On Jan. 15, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration issued its final rule amending the agency's 2016 final rule to allow the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, at night and over people under certain conditions without obtaining a waiver.

On Jan. 13, one day after the U.S. House approved a largely symbolic resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump following last week's deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, the president was impeached for a second time by a vote of 232-197 (5 not voting), a first in the country’s 244-year history.

Following the approval of an additional $284 billion in funds for the Paycheck Protection Program in December, the U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has reopened the PPP for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers.

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have been declared winners of the two Georgia runoff elections held on Jan. 5. The Democratic wins in the two runoff campaigns, made necessary under Georgia election law that requires majority support to win office, will effectively clinch the narrowest possible majority for Democrats in the U.S. Senate.

To show we are staying safe on jobsites and reducing the spread of the coronavirus, ABC, the National Association of Home Builders and other construction organizations are hosting a COVID-19 Safety Stand Down from Jan. 11-15, with ABC members targeting Thursday, Jan. 14 for member activities.

On Dec. 14, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued two All Agency Memoranda, AAM 235 and AAM 236, with revisions to certain DOL wage determinations for federal contractors under the Davis-Bacon Act.  

On Dec. 23, ABC and several other organizations submitted comments in support of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s proposed revisions to its regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Protection Act. These revisions will reflect recent legislation, modernize the environmental review process, improve DOT’s NEPA review efficiency and provide enhanced customer service to stakeholders while ensuring meaningful public involvement.

On Dec. 31, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued additional guidance to address whether workers who did not use their leave entitlement under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in 2020 may use such leave after Dec. 31, 2020. The FFCRA’s paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements expired on Dec. 31. 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will begin collecting calendar year 2020 Form 300A data on Jan. 2. Establishments such as those in the construction and transportation industry must submit the Form 300A data electronically by March 2, 2021.

The Accredited Quality Contractor program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, craft and management education, talent management and diversity and community relations.