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ABC’s Regulatory Alert provides an overview of federally mandated rules, regulations and enforcement actions from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies. Following are brief summaries of current issues, as well as links to more detailed information and guidance. 

Lawmakers in a number of states have made reforming outdated prevailing wage laws a major priority so far in 2015. In the past month, legislators in West Virginia, Nevada and Indiana have advanced legislation that attempts to narrow the types of construction projects affected by prevailing wage, and in some cases, to remove the law entirely. 

In conjunction with 17 other employer organizations, ABC sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging them to issue a two-year delay until 2018 of the expansion of the small group market definition in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Under the ACA, the small group market definition is expanded to include employers with 51-100 employees, which is effective in 2016.  

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is soliciting comments from the federal construction community about the potential requirement of a project labor agreement on the Edwards Air Force Base project in California and for large-scale federal construction contracts in South Carolina.

As an ABC member, you’re invited to enroll in the FedEx Advantage® program for free and save money on your shipping and earn rewards for your loyalty with FedEx. The program offers discounts up to 29 percent on FedEx® services and My FedEx Rewards gives you the chance to earn gift cards and brand-name merchandise when you ship. 

On Feb. 13, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) introduced the Jobs and Premium Protection Act (H.R. 928), which would fully repeal the health insurance tax (HIT) provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ABC-supported coalition, Stop the HIT, sent a letter commending Boustany and Sinema for coming together to repeal the burdensome tax.

In an article written by ABC’s Strategic Partner Viewpoint, Mobile Product Manager Bryan Fangipane, addresses how using mobile technology on the jobsite can increase productivity and ease communication. The article also examines certain ways advanced technology can ultimately save you money.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance in December 2014 clarifying their Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) policies regarding employees who are subject to federal prevailing wage statutes. 

Can’t make it to the Workforce Conference in Florida next month? Send one of your employees instead and they can learn more about best practices in the industry, network with their peers throughout the country and bring back information to implement in the office or in the field. The conference will take place March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and offers sessions for employees of all levels of expertise and focuses on education for mechanical and electrical contractors, business and project managers, safety professionals and workforce development professionals. 

Four finalists have been chosen for ABC’s Craft Professional of the Year award one of them will be chosen as the winner March 6 during the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Craft Professional of the Year award is presented each year to an individual who exhibits outstanding skills and leadership in his or her craft. This year’s winner will receive a 2015 Ram Tradesman truck sponsored by Tradesmen International.

A group of Congressmen Feb. 9 wrote a joint resolution Feb. 9 that would stop the implementation of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ambush election rule. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), with the support of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Sen. Alexander is chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Rep. Kline is chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education.

During his first State of the State address on Feb. 2, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) called for reforms related to project labor agreements (PLAs) and prevailing wage requirements that will help empower Illinois residents and drive economic growth.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued two surveys soliciting comments from the construction industry on the potential use of a project labor agreement (PLA) for projects in New Jersey and California.

Nonresidential construction spending grew 0.4 percent on a monthly basis in Dec. 2014, according to the Feb. 2 release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending for the month totaled $627.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, 5.9 percent higher than Dec. 2013. The government also upwardly revised November’s spending estimate from $617 billion to $624.8 billion and October’s figure from $623 billion to $627.4 billion. “Despite the slight expansion indicated in today’s report, nonresidential construction lost some of its momentum during the final two months of 2014; however, this should represent only a minor dip in the indu

Suffolk Construction Company, Inc., West Palm Beach, Fla., member of the ABC Florida East Coast Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a request for information seeking a common definition for Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). The goal is to create a broadly accepted definition of ZEB boundaries and metrics to create a standard that regulators and the private entities can agree upon. 

The votes are in and the four finalists for the 2015 Craft Instructor of the Year Award have been announced. The finalists will join ABC at the Workforce Conference March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where they will be interviewed and narrowed down to one winner. The winning instructor will be announced during the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony and will walk away with a $10,000 cash prize.

The National Craft Championships (NCC) is seeking judges for the 2015 competition which will be held March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. If you or someone you know has demonstrated experience in one of the crafts represented in the competition, lend your time and talents to help name the winning craft apprentices and trainees at the 2015 NCC.