California Household Goods Carriers are in the middle of a monumental regulatory change. Our industry has been regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) since 1923. To put that into perspective here are a few of the things that were going on in 1923: President Warren G. Harding, died in office of a heart attack and was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge, who became the 30th President of the United States. The Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR) was established. The World Population was ~ 1,999,000,000. The Firestone Company puts their inflatable tires into production and Insulin first became generally available for use by diabetics. In California: A major fire in Berkeley consumed some 640 structures, including 584 homes in the densely built neighborhoods north of the campus of the University of California. Roy and Walt Disney founded The Walt Disney Company. The Hollywoodland sign was inaugurated, when rebuilt in 1949, it became The Hollywood sign.

Effective July 1, 2018, California Movers will begin a new era of regulation by the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). First, notice that I use the term “Movers” as opposed to “Household Goods Carriers.” This language change is a small, but reasonable change that SB 19, the Senate bill that transferred authority (one of several made), at the request of the California Moving and Storage Association (CMSA). No consumer who is contemplating a move asks Google or Siri to find them a Household Goods Carrier. There is an unbelievable amount of issues that need to be addressed during the transfer as well as working to ensure that one regulator continues to serve the public and industry until another takes over. CMSA is the only party lobbying for the best possible outcome for legal movers and the moving public. CMSA leadership, board and staff, have worked with our legislative and legal partners to ensure that the parts of regulation that work remain in place and that we have a voice in any potential changes, whether initiated by industry or regulator. We are grateful to our members who, when asked, have stepped forward or will assist us in the future with this process.

If you have yet to register for the 100th CMSA Annual Convention now is the time. We have included registration materials with this issue or you can go to our website www.thecmsa.org and visit our convention kiosk. While we will take as many registrations as possible, we have a limited supply of rooms at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, our first-class convention site at a rate far below market. Registering now allows CMSA to plan properly for food and space commitments.

February 2018 - CMSA Communicator