The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a proposed rule April 20 related to employer wellness programs, which is open for public comments until June 19. The proposed rule amends regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide guidance on the extent to which employers may use incentives to encourage employees to participate in wellness programs that include disability-related inquiries and/or medical examinations. 

With less than 48 hours before the funds were set to dry up, President Obama signed a two month extension of federal highway funding on May 29. The extension of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which funds safety, highway, transit and other transportation related programs, comes at a time of great debate about how to fund improvements and repairs to America’s roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure. The extension will now expire on July 31.

Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) annual Top 400 Contractors list is back and this year, 56 ABC member companies were named in the top 100 spots on the list.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued the final “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule May 27. The final rule will go into effect 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register (rule has not been published). 

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council released a proposed rule and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued proposed guidance May 27, as directed by President Obama’s July 31, 2014, sweeping “blacklisting” Executive Order 13673 targeting the federal contracting community.

Ever wonder what impact you could have on decisions made on Capitol Hill? During ABC’s 2015 Legislative Week June 22-26, in Washington, D.C., you have the opportunity to show the country’s decision-makers how certain legislative activity is affecting the construction industry and your business. 

Throughout Safety Week 2015, May 3-9, ABC, its’ members and many other organizations within the construction industry partnered to highlight the importance of being safe both on and off the jobsite. To kick off both Safety Week 2015 and OSHA’s annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, ABC conducted a toolbox talk stand-down event in Washington, DC with members HITT Construction and Power Design, Inc. for more than 200 employees on a HITT and Power Design Atlantic Plumbing jobsite. The event covered personal fall arrest system orientation, personal protective equipment inspections, slips, trips and falls, and incorporated electrical loc

Gov. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) signed the ABC-led repeal of common construction wage into law May 6, eliminating prevailing wage requirements for publicly-funded construction projects in Indiana effective July 1. The ABC Indiana/Kentucky chapter played a significant role in ensuring the state understood the negative effects the legislation has on taxpayers, helping to make Indiana the 19th state with no prevailing wage requirements on taxpayer-funded construction.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) will be joining us as the keynote speaker at the Free Enterprise Alliance Reception June 23 during Legislative Week. Sen. Ernst, elected in November 2014, is the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate. Join us June 23 as we hear from Sen. Ernst and her thoughts on today’s political environment as it relates to ABC, the construction industry and the merit shop.

The U.S. Senate passed the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget (S. Con Res 11) for Fiscal Year 2016, May 5 which contains ABC-supported language adopted during Senate Vote-A-Rama, that would restrict the use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). The budget was previously passed by the House on April 30.