In a landmark decision, members of the Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association provided approval in June to a proposal by the Steel Framing Alliance for LGSEA to become an operating council of SFA. The ballot, which received a "yes" by 75 percent of LGSEA voting members, adopts a set of operating procedures that provide autonomy over technical issues, including technical notes, design guides, and other products and activities intended for design professionals.
Prior to this, the LGSEA had operated as a separate entity, receiving substantial financial and administrative support from SFA, which also provides direct support for codes and standards development, research, education, and other programs that aim to grow the steel framing industry. In several areas, both the SFA and LGSEA had duplicate programs and committees, and dozens of members were paying membership dues to both organizations.