10/08)

• Letter to Congress on viability and strength of state and local government retirement systems (06/16/08)
  

• Public Pension Network Letter to IRS on Normal Retirement Age Regulations

• PPN Letter to House Committee on Education & Labor (02/21/08) on technical corrections to PPA
  

• PPN Letter to  House Ways and Means on technical corrections to PPA

• Treasury Letter Reconsidering Position on Benefits Payable from Government Retirement Plans under Section 845 of the PPA
  
• Joint Letter to DOE in Opposition to Proposed Pension Policy
• Overview of the Pension Protection Act of 2006
• Public Pension Network Testimony on Examining the Retirement Security of State and Local Government Employees
• Brainard Testimony on Examining the Retirement Security of State and Local Government Employees
• Public Pension Network letter concerning Senator's request for GAO public pension study
  

Excise Tax Penalties Applied to State and Local Government Financings

• GFOA's 10/31/06 letter to the House Ways and Means Committee regarding excise tax penalties applied to listed transactions (e.g., SILOs)
• GFOA's 8/11/06 letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury regarding excise tax penalties applied to listed transactions (e.g., SILOs)
  

Tax-Exempt Bonds  

• Moody's Asks for Comments on Global Rating Scale for Munis
  
• GFOA Response
• GFOA Testimony at IRS Hearing on Proposed Arbitrage Guidance for Tax-Exempt Bonds (1/30/2008)
  
• GFOA Comments to IRS on Proposed Changes to Arbitrage Regulations (12/26/2007)
  

• Proposed Arbitrage Rebate Regulations - September 2007
• GFOA letter to MSRB on Access Equals Delivery
  
• New IRS Voluntary Closing Agreement Program
  
• Post Issuance Checklist
  
• Treasury Letter on Mixed-Use Financings
• Treasury Request for Comments:  Record Retention Requirements for Tax-Exempt Bonds (June 30, 2006)
• GFOA President Carla Sledge's March 16 Testimony on Tax-Exempt Bond Financing
• GFOA comments to Treasury on proposed changes to Circular 230

• Final SLGS Regulations (June 2005) and GFOA's Comments to the Treasury Department

Central Post Office for Disclosure Filings: www.disclosureusa.org

Social Security

• Form and Procedures: If You Hire New Employees Not Covered by Social Security
• Form SSA-1945, Statement Concerning Your Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security
• The Segal Company Update on the Cost of Mandatory Social Security for State and Local Governments and their Employees

Collecting Delinquent Revenues from Debtors' Federal Tax Refunds

• GFOA's letter to Congress supporting H.R. 1865 (June 2008)
• Public Investor article: "Collecting Delinquent Revenue from Debtors' Federal Tax Refunds"
• Grassroots letter supporting H.R. 1865 to e-mail/fax to your Member of Congress
• Copy of legislation H.R. 1865
• Description of H.R. 1865
• Questions and Answers about H.R. 1865
  
• House Government Reform Committee Web page
• List of House Government Reform Committee members
• House Ways and Means Committee Web page
• List of House Ways and Means Committee members (click on a name to get an individual Congressman's Web page)
  

Fair Labor Standards Act

• Local Governments Achieve Favorable Outcome in City of LA FLSA matter
• Letter to Department of Labor in response to denial of amicus brief
• Amicus Brief in City of Los Angles v. Cedrick Cleveland, et al. (FLSA)
  

Amicus Briefs

• Amicus Brief in Cuno v. Daimeler Chrysler Corp.

Proposed Regulations and Guidance on Medicare Prescription Drug Issues

• CMS Overview of the Medicare Law's "Notice of Creditable Coverage" regulatory guidance, which must be sent by all group health plans that provide prescription drug coverage to their Medicare-eligible active employees, retirees, and dependents
• CMS Online Guidance on Steps Employers Must Take in Order to Receive the Retiree Drug Subsidy Provided for in the Medicare Law
  

Policy Statements

The Government Finance Officers Association's public-policy positions are developed by the GFOA standing committees, approved by the GFOA Executive Board, and adopted by the GFOA membership at the annual business meeting held in conjunction with the GFOA Annual Conference.

This section is be updated regularly to include new or modified policies. The GFOA's Federal Liaison Center is responsible for compiling the policies. Inquires about GFOA policies should be sent to:
GFOA Federal Liaison Center,
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 309
Washington, D.C. 20004
202-393-8020 (Phone)
202-393-0780 (Fax)
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Click here for more information.
 

Issue Briefs

1. Alternative Minimum Tax & Tax-Exempt Bonds
2. Arbitrage Rebate
3. Bank Deductibility
4. Brownfields
5. Cash Management Improvement Act
6. Communications Reform
7. Credit Card Fees and Surcharges
8. Corporate Governance & Accounting Reforms
9. Employer-provided Vehicle and Transportation Fringe Benefits
10. Fair Labor Standards Act
11. FDIC Reform
12. FEMA Grants Administration
13. Health Care Reform
14. Homeland Security
15. Mandatory Social Security
    
16. Municipal Market Regulations
17. Non-Governmental Bonds
18. Pension and Retirement Savings Reform
19. Federal FY08 Budget
    
20. President's FY09 Budget
    
21. Private Activity Bond Volume Caps
22. School Construction Bonds
23. Small Issuer Arbitrage Rebate Exception
24. Social Security Protection Act
25. Sports Facilities Financing
26. State Revolving Loan Funds
27. Streamlined Sales Tax
28. Surface Transportation Funding
29. Tax-exempt Bonds
30. Tax Issues Impacting State/Local Governments
    
31. Tax Reform
32. Terrorism Insurance
33. Unfunded Mandates
34. Withholding Requirement on Government Payments
35. Yield Burning
36. Proposal Contained in the President’s FY 05 Budget: Leasing Transactions with Tax-Indifferent Parties and the Subsequent Manager’s Amendment to S. 1637
    

Contacting Members of Congress

• "GFOA tips for" Communicating with Congress
  
• U.S. House of Representatives
• U.S. Senate

Links

The Federal Liaison Center works with the following organizations and government entities to enhance our efforts in Washington.
Click here for more links

FOCAL Team

GFOA's Finance Officers Calling for Action on Legislation (FOCAL) Team consists of finance officers in every state who are in direct contact with their congressional representatives any time an issue affecting state and local jurisdictions is being considered. FOCAL Team members play a proactive role in GFOA's advocacy efforts, and the FOCAL Team is an important, effective way for members to participate in strengthening the public finance profession.
Click here for more information

Standing Committees

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Special Interest Groups

Click here for more information.