Advocacy

IFMA Advocacy Day

Each year, FM Advocates travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in IFMA's Advocacy Forum and Public Policy Forum. It’s an energizing two-day experience that takes participants behind-the-scenes of the U.S. capital, not only to rub elbows with key decision makers who craft policy that impacts the built environment, but also to see how facilities meet the unique needs of the federal government.

In national, state and local governments across the globe, public policy decisions have a dramatic impact on FM. In everything from energy policy, sustainability, tax policy, disaster preparation and recovery, emergency response, work safety policy, facility management standardization, education and training, smart buildings, worker access and mobility and more, FM has a stake.

Formulating sound public policy requires lawmakers, subject matter experts, and advocacy groups working together to find common ground and meaningful solutions to real problems. To ensure that FM has a place at the table (and not, as the popular saying goes, on the menu), IFMA’s government affairs program is robust and global.

In Washington, D.C., IFMA helps lead a coalition of built environment groups in the administration of the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus – a group of like-minded members of the U.S. House of Representatives who work together in pursuit of sound policy relating to the built environment.

That IFMA is a powerful voice of the FM industry among policy makers is a fulfillment of a critical mission. A survey of FM professionals found that 83 percent perceive this advocacy role is an important or very important part of the service provided by a professional association.

IFMA Advocacy Front

Over the past five years (2021–2026), IFMA’s Advocacy Day efforts in Washington, D.C., have centered on federal property management, indoor air quality (IAQ), and energy efficiency. While IFMA acts as a non-partisan advisor to lawmakers, several major pieces of legislation contain provisions directly influenced by their lobbying efforts for the facility management (FM) profession.

Below is a summary of the legislation and funding successes IFMA helped secure or influence based on their official reports and advocacy recaps.

IFMA Legislative Wins (2021–2026)

1. 2026: Restored ENERGY STAR Funding

• The Win: After proposed cuts in early 2025, IFMA successfully lobbied to secure US$33 million for the ENERGY STAR program for FY2026.
• Source: H.R. 6938 (The "Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026"), signed into law on January 23, 2026.
• IFMA Role: IFMA officially designated this a "Policy Priority," advocating through the High-Performance Buildings Coalition to ensure facility managers kept access to critical benchmarking data.

2. 2022–2025: Expansion of IRS Section 179D (via the IRA)

• The Win: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) permanently expanded the 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction.
• Source: Public Law 117-169.
• Data: IFMA’s lobbying helped increase the deduction from $1.88/sq. ft. to a base of $2.50/sq. ft. (with a maximum of $5.00+ with inflation adjustments as of 2025/2026) for projects meeting prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards.
• Direct FM Benefit: This allowed tax-exempt entities (schools, non-profits) to "allocate" the deduction to their designers/FMs for the first time, a major IFMA-backed provision.

3. 2021: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

• The Win: Secured funding for building efficiency and workforce development.
• Source: Public Law 117-58.
• Data Correction: While the previous figure was high, the verified amount IFMA lobbied for was US$550 million specifically for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program and $225 million for state building code implementation.
• Workforce: IFMA secured language prioritizing "High-Performance Building" operations training, which supports FM career pathways.

4. 2024–2025: The Airborne Act (H.R. 9000)

• The Status: IFMA has been the primary advocate for the Airborne Act of 2024 (H.R. 9000).
• Goal: This bill incentivizes commercial building owners to conduct indoor air quality (IAQ) inspections and upgrades.
• IFMA Impact: While still being integrated into broader health and education funding bills in 2026, IFMA successfully moved IAQ from a "temporary COVID measure" to a permanent part of the federal property management conversation.

5. Ongoing: Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act (FASTA)

• The Win: Continued funding for the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB).
• Source: IFMA Advocacy Day 2025 reports.
• Impact: IFMA lobbied to prevent the sunset of the PBRB, extending its authority through December 2026. This ensures the continued sell-off of underutilized federal real estate, saving taxpayers billions in operational costs.