Browse by Date - 201603

Contact Your Legislators and Urge Them to Oppose the Proposed Rule as Written

The Department of Labor has proposed a change to overtime pay requirements that would increase the minimum salary threshold from $23,660 per year to $50,440 per year. Employers that have employees who are currently classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and earn an annual salary less than the proposed $50,440 will be impacted.

The Obama Administration released its final silica rule today that retains many of the flawed provisions AGC warned administration officials about earlier this year.  Of primary concern is that the final rule sticks with the same, unattainable silica exposure limit included in the proposed rule.  However, the administration did agree to remove the extremely restrictive regulated areas requirement that would have forced construction workers to seal off and restrict access to every part of a construction project where dust is being generated.  For more information about the rule, click here and here.  Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to block implementation of this rule until it can be proven to be technologically and economically feasible.

Contact Your Member of Congress During Spring Recess and Urge them to Support Increased Airport Infrastructure Funding

Before the House of Representatives left on their two-week spring recess, its members passed a bill to extend Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs through mid-July. AGC has been pushing Congress to increase funding for the Airport Improvement Program and modernize the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program.  With the House out until April 11 and the Senate out until April 4, now is a great opportunity for AGC members to contact their members of Congress while they are home and urge them to pass a FAA Reauthorization bill that includes these two AGC-supported reforms. 

This week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced it was making $15 million available for grants to test alternative revenue mechanisms to address the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. 

AGC submitted comments on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council’s proposed rule to require prime contractors to self-report late or reduced payments to contracting officers. Under the proposed rule, unjustifiable delays or reductions in subcontractor payment under the terms and conditions of the subcontract would lead to a negative past performance review for the prime contractor.  AGC’s comments concluded that the proposed rule is unnecessary and needlessly burdensome given existing Prompt Pay Act safeguards and small business subcontractor payment acceleration executive measures.

Requests Improved Data Reporting to Encourage CO Accountability

AGC, along with the American Subcontractors Association, called on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council to improve the data federal agencies collect regarding the administration of change orders in response to the Council’s information request. AGC’s recommendations would require federal agencies to collect a range of data regarding the timeliness of action by the contracting officer (CO) in an effort to encourage greater CO accountability.  

To no one’s surprise, Donald Trump easily swept the Arizona primary on Tuesday.  Mr. Trump notched a 47-25-10 percent popular vote victory margin over Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich, respectively.  With this performance, the New York real estate mogul claimed the last major Winner-Take-All primary and all 58 Arizona delegates.

Help Us Spread the Message – Contact your Congressman

AGC is supporting legislative attempts to force the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to prove that their proposed rule to regulate the hazards of crystalline silica exposure is technologically and economically feasible prior to finalization, implementation or enforcement. Please contact your Congressman and help block implementation of OSHA’s proposed rule on silica.

Urge Your Congressman to Delay Implementation

Please contact your member of Congress to urge them to delay implementation of the Blacklisting Executive Order. This President Obama executive order will require federal prime and subcontractors to report violations of 14 federal labor laws and "equivalent" state labor laws during the previous three years, and again every six months, on federal contracts over $500,000.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues its efforts to implement a national electronic manifest system, as required by the Hazardous Waste Electronic Establishment Act (Act). Throughout 2016-2017, EPA expects to make significant progress on developing the e-Manifest system, which will be available nationwide to track hazardous waste shipments electronically.  EPA recently launched a new e-Manifest listserv to allow stakeholders to share their input and expertise with the e-Manifest project team.

Today, March 30, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case U.S. Army Corps of Eng'rs v. Hawkes Co.