The New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council is expected to vote on the proposal to mandate the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems in all new one and two-family homes and townhomes during its meeting on Wednesday, August 19. NYSAR continues to oppose the proposal, and supports consumer choice and incentives such as a tax credit proposal to offset installation costs. Take action now to let Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Department of State know that you oppose this homeowner mandate.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has launched a new online toolkit to help REALTORS prepare for the implementation of the Truth in Lending RESPA Integrated Document (TRID) rule on October 3, 2015. Developed in collaboration with the National Association of REALTORS, the new website is designed to help real estate professionals understand the changes to the closing process and how to explain them to consumers.

Two New York State housing markets - Syracuse and Elmira - were found to be among the most affordable housing markets in the nation during the 2015 second quarter, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index. Learn more here.

Please join the REALTOR Party and tell your U.S. Representative to support H.R. 9, the Innovation Act, to stop patent trolls and protect the real estate industry from frivolous lawsuits. REALTORS across the country receive threatening demand letters and lawsuits alleging patent infringement based on the use of common business tools such as drop-down menus or search alert functions on websites, and the scanner function on a copier. H.R. 9 will help combat this problem and is necessary to protect REALTORS. For more information and to sign the petition, click here and tell Congress to pass this common-sense comprehensive patent litigation reform.

More than 8,000 REALTOR members are not registered to vote in New York State. You can register quickly by filling out the online form here. Print out the completed form, sign it and mail it to your county Board of Elections. County Board of Elections addresses are provided on the form. For more information, you can visit the New York State Board of Elections website here.

Stay up-to-date on NYSAR Government Affairs news and events by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Today's NYSAR Radio show will cover the responsibilities of listing agents. Tune in at 10 a.m. this morning on your PC or Mac by using the player on the NYSAR Radio page. You will need to be logged in to listen. If you have not yet created your account with the website, you will need to click on "New User" on the Member Login page and follow the prompts. Find more information as well as a list of links to play NYSAR Radio from any of your mobile devices here.

The New York State Association of REALTORS will hold its annual Fall Business Meetings October 4-7 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. NYSAR encourages all members to participate as many of the sessions do not require official committee service.

For more information or to register for the meetings, click here.

The GRI-5 Buyers course will be offered August 25 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Rochester, NY. Demonstrate your value to buyers from listing to closing. Learn strategies to secure more buyer clients, guide buyers through the process, and assure Fair Housing law compliance. This course satisfies the New York State fair housing training requirement. 

Register online today or call NYSAR at 800-239-4432 x219. Find more information here.

Join NYSAR and RPR Mobile for a webinar on September 10 at 2:30 p.m. and learn how to use your phone’s location to instantly view any property nearby, or search for properties to find listings, sales, valuations, assessments, deeds and more. Download RPR mobile today at the App Store or Google Play, and register for this comprehensive review of all the powerful features this great REALTOR-only tool has to offer.

Earn New York State real estate CE credit from the comfort of your home or office! NYSAR is partnering with The CE Shop to bring members engaging, interactive and entertaining online learning opportunities at affordable prices. You can save 20 percent on your real estate education today with promo code "AUG20" throughout the month of August. Learn more here.

The enrollment period for NYSAR’s dental plan is still open, and there’s never been a better time to re-evaluate your dental and vision coverage. Administered by USI Affinity and now underwritten by MetLife, the NYSAR dental plan offers: options for a range in coverage and cost; third straight year of no rate increases; coverage for individuals and families; freedom to visit any dentist, in or out-of-network; and coverage for orthodontia.

Through this new partnership with MetLife, vision coverage is now being offered as a standalone option in addition to being an optional rider on the dental policy. Visit www.MyREALTORInsurance.com/nysar or call USI Affinity’s dedicated sales representative Ned Cox at 888.834.3713 for more information.

Take advantage of NYSAR Member Perks partner Taxbot to keep more of your commissions through tax deductions! The Taxbot mobile app offers you the ability to track business mileage and expenses with your iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet, and turn those expenses into IRS compliant tax deductions. Watch a video showing how easy the app is to use. Learn more here.

The Sullivan County Board of REALTORS raised more than $2,000 for RPAC during a board mixer and RPAC auction last week in Livingston Manner. Thank you to those who attended and invested in RPAC. The RPAC proceeds from this event will bring the board to 116 percent of their 2015 RPAC fundraising goal.

Who wouldn’t want bacon delivered to their door? You will receive two packages of amazing bacon once a month for three months as part of the "Bac’N of the Month Club." Shipping and a Bac’N logo shirt are included. Bidding closes Monday, August 31. Visit the RPAC page of NYSAR.com to learn more.