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On Dec. 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $98 million in funding through its YouthBuild Program to support pre-apprenticeships in high-demand industries, including construction.
Funded projects are intended to provide education, occupational skills training and employment services to young people ages 16 to 24 and strengthen connections to registered apprenticeship programs, or RAPs. Programs must offer construction training and hands-on experience building affordable housing. Programs may include a “Construction Plus” component providing training in other industries as long as the construction requirements are met.
The announcement also notes a new emphasis on outcomes, setting a goal for the percentage of participants that enter a RAP within one year of exiting the YouthBuild program. The grant also incorporates a new requirement for applicants to incorporate artificial intelligence literacy into the education component.
The DOL expects to award 60 grants ranging from $1-$2 million. Applications are due March 2, 2026.
Learn more about YouthBuild on the DOL’s website.
On Jan. 20, ABC joined more than 100 trade associations in a letter urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury to immediately purge the Corporate Transparency Act database of beneficial ownership information submitted by domestic businesses that are no longer required to report.
On Feb. 27, 2025, Treasury announced that it was ceasing enforcement of the CTA while it crafted a new set of regulations and on March 21, 2025, FinCEN announced it is issuing an interim final rule that removes the BOI reporting requirements under the CTA for U.S. companies and persons.
While the administration appropriately narrowed the CTA’s scope last year to apply only to foreign entities, relieving more than 32 million U.S. businesses of these requirements, millions of law-abiding domestic companies had already complied. Their sensitive personal data remains stored by FinCEN, creating ongoing cybersecurity and privacy risks despite serving no legitimate government purpose.
The legal uncertainty surrounding the CTA heightens the need for swift action. In fact, 12 federal lawsuits are challenging the law’s constitutionality. Members of Congress and Treasury officials have acknowledged the need to dispose of data no longer legally required, but Main Street businesses deserve certainty and a clear timeline, not indefinite storage of personal information. ABC joined partners in calling on the Treasury to finalize the rule exempting U.S. businesses and to promptly destroy collected data to protect small business owners’ privacy.
While U.S. companies have been alleviated of the need to file, this relief is only temporary. So long as the CTA statute remains in place, a future administration could rewrite the rules to be more expansive. For this reason, ABC strongly supports H.R. 425, the Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act, which would repeal the CTA and relieve small business owners from these burdensome reporting requirements and criminal penalties.
Read more on the S-Corporation Association of America’s website.
Background:
On Jan. 1, 2021, Congress enacted into law the CTA, which establishes a new framework for the reporting, maintenance and disclosure of beneficial ownership information in order to better enable national security, intelligence and law enforcement efforts to counter money laundering, the financing of terrorism and other illicit activity.
ABC, along with a coalition of small business organizations, submitted a letter to congressional leaders expressing concerns about the amendments incorporating the CTA into the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, stating the enactment of the CTA would decrease privacy protections and slow the economic recovery of Main Street businesses.
ABC responded to Treasury’s FinCEN notice of proposed rulemaking seeking public input on how best to implement the reporting requirements of the CTA, as well as the CTA’s provisions regarding FinCEN’s maintenance and disclosure of reported information in comments.
ABC’s comments noted that the framework prescribed by the CTA will require millions of small businesses, including nearly every employer with 20 or fewer employees, to report to FinCEN certain personal information of their beneficial owners and update that information periodically throughout the life of the business.
ABC also argued that America’s small businesses—which make up most of ABC’s members—are typically not staffed or equipped to understand and comply with reporting obligations similar to those under the CTA. However, per the CTA, failure to comply can result in significant fines and imprisonment for these small business owners.
ABC Peer Groups bring together small, confidential cohorts of six to 10 owners and senior leaders from the same industry and similar revenue ranges who operate in noncompeting markets. The groups are designed to foster trust and open dialogue, giving participants a structured space to discuss challenges, share insights and exchange practical solutions with peers who understand their business.
For many members, Peer Groups are among the most valuable benefits of ABC membership and are often cited as a key reason for continued renewal. ABC currently offers active Peer Groups for drywall, electrical, general and mechanical contractors, as well as painters, plumbing contractors and human resources leaders.
“It is so powerful to have a truly safe space to share challenges and get honest input. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, and this group removes that isolation. We’ve supported each other through business expansions, team changes, retirements and heartbreaking losses. The depth of trust that has formed over time is something I didn’t expect—and it’s been invaluable. This network has become an extension of my family," said Jessie Cannizzaro, president of Milestone Plumbing Inc. and 2026 ABC Midwest region vice chair.
The Peer Group program continues to grow, with opportunities to launch new groups based on member interest and emerging industry needs. Chapter staff play a critical role in identifying potential participants and helping connect members who would benefit from this offering.
For more information, visit abc.org/peergroups or email [email protected].
On Dec. 18, the U.S. Senate approved an en bloc nominations package that included 97 Trump administration nominees. The 53-43 party-line vote was made possible by the Senate’s recent move to lower the threshold for subcabinet level positions to a simple majority rather than the typical, 60-vote threshold.
Ahead of the vote, ABC and the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace supported the nominations of three National Labor Relations Board nominees included in the package, who were sworn in on Jan. 7:
With the confirmation of the nominees, the NLRB will not only have a new general council to set the agenda, but it will also have a quorum for the first time in nearly a year. The new 2-1 Republican majority will allow the Board to resume more regular operations. However, longstanding Board practice requires three votes to overturn existing precedent. A third Republican-appointed member has not yet been nominated, so the Board is not able to fully begin to unwind policies implemented during the Biden administration.
Among the other 97 positions, there were several U.S. Department of Labor nominees confirmed:
On Dec. 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor rescinded an ABC-opposed rule on Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts, effective immediately. This rescission was issued in accordance with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14148, Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.
The rule, issued in December 2023, required contractors and subcontractors that work on covered federal service contracts, which include most contracts valued at or above $250,000 covered by the Service Contract Act, to offer service employees employed under the predecessor contract a right of first refusal of employment on the successor contract in good faith.
With the rule no longer in effect, previously covered contractors are no longer required to offer positions to incumbent workers before hiring new employees.
On Aug. 15, 2022, ABC submitted comments opposing the proposed regulation, asserting that it conflicted with the plain language of the SCA and would create inefficiencies in the procurement process by restricting the ability of contractors to freely hire their workforce.
On Jan. 5, as part of the Waters Advocacy Coalition, ABC joined comments on a U.S Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed rule that would streamline the federal permitting process under the Clean Water Act by clarifying the definition of “waters of the United States.”
The comments expressed support for the proposed rule, which seeks to amend the definition of WOTUS as currently defined by the Biden administration’s January 2023 final rule and August 2023 amendment. Further, the comments offered recommendations on adjustments to the proposal that would provide additional clarity and certainty to contractors.
The comments included the following key recommendations to further strengthen the proposed rule:
The EPA and USACE will now review all comments on the proposed rule and are expected to release a final rule in the coming months.
More information on the ongoing WOTUS rulemaking process is available on the EPA’s website.
On Dec. 22, 2025, federal restrictions implementing provisions of H.R.2670, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, took effect. The restrictions, enacted under the American Security Drone Act of 2023, prohibit contractors and recipients of federal funds from operating, or using federal funds to procure or operate, certain foreign-manufactured unmanned aircraft systems on federal and federally assisted projects.
The prohibitions apply to UAS manufactured or assembled by covered foreign entities identified by the Federal Acquisition Security Council and listed in the System for Award Management. SAM.gov indicates that all entities listed on the International Trade Administration’s Consolidated Screening List are included on the FASC-covered foreign entity list. The list currently includes prominent drone manufacturers DJI and Autel Robotics.
Contractors should ensure compliance with FAR 52.240-1 and applicable agency funding terms when procuring or operating UAS in connection with federal or federally assisted work.
ABC has added two new additions to the Beam Club. Jim Abbott of Claro Advisors LLC, Boston, a member of the Massachusetts chapter, earned the Presidential Level. Tom Altmann of Altmann Construction Co. Inc., Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, a member of the Wisconsin chapter, reached the Hall of Fame Level.
The Beam Club was established in 1966 to recognize ABC’s top membership recruiters for their commitment to growing the association. By recruiting five new members, ABC members are automatically enrolled in the Beam Club by their chapter. Members receive one point for each new member recruited. Beam Club activity is ongoing from year to year, with members’ point totals continually accruing and advancing members to the next Beam Club award level.
To reach the Presidential Level of the Beam Club, ABC members must recruit 25 new members. For the Hall of Fame Level, ABC members must recruit 50 members.
For more information on the Beam Club, contact Mandie Farabaugh at [email protected].
ABC congratulates another 23 companies for earning their Accredited Quality Contractor credential this month. AQC recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, health and safety, craft and management education, talent management and community relations.
The companies include:
Companies must meet the AQC criteria and have earned Gold, Platinum or Diamond status in ABC’s STEP® Health and Safety Management System in order to be eligible for the credential.
As an AQC, you have the opportunity to:
Visit abc.org/aqcapp for more information.
On Nov. 17, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Adam Telle and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin signed a proposed rule aiming to streamline the federal permitting process under the Clean Water Act by clarifying the definition of “waters of the United States.”
The proposed rule would amend the definition of WOTUS, which is currently defined by the Biden administration’s January 2023 final rule and August 2023 amendment. ABC criticized the 2023 rulemaking, which contributed to continued regulatory uncertainty and unnecessary delays for critical infrastructure projects.
The November 2025 proposed rule would ensure USACE and EPA are in full compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 25 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, which placed clear boundaries on the scope of the federal government’s authority while maintaining important environmental protections for America’s waterways.
ABC issued a statement regarding the proposed rule, supporting the Trump administration’s commitment to clearly defining WOTUS while protecting water quality.
Resources on the proposed rule are available on EPA’s website. Specifically, the proposed rule would:
ABC will provide comments on the proposed rule, with comments due 45 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Previously, ABC provided recommendations to the EPA and USACE on WOTUS as part of the Waters Advocacy Coalition and provided testimony at a listening session regarding the impacts of WOTUS on small businesses.