Author: agcnews

Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe. Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom line. Participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get your program started, energize an existing one, or provide a chance to recognize your safety successes. Participations is as easy as 1-2-3! LEARN MORE

Measure fell victim to partisan politics in an election year This week Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) brought the AGC-supported bipartisan tax legislation, H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act before the full chamber for a vote. The legislation, which is fully “paid for” with offsetting cost reduction elsewhere, overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives on January 31, 2024, by a vote of 357-70. However, the bill ultimately failed to receive enough votes in the U.S. Senate. What is in the bill? If passed, the bill would have: So what happened? The legislation sat idle in the…

Construction spending slid 0.3 percent from May to June as declines in single-family homebuilding and major public project types outweighed selective gains in private nonresidential categories, according to an analysis of a new government report that the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials urged the Biden administration to explore ways to ease regulatory barriers that are preventing work from starting on vital infrastructure projects. “Although overall outlays fell for the second month in a row, there were enough bright spots to suggest construction will continue growing, on balance,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “In particular,…

Background: On July 22, 2024, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. The legislation seeks to limit lawsuits related to energy permitting decisions and shorten the energy permitting process. The bill comes at a critical time following the White House Council on Environmental Quality new requirements to the already complicated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process. The fate of the bill remains uncertain with few legislative days left in this congress. What does the bill do? The bill would limit lawsuits once permits have been issued on energy construction projects. In addition, it would…

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case later this year on whether Clean Water Act (CWA) NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permits can include generic prohibitions that threaten the certainty that construction companies need to comply with environmental requirements. AGC recently submitted a friend of the court brief advocating for clarity to protect contractors from enforcement and costly fines due to vague NPDES permit language. AGC seeks to ensure that the Supreme Court’s decision preserves the successful permitting approaches used in construction general stormwater permits (CGP) issued by the U.S. EPA and states. In its brief, AGC and its partners explain why…

Twice a year the federal regulatory agencies release an updated “Unified Agenda” that describes and provides a timeline for their ongoing and future regulatory actions. The most recent agenda provides a glimpse of what the Biden Administration may focus on in the final months of that Administration, including finalizing greenhouse gas disclosures for federal contractors and reissuing nationwide permits for specific activities in/near waters of the United States. Read more for the highlights. Securities and Exchange Commission DOD/GSA/NASA (FAR) Corps of Engineers Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Protection Agency For more information, contact Melinda Tomaino at melinda.tomaino@agc.org.

Construction employment rose in 215, or 60 percent, of 358 metro areas between June 2023 and June 2024, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that while demand for certain types of construction is soft, overall construction activity remains robust and firms are still having a hard time finding workers to hire. “High interest rates and rising vacancies have depressed construction of developer-financed projects such as apartments, offices, and warehouses in some markets,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Nevertheless, strong demand for data centers, manufacturing and power projects, and…

Join us as we celebrate the incredible achievement of the Central 70 project team, winners of the 2024 Build America Awards Grand Award! 🏆 This recognition honors the hard work, dedication, and excellence demonstrated by what is deemed the greatest project in America for 2024. Hear from key figures involved in the project as they reflect on the meaningful impact of Central 70 and what makes this award so special. Their insights reveal the essence of what it means to be part of a project of this magnitude. Congratulations once again to our outstanding member’s project team for their exceptional…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on July 19, 2024, granted the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB” or “Board”) motion to voluntarily dismiss its appeal of a district court’s order to vacate the Board’s 2023 “joint employer rule.” The vacatur was a major victory for AGC and its co-plaintiffs that initiated the lawsuit challenging the Board’s regulatory effort to broaden the standard for determining when an employer may be deemed a joint employer of another company’s employees. The dismissal renders the district court’s ruling final and leaves the prior Board’s more reasonable 2020 rule in effect. The 2020 rule allows a finding of…

Join us in celebrating excellence in construction with the launch of The Bowen Prize for Great Builders! This prestigious award, presented by the AGC Education and Research Foundation, honors field-based project executives who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and fortitude in creating impactful and technically excellent construction projects across America.For over 50 years, the AGC Foundation has been dedicated to advancing technological, educational, and vocational expertise in the construction industry. Partnering with Bob Bowen, this unique Prize aims to recognize the individuals whose efforts have led to the most important construction projects, significantly impacting society and showcasing unparalleled construction techniques. The…