The PRINTING United Alliance recently hosted its Legislative Fly-In, a biannual signature government affairs invite-only event. The May 15, 2025, event saw more than 40 print industry leaders take part in public policy education, issue advocacy, interaction with members of Congress, and networking.

“The event was very successful as it aimed to educate lawmakers on the critical issues affecting the printing industry, such as the 20% small business tax deduction, tariffs, and stopping regulatory overreach with environmental and other regulations,” explains Gary Jones, VP, Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance. “The day became a focal point for the printing industry, with significant enthusiasm from the industry representatives. The meetings I was personally involved in were very good, and the messages were well received by the representatives and their staff, fostering direct dialog and helping build relationships between industry leaders and policymakers.    

“Part of the goal was to educate representatives about the printing industry and its role in the economic vitality of the country,” adds Jones. “As I usually describe the printing industry to legislators and regulators, it’s the largest industry you’ve never heard of, but you interact with it on a daily basis. No one recognizes the importance of print until you point it out to them. All the representatives and the staff we met with now have a newfound appreciation for print.”

Label legislation

While all of print manufacturing was on display, label leaders had the opportunity to advocate for the industry. At the federal level, there is significant legislation impacting labels and packaging, which were highlighted during the Legislative Fly-In.

According to Stephanie Buka, government affairs manager, PRINTING United Alliance, the Alliance supports targeted legislation introduced in the 119th Congress. For example, Congress has been urged to pass the Prove It Act of 2025 (H.R. 1163 / S. 495), which requires federal agencies to analyze the impact of their regulatory action and limit these impacts for small entities. Additionally, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act (H.R. 703 / S. 213) is intended to make the 20% small business tax deduction permanent.

From a workforce perspective, Congress has been urged to pass the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (H.R. 1151 / S. 756) to support workforce development through the expansion of 529s from “college savings plans” to “career savings plans.”

Other legislation

Other pieces of legislation include the USPS SERVES US Act (H.R. 3004). This would empower the Postal Regulatory Commission with a clear mandate to protect the public interest and hold the USPS accountable for efficiency and service performance. Finally, the Trade Review Act (H.R. 2665 / S. 1272) would reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress.  

“One of the organizing principles of the Alliance is to build a broad-based association that represents the whole of the industry, from apparel to packaging, and in doing that to aggregate as many voices as possible to speak effectively and directly about the many issues facing the industry,” states Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. The print industry needs to come together to solve some of the more challenging issues we face. Effective advocacy is all about numbers, and is one of those areas that require collective action.”

Focusing on the environment

Other hot-button label industry issues rose to the forefront of the discussion, as well. PRINTING United Alliance has taken proactive measures to address several environmental regulations that directly threaten the printing industry.

“We have actively engaged with legislators and regulators to educate them on the safety and necessity of carbon black in black printing inks, successfully preventing bans in states like New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Minnesota,” says Jones. “The Alliance and its members were able to either stop legislation or get it amended to exclude a ban on carbon black or an exemption for the use of carbon black in printing inks. The Alliance has also opposed legislation in Rhode Island that would ban products containing microparticles, highlighting the safe use of microparticles in printing processes because they are not released when in the ink or toner dries.”

Working with Washington State

Additionally, PRINTING United Alliance has been involved in discussions with the Washington State Department of Ecology. This would prevent the inclusion of inks in the 2025 Safer Products program due to the presence of inadvertent PCBs in certain ink pigments.

Washington State also wants to ban the use of chlorinated pigments in inks, which would, for all intents and purposes, stop all printing in the state. It would also ban printed matter from being brought into the state. The amount of PCB found in certain pigments is found in a trace concentration and well below the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

“The Alliance’s efforts aim to balance environmental goals with the practical realities of the printing industry, ensuring that regulations do not disrupt the industry’s operations and supply chains,” remarks Jones. “This ongoing engagement with policymakers is essential for creating a regulatory environment that supports both sustainability and the economic vitality of the printing sector.

“For years, environmental issues such as pollution, plastic waste, and chemical exposure in everyday products seemed like problems for industries other than the printing industry to address,” Jones continues. “But, these concerns have now landed at the doorstep of the printing industry. As the federal and state governments focus more on reducing pollution and promoting sustainability, regulations targeting materials like carbon black, chlorinated pigments, and single-use printer cartridges are forcing the printing industry to confront its own environmental footprint. What was once seen as someone else’s problem now requires the printing industry to respond.”

PRINTING United Expo

Going forward, events like PRINTING United Expo will focus on many of these critical issues. PRINTING United Expo will offer members the opportunity to learn about the association’s legislative agenda, sign-up for action alerts, and meet one-on-one with policy expert, Stephanie Buka, Government Affairs Manager.

“This year, the Expo will feature PrintPAC, the printing industry’s premier political action committee dedicated to electing pro-print senators and representatives,” concludes Buka. “We look forward to talking to eligible members about the importance of pooling our resources in support of a common agenda.”