Federal Contractors Conference
June 8-10, 2020
Register today for the 2020 AGC Federal Contractors Conference taking place June 8-10, 2020, in Washington, D.C. The Federal Contractors Conference is the premier conference for federal construction contractors to discuss the latest projects, policies and contracting issues facing the industry with federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facility Engineering Command, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, General Services Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of State, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Bureau of Reclamation.
In addition to substantive discussions and presentations with federal agencies, attendees will hear from legal experts about the latest federal regulations that will impact their businesses and may have the opportunity to continue a dialogue with federal agencies after the conference. Leading federal construction attorneys will address executive orders, Small Business Administration and Federal Acquisition Regulation rules, and case law trends your company needs to know to work in the federal market. And, when the conference concludes, AGC member attendees will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing dialogue and meetings with agency headquarters later in the year.
For more information and to register, go to https://fedcon.agc.org.
Visit https://fedcon.agc.org to view the full article online.
Federal Government
Congress Approves $161 Billion for Construction
On Dec. 20, President Trump signed two spending packages totaling $1.4 trillion, preventing another year-end government shutdown and providing annual funding to all agencies of the federal government through September 30, 2020. Overall, federal construction accounts saw about a nine percent increase — or $12.4 billion — in funding in comparison to FY 2019 funding levels. Click "Learn More" for a full AGC analysis of federal and federal-aid construction accounts for FY2020.
Visit http://agca.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT05MDUxODI4JnA9MSZ1PTEwNzMwODAzOTEmbGk9NzI5Mzk2ODQ/index.html to view the full article online.
AGC Advocates for Reform
On Jan. 9, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s subcommittee Water Resources and Environment, held another hearing in preparation for the 2020 Water Resource Development Act (WRDA). R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), and Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers of USACE, testified on proposed projects and the government’s water resource policies since 2018 WRDA. AGC applauds Congress for returning to a regular two-year authorization of WRDA and is advocating for reform. Lieutenant General Semonite and Assistant Secretary James testified on streamlining Corps’ regulatory decisions, simplifying the permitting process, and giving lower-level authority to the Corps District Command. The 2020 WRDA would authorize new Army Corps of Engineers projects, including ports, levees and key restoration efforts. AGC testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee late last year that you can view by clicking here.
For more information, contact Jordan Howard at Jordan.Howard@agc.org or (703) 837-5368.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-fcreport/articles/index.asp?aid=598374&issueID=68214 to view the full article online.
On Jan. 16, the Senate overwhelmingly passed (89-10) H.R. 5430, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (USMCA). Senate passage of this legislation clears the way for U.S. ratification of the newly negotiated trade pact between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Once President Trump signs the deal into law, Canada’s ratification is the final step before full implementation of the agreement. AGC has long supported this measure due to the significant economic impact trade with our North American neighbors has on the construction industry. Implementation of this new agreement will help ensure that trade impacting the construction industry supply chain remains free, fair, and certain.
For more information, contact Cory Gattie at cory.gattie@agc.org or (202) 547-4685.
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2020/01/16/senate-passes-agc-supported-usmca-implementation-legislation-deal-nears-final?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=informz_email&_zs=3Onnc1&_zl=haoQ6 to view the full article online.
Federal Agencies
Changes Effective March 16, 2020
The U. S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released a final rule updating the regulations interpreting joint employer status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under the FLSA, an employee may have, in addition to his or her employer, one or more joint employers — additional individuals or entities that are jointly and severally liable with the employer for the employee’s wages. The FLSA requires covered employers to pay their employees at least the federal minimum wage for every hour worked and overtime for every hour worked over 40 in a workweek. In 2017, the DOL withdrew the Obama administration’s sub-regulatory guidance regarding joint employer status that did not go through the rulemaking process that includes public notice and comment. In April 2019, the Trump administration then proposed its own revisions in which AGC supported and provided further input regarding joint employer status.
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2020/01/13/dol-finalizes-revisions-joint-employer-status-under-flsa?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=informz_email&_zs=3Onnc1&_zl=caoQ6 to view the full article online.
More Efficient without Sacrificing Protections
On Jan. 9, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed important steps to streamline the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which can be a circuitous, time-intensive, and costly environmental review step for many infrastructure projects. AGC is pleased the proposal appears to set clear timelines for completing reviews as well as clear up ambiguous wording and definitions that have led to litigation and delayed projects over the years — steps recommended by AGC in the prior comment period.
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2020/01/09/white-house-unveils-agc-backed-environmental-review-reform-proposal-would-make?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=informz_email&_zs=3Onnc1&_zl=nOoP6 to view the full article online.
On Jan. 7, the Senate confirmed AGC-backed nominee Jovita Carranza to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA). Administrator Carranza previously served as Treasurer of the United States at the Department of the Treasury under President Trump and served as Deputy Administrator for SBA under President George W. Bush. Prior to these appointments, Administrator Carranza spent 30 years working for the United Parcel Service (UPS). As administrator, she will be a key voice in shaping the administration’s pro-business agenda and advocating on behalf of the nation’s small businesses and contractors.
For more information, contact Jordan Howard at jordan.howard@agc.org or (703) 837-5368.
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2020/01/16/senate-confirms-new-sba-administrator?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=informz_email&_zs=3Onnc1&_zl=naoQ6 to view the full article online.
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Upcoming Events
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-fcreport/articles/index.asp?aid=598372&issueID=68214 to view the full article online.
AGC News
There are less than 60 days left until we kick off this year's convention! Jumpstart your business planning and preparation, and make the connections that are going to be most valuable in your career in the years ahead at the 2020 AGC Convention. Don't miss out on taking the next step in preparing for the industry of tomorrow. Register today.
Visit https://convention.agc.org/?_zs=BAlnc1&_zl=uOFQ6 to view the full article online.
Survey finds optimism about 2020 along with even tighter labor supply as construction unemployment sets record December low; Association calls for government to boost career opportunities, immigration
Construction employment increased by 20,000 jobs in December and by 151,000, or 2.0 percent, in all of 2019, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America. Association officials noted that its recent survey found three out of four contractors expect to keep adding workers in 2020, but even more respondents found it difficult to fill positions in 2019, and a majority anticipate it will be as hard or harder to do so in 2020. Officials called on the federal government to increase funding for career and technical education and expand employment-based immigration for workers whose skills are in short supply.
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2020/01/10/construction-employment-increases-20000-december-and-151000-2019-contractors-expect to view the full article online.
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We can all learn something from Chinmay Lad, whose potent dreams of a civil engineering career, of an industry-wide "digital revolution," inspired him to join the ranks of those who have earned their Certificate of Management — Building Information Modeling (CM-BIM) designation. He is the 1,000th person to do so. Lad, a 23-year-old grad student, is in the process of creating his future, of realizing goals and aspirations. And in the process, he’s bringing his father’s long-held hopes to life. Read more about him in Constructor's January/February cover story.
Visit https://www.constructor-digital.com/ngcs/0120_january_february_2020/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1550665#articleId1550665 to view the full article online.
