NSGA Commits Support to Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has committed a contribution of $100,000 to the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act lobbying coalition. While NSGA has always played a role in support of the PHIT Act and initiatives that combat the inactivity pandemic in the United States, this commitment further displays the Association’s desire to help eradicate inactivity and increase participation.

The money provided by NSGA will help fund lobbying efforts in favor of the PHIT Act. For the last several years in March, NSGA staff members have joined the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) in Washington, D.C. at their National Health Through Fitness Day, for an in-person opportunity to meet with several members of United States Congress to help push legislation forward. NSGA will be meeting with members of the SFIA staff shortly to sharpen strategy and build a plan for further action. In addition to in-person participation, NSGA has pushed messaging out to members about the PHIT Act via social media, email and other avenues. NSGA encourages individuals to speak up on behalf of this resolution and take action to contact their Congress person. Visit www.nsga.org/PHITact for more information and to contact your Member of Congress today.

“The NSGA board feels strongly about this investment and hopes it will aid in the passage of the PHIT Act,” said Randy Nill, NSGA Board of Directors Chairman. “The NSGA Board of Directors, along with NSGA staff and our members, want to see as few barriers as possible to getting people active and moving to combat the inactivity pandemic.”

The PHIT Act, House Resolution 1218 (H.R. 1218) is legislation pending in Congress which will allow Americans to use Pre-Tax Medical Accounts to pay for physical activity expenses. The resolution amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a medical care tax deduction for up to $1,000 ($2,000 for a joint return or a head of household) of qualified sports and fitness expenses. The legislation currently defines "qualified sports and fitness expenses" as amounts paid for fitness facility memberships, physical exercise programs, and exercise equipment. Passage of this legislation would help retailers and team dealers potentially sell more and broaden their customer base. If individuals and families can afford to participate, they’ll need the equipment necessary to participate.

“Ideally, we would see tags throughout sporting goods stores that would identify items as qualifying for PHIT spending,” said Matt Carlson, NSGA President and CEO. “The PHIT Act has the potential to help in so many ways - help our members and industry grow the business, help families with the cost of participation and help eradicate inactivity. All good things for our industry.”