Author: clara.kinney@agc.org
On September 29, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an interim final rule titled Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses. The rule limits access to Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) for individuals who are not permanently residing in the United States. Under the new rule, applicants must present a valid foreign passport along with immigration documentation tied to a qualifying temporary work visa, such as H-2A or H-2B. Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) alone will no longer be accepted. As a result, individuals who rely solely on an EAD, such as…
On January 14, 2025, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a final rule rescinding the long-standing Buy America waiver for manufactured products used in federal-aid infrastructure projects. The rule will be rolled out in two phases. The rule defines a “manufactured product” as any construction material that has been processed into a specific form or combined with other materials to create a distinct item. This encompasses a wide range of products, including pre-fabricated components and complex machinery. The DOT has clarified that all stages of manufacturing for these products—from initial processing to final assembly—must take place domestically to comply with…
On September 30, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program which removes the race and sex-based presumptions from the program. You may recall, AGC reported on the Trump administration’s other efforts targeting DEI programs. Because of the ongoing litigation over this program and the politics surrounding the federal government shutdown, AGC is still evaluating the impact of the IFR and will provide more details as they are made available. The timing of this IFR appears to be aligned with the Trump administration’s broader effort to apply political pressure…
The government continues to be “shutdown” with no end in sight, as the Senate remains deadlocked and the House of Representatives is in recess. Click here for resources for construction companies during the government shutdown. Congress is at a standoff over extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies as part of reopening the federal government, with Democrats pushing for renewal. Last week, the Senate had four failed votes to reopen the government. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and Angus King (I-Maine) broke ranks with most Democrats to support the measure, while Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stood alone among…
On October 6, AGC of America submitted comments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on their Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations proposed rule.This rule would create a framework for contractors and other businesses to expand their drone programs to take advantage of autonomous drone technology. Many contractors already take advantage of drones for limited small-scale operations with a human in the loop. Tasks such as topographic mapping, land surveys, structure inspection, and equipment tracking can all be accomplished more efficiently using drones. But these efficiency gains are limited by the limitations of the human operator.…
On October 1 the federal government officially shut down as Congress and the White House were unable to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded. Democrats have dug in on their insistence that any spending deal must include an extension of Obamacare subsidies. Republicans have refused, insisting that any agreement on such tax subsidies should be handled outside of the spending debate. Impact on highway and transportation contractors. Highway contractors should mostly be unimpacted because programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) would continue and be uninterrupted. This includes programs funded by…
On Tuesday, September 23, Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the largest single allocation for a state in U.S. history, with $1.15 billion dedicated to repairing and rebuilding roads, bridges, and other infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene. The funds will be distributed through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Emergency Relief (ER) program, which reimburses states for critical recovery work such as debris removal, emergency traffic operations, and reconstruction of seriously damaged transportation assets. “This historic investment in the recovery effort is just one of many actions my Department has taken to support the region,” Secretary Duffy said.…
TRIP is a nonprofit organization that works on surface transportation issues. Working with the Associated General Contractors of California and the AGC San Diego Chapter, TRIP released a new report, Keeping California Mobile: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation System in the Golden State on September 25. The report offers a comprehensive look at California’s road and bridge conditions, congestion and reliability, highway safety, travel trends, and economic impacts, while underscoring the significance of recent infrastructure investments, such as the 2017 SB 1 Road Repair and Accountability Act and the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). TRIP’s Rocky Moretti…
AGC of America led a broad industry coalition urging House appropriators to revise Section 427 of the FY 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill (H.R. 4552), which would ban the use of federal funds for automated red-light and speed enforcement cameras on federally assisted roadways. In a September 26 letter to Subcommittee leaders Chairman Steve Womack and Ranking Member James Clyburn, AGC and partner organizations warned that an across-the-board prohibition would remove a proven safety tool in high-risk locations, including active highway work zones. The letter highlighted the ongoing safety crisis in work zones, such as the…
As AGC has previously reported, Congress faces a fast-approaching deadline for funding the federal government. Congress has until September 30th to pass a stopgap funding resolution, called a continuing resolution, to avoid a government shutdown. In the event that there is a government shutdown, AGC has you covered and encourages you to check out: What Contractors Should Know in the Event the Government Shuts Down. AGC continues to urge Congress to avoid a partial or total government shutdown and will keep you updated on the latest. For more information, please contact Jordan Howard.