Congress Approves Funds for USACE, NAVFAC, and Dept. of Veterans Affairs

On Sept. 13, Congress passed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 appropriations bill — which the president is expected to sign into law — that will provide significant amounts of funding for military construction projects through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC); hospital, medical clinic and cemetery projects through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA); and harbor maintenance, lock, dam, levee and environmental restoration projects through the USACE Civil Works Program.

Authorizes Billions of Dollars for Corps, Drinking Water and Wastewater Projects

On Sept. 13, the House passed an AGC-supported water resources development bill that helps the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintain much of our nation’s water resources infrastructure. While not a funding bill, this legislation allows Congress to eventually approve billions of dollars in funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects, including navigation (dredging, locks), flood control (levees), hydropower (dams), recreation (parks), and water supply. In addition, the bill reauthorizes the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) for $50 million annually in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 and provides a new authorization for the funding of State Revolving Funds with WIFIA dollars — which can be used for drinking water and wastewater facility projects.

On Sept. 11, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Kevin Brady (R-Texas), released details on a package of bills that he has collectively referred to as "Tax Reform 2.0." The centerpiece of Tax Reform 2.0 is the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018, which would make the temporary provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Republican tax reform plan passed at the end of 2017) permanent. Because of budgetary reasons, a number of tax provisions affecting individuals and businesses, including the new 20 percent deduction for pass-through businesses, are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.

September 18, 2018
WebEd: BIMForum BIM Execution Plan (BxP) Guide 2018 Preview, Part II
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

September 20, 2018
WebEd: Legislative & Regulatory Issues for 2018 AGC National & Chapter Leadership Conference
2-3 p.m.

September 24-26, 2018
AGC BIMForum Conference
Las Vegas, Nevada

September 25, 2018
WebEd: What Contractors Absolutely Need to Know About the New AIA A201 and ConsensusDocs Industry Standard Contracts: Stay Ahead of the Curve
2-3 p.m.

September 26, 2018
WebEd: Hire, Develop and Retain the Right People
2-3 p.m.

September 27, 2018
Web Ed: Part One - How to Identify Pollution Liabilities and Risk Transfer Solutions Throughout the Construction Life Cycle
2-3 p.m.

September 28, 2018
WebEd: Lean Contracting Practices without an IPD Contract and the New ConsensusDocs Lean Addendum
1-2 p.m.

September 29-October 1, 2018
AGC Joint Contractors Conference
Washington, District Of Columbia

October 1, 2018
AGC 100 Year Centennial Celebration
3-9 p.m.
Washington, District Of Columbia

October 4, 2018
WebEd: Part Two - Wire Transfer Fraud: Understanding and Insuring the Risk
2-3:30 p.m.

October 3-5, 2018
Construction Supervision Fundamentals
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

October 10-12, 2018
AGC Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference
Fort Worth , Texas

October 11, 2018
WebEd: Part Three - Subcontractor Bond Forms: The Terms, Conditions and Business Practices that Can Make a Material Difference in How Well Subcontractor Bonds Continue to Meet Industry Needs
2-3 p.m.

October 16, 23 and 30, 2018
WebEd: Immersions in Time, Prioritization, & Chaos, A 3-Part Webinar Series Hosted by AGC of America’s Construction Leadership Council
2-3 p.m.

October 17-19, 2018
Advanced Safety Management Training Course
Arlington, Virginia

October 24, 2018
WebEd: Automating HR Processes to Stay Compliant
2-3 p.m.

October 24-26, 2018
AGC Construction Financial Management Conference
Las Vegas, Nevada

On August 31, President Trump signed an executive order designed to make it easier for smaller businesses to band together and offer retirement plans to employees. The order directs the Departments of Labor and Treasury to propose regulations allowing unrelated businesses to offer "association retirement plans" by relaxing the requirement that small business have a common interest to form a multiple employer plan, or open MEP. These plans are retirement vehicles designed for small, nonunion employers and shouldn’t be confused with multiemployer pension plans. The idea is similar to association health plans, which received a regulatory boost in June when DOL finalized a rule to make it easier for small businesses to join groups or associations to offer insured health coverage in the large group market at potentially more favorable pricing with less restrictive requirements.

Three out of four metros added construction jobs in past year, but nationwide shortage of skilled workers has raised the cost of construction and delayed project schedules, putting broader economic growth at risk

Eighty percent of construction firms report they are having a hard time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released by Autodesk and AGC of America. Association officials said shortages pose a significant risk to future economic growth and they released a new workforce development plan to solve the growing problem.

For those Americans fortunate enough to live outside the Beltway, the only "Washington types" you may see on a regular basis are your representatives in the House and Senate. Now, from award-winning Washington correspondent James Rosen and Constructor magazine, a tour of the strange animals that capital dwellers confront in the Beltway jungle every day.