The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have reached a deal on both the Omnibus spending package and extending certain expired tax provisions commonly referred to as “extenders.”

ABC has added Alaska Chapter member Bill Watterson of Watterson Construction Co. to the Beam Club Chairman’s level and Metro Washington Chapter member Jim Anglemyer of WCS Construction, LLC to the Beam Club Hall of Fame level.

Effective Jan. 1, 2016, under the employer mandate provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers with 50-99 full-time employees and full-time equivalent employees (applicable large employers) must offer full-time employees (and dependents) minimum essential coverage that is affordable and provides minimum value or be subject to heavy penalties. Note: effective for the 2015 calendar year, such employers are subject to reporting requirements (refer to Reporting Requirements section below).

The Obama Administration’s regulatory agenda was released on Nov. 20 and lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release in 2016, their final year. An update on rulemakings from a variety of agencies affecting the construction industry is below. ABC has also published Newsline stories updating the status of rulemakings from theOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Labor listed in the regulatory agenda. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) 

On Dec. 4, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (H.R. 22) into law, which included ABC-supported provisions that streamline the process for developers trying to obtain environmental permits and approvals for their projects. 

Now, employees of ABC members can receive up to 20 percent off the “best available rate” at the Wyndham Hotel Group website for their participating brands. Wyndham has 14 distinct brands at over 7,600 hotel locations, including Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Baymont and other affordable brands. 

Now, employees of ABC members can receive up to 20 percent off the “best available rate” at the Wyndham Hotel Group website for their participating brands. Wyndham has 14 distinct brands at over 7,600 hotel locations, including Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Baymont and other affordable brands. 

The Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule revising the equal employment opportunity regulatory framework for the National Apprenticeship Act on Nov. 6. Current regulations prohibit discrimination in registered apprenticeship programs on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. The proposed rule updates the equal opportunity standards to include age (40 or older), genetic information, sexual orientation and disability among the protected base that cannot be discriminated against. It requires sponsors to take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in the registered apprenticeship programs.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its latest regulatory agenda on Nov. 20. The agenda lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release in 2016, their final year. An update on rulemakings affecting the construction industry is below.

The National Craft Championships (NCC) is seeing an overwhelming demand for the 2016 competition and intents-to-compete currently number more than 200. With the intent deadline immediately following the busy Thanksgiving holiday, the NCC Committee wants to ensure all chapters and contractors have the opportunity to participate and is extending the deadline to Dec. 15. Some competitions may already have reached their maximum, so contact Lisa Nardone for wait-list information.