First, I would like to congratulate CMSA Chair Shiree Hammer for recently completing her 12-chapter visits. Her presentations were well received and our membership appreciated all that she brings to the table in support of our Association. While her work is not complete, the completion of her chapter visits is a milestone that can seem daunting but always ends up being very satisfying and enlightening in the year of a CMSA Chair. Her year as chair is passing quickly and I hope that you will be with us at our upcoming convention to join me in thanking her for her service to our industry. The good news is that she will be with us well into the future, continuing to have a positive impact on our Association.

CMSA gets notes from members about all manner of criminal activity online, separate from the actions of unlicensed operators. Never in the history of mankind has a tool become more pervasive in as short a time as the Worldwide Web. The Worldwide Web is a global information medium which users can access via computers connected to the internet. While many of us have been alive longer than this tool, invented in 1989, it is still difficult to comprehend how new this technology really is, or how we have become so dependent on it. Even in that short window of time, definitions of what a computer is and how one is connected to the internet have changed radically. It seems close to impossible to function in today’s society without almost continual engagement with technology and the web. While the positives are many, we continue to encounter negatives–system hacks that can cause real damage to everything from a social media account, individual financial scams, to an entire network held for ransom.

We all need to remain vigilant online. Don’t provide personal or company information to anyone you don’t know. Don’t open any attachments that you are not expecting. Pay close attention to who is actually emailing you, if the email doesn’t seem right just delete it. Always use Two-factor authentication (2FA) on all financial accounts. Regularly review email policies with your team, it only requires one nefarious email attachment to be opened to place your entire system in a ransomware predicament. Let’s hope that you have your computer backed up on an external drive.

On January 18, BHGS Advisory Council met. Several items related to Household Movers were on the agenda:

Our friend, BHGS Policy Manager Yeaphana LaMarr, has left the Bureau to take the job of Legislative Chief at the Contractors State License Board. Congratulations Phana, we will miss you at the Bureau!

We received an update on the Bureau’s Information Technology modernization program. We expect to have the HHG permit application online by the end of February and the opportunity for permitted movers to file and pay quarterlies online Fall 2023.

We discussed BHGS Sunset Review, a requirement for each state agency to make their case for continuing to operate to the California Legislature.

BHGS was required by legislation in the 2018 transfer of authority from the CPUC to do a fee study (what movers pay the state) by 2023. Recently conducted, the study called for a significant increase in fees. The Bureau, based upon our current financials has stated that they will not implement a fee increase at this time, but we don’t expect this to last forever.

Expect enforcement of permitted movers in the future. For the last 5 years we have seen almost no action against permitted movers. I don’t expect a high frequency, but any enforcement could hold greater consequences for those violating the regulations.

Now is the time to register for the 105th Annual CMSA Convention. We have made considerable effort to provide a quality program and venue, but we need you to make our convention a success!

February 2023 - CMSA Communicator