Author: agcnews

The COVID-relief bill moving through Congress does not include a federal paid leave mandate. However, it does include an extension of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) refundable tax credits from March 31, 2021 through September 30, 2021 for those employers that follow those expired mandates. Additional information and guidance on FFCRA and the tax credits can be found on the Department of Labor website and Internal Revenue Service website. However, the tax credits included in the COVID-relief bill would also increase the amount of wages for which an employer may claim the paid family credit in a year from $10,000 to $12,000 per…

On February 27, the U.S. House passed President Biden’s $1.9T COVID-relief bill by a 219-212 vote, mostly along party lines. The measure is now soon to be considered by the Senate. On the infrastructure front, the package would provide: $30 billion to public transit programs, $8 billion to airports and $1.5 billion to Amtrak. The vast majority of those funds would go to maintaining existing operations, not capital construction. The measure would also provide $350 billion for state and local governments. The state and local funding would be distributed as follows: While some have pointed to this funding as a means of…

ConsensusDocs is pleased to announce that Fox Rothschild LLP has joined as a contributor to the ConsensusDocs Construction Law Newsletter, which is one of the mostly widely distributed and used construction law resources in the industry. “We are thrilled to be able to bring timely, relevant news to contractors, specialty contractors and construction insurance professionals through this leading industry newsletter,” said Dirk D. Haire, co-chair of the nationwide Construction Law Group at Fox Rothschild LLP. Fox Rothschild is home to one of the deepest Construction Law Practice Groups in the United States. With offices in major construction hubs nationwide, Fox’s…

The Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act bill now making its way through Congress attempts to overturn decades of federal policy. Despite its name, the PRO Act does much more than protect an employee’s right to organize and engage in collective bargaining. In fact, the PRO Act would expand the economic weapons available to unions at the bargaining table, at the workplace, and beyond. While the union-favoring legislation presents obvious concerns for open-shop contractors, union contractors may not realize the detrimental impact it could have on them. AGC’s CEO Stephen Sandherr explains on this episode exactly HOW and WHY…

The construction industry is raising awareness and encouraging open discussion about mental health and substance abuse to reduce suicide in the workforce.  The COVID-19 pandemic has added stress, anxiety, and fear to contractors’ already high risk of suicide.  We can all agree this is a scary subject and we need to address the public health crisis in our country.  But how do we heal our workforce?  Please use the following resources to help you spot warning signs, start the conversation, and provide support to those who need it – which can save lives. It takes construction professionals at all levels working together…

The U.S. Department of Interior has proposed to delay the effective date of the Trump Administration’s final rule to decriminalize incidental take (accidental harm) under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) finalized in January. AGC supports the Trump Administration’s rule as it provides clarity and relief for industry and private citizens from prosecution for engaging in lawful actions that may result in the accidental injuring or killing of a migratory bird. The Biden Administration nominee for Interior, Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), is publicly against the rule. Furthermore, the Biden Administration is reconsidering the government’s appeal of a decision last year…

On February 24, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works held its first infrastructure hearing of the new Congress, titled “Building Back Better: Investing in Transportation while Addressing Climate Change, Improving Equity, and Fostering Economic Growth and Innovation.” The Committee’s new chairman, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), stated that now is the time to “get something done.” He also reiterated his previously stated goal of reporting a bill out of committee by no later than Memorial Day. The Committee’s new ranking member, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), emphasized that the process must be bipartisan, and avoid a package full of “ideologically…

On February 24, AGC called on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to follow the traditional federal regulatory processes that allow for all industries—including construction—to better inform any new regulations the agency seeks to put forth concerning COVID-19 based on a thorough review of science, experience and practical industry-specific approaches. As it stands, a recent executive order effectively instructs OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) on COVID-19 by March 15 and then issue a permanent standard within six months. AGC is concerned that the rush to issue an ETS and permanent standard could negatively impact the safety and health procedures…

On February 24, Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Reps. Ted Budd (D-N.C.) and John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) introduced the AGC-supported Fair and Open Competition Act (bill numbers pending) that would prohibit government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on direct federal (i.e., projects for federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs) and federal-aid (i.e., federally funded transportation projects for state departments of transportation) construction projects. The bill would not prohibit all PLAs, as a firm could still voluntarily enter into a PLA. The bill is in response to attempts from federal agencies…

The Associated General Contractors of America’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the introduction in Congress today of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021: “The proposed new immigration bill provides long-needed reforms to the nation’s flawed approach to immigration. By proposing to protect the legal status of so-called “Dreamers” and immigrants participating in the Temporary Protected Status program, the measure will allow more than 100,000 people to continue working lawfully in the construction industry. In addition, the bill’s efforts to provide a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants will, if enacted, help…