Laundry Industry Advocacy
Download the CLA
Advocacy Impact Report
Every year, CLA members and lobbyists show up – at the state capitol, in congressional offices, and on the Hill – to fight for policies that protect and grow the laundry industry. This report documents the results of that collective effort.
From legislation stopped in its tracks to regulations reshaped in our favor, the CLA Advocacy Impact Report is your proof that member engagement drives real, measurable change.
Get the Report
Complete the short form below to receive your free copy of the CLA Advocacy Impact Report.
Protecting Laundromat Sales Tax Exemptions Coast-to-Coast
CLA Serves and Protects the Laundry Business
One of the core benefits of a CLA membership is having the assurance that your business – and your industry – is being well represented and protected.
The CLA, along with its legislative partner MultiState Associates, monitor local, state and national issues that could affect your self-service laundry. Issues like sales tax exemptions and microfiber legislation are closely monitored on behalf of CLA and the self-service laundry industry.
Laundry Tax
CLA’s top legislative priority has been to protect the exemption from sales tax enjoyed by the self-service laundry industry in most states. CLA has helped laundry owners save thousands of dollars each year by making legislators understand why laundries should remain exempt. Join us in our efforts to protect your business.
In the coming years, the push for new and higher sales taxes on services will increase as states reevaluate their budgets. No doubt, there will be future threats to repeal the exemption of sales tax on self-service laundry. CLA is dedicated to helping laundry owners and their customers remain exempt from this tax, so being a CLA member is certainly an important way to help us in our advocacy efforts.
Microfiber Filtration Bill
In 2023 and spring 2024 legislative sessions in both California and Illinois, CLA engaged lobbyists to support the industry’s interest in turning back legislation that would mandate each and every commercial washer sold in those states be equipped with individual microfiber filtration systems. The efforts were successful in both states, staving off disastrous legislation on behalf of the laundromat industry – and saving millions of dollars in the process.
The association cited concerns related to the lack of readily available technical solutions, as well as the predictable increases in costs to both laundromat owners and consumers. CLA has further offered to work with legislators and interest groups to explore more workable solutions for intercepting these pollutants.
CLA published a microfiber filtration briefing that explains the issue, shares proposed solutions and provides an explanation of the challenges with those solutions for commercial laundry.
Understanding the potential long-term impacts of this type of legislation, CLA huddled with major washer manufacturers to share strategies and raise additional funding to support its efforts into next year. Valued stakeholder manufacturers each made significant financial contributions to CLA earmarked to support the association’s lobbying efforts.
“The microfiber filtration legislation is among the toughest advocacy issues we’ve faced as an industry,” said Brian Wallace, president and CEO of CLA. “By bringing together the interests of washer manufacturers, distributors, and our owner-operator members, we can effectively communicate to legislators that the individual washer filter mandates are the worst possible solution to the problem.”
In addition to the current effort to amend or defeat the microfiber bill in New York, CLA maintains its lobbying presence in Illinois to ensure that the amended version of the bill, which protects commercial washers becomes law in 2026. The association will also monitor Washington state where a version of the model legislation was prefiled in January 2026.
Legislative Monitoring
The CLA has partnered with MultiState Associates, the nation’s leading government relations company, to monitor legislation in all 50 states affecting the laundry industry. Sign up for this tool to search for bills by topics, local area and much more.
Strategic Corporate Allies
Our Strategic Corporate Allies support CLA’s mission through advocacy, education and innovation to strengthen the industry, advance our members’ businesses and prepare the next generation of laundry professionals for the future.
Thank you to our 2026 Strategic Corporate Allies:
ELITE SPONSORS
PREMIER SPONSOrs
Ready To Join the Fight?
There is strength in numbers. Get engaged and join the CLA.
Use code ADVOCACY100 to get $100 of your membership dues.