On Dec. 11, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced its final rule on Personal Protective Equipment in Construction, which adds specific language requiring that employers provide PPE that properly fits construction industry workers. The change aligns the construction industry standard with the standard already in place for general industry. The final rule is effective on Jan. 13, 2025. To learn more about the final rule read OSHA’s Frequently Asked Questions.

On Dec. 2, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it has extended the public comment period for its Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings proposed rule until Jan. 14, 2025, from the original deadline of Dec. 30. ABC will be submitting comments on the proposal, and public stakeholders can submit comments as well.

On Dec. 3, in a win for ABC and its members, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership information reporting requirements.

ABC continues to fight against the Biden administration’s anti-growth and oppressive regulatory agenda, which creates significant uncertainty and barriers to job creation.

On Nov. 12, a federal court of appeals issued a major decision in the Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration case concerning the validity of National Environmental Policy Act regulations governing federal environmental reviews. The ruling will potentially have wide-ranging implications for federal permitting actions subject to NEPA reviews.

On Nov. 13, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that an employer violates the National Labor Relations Act by requiring employees to attend mandatory “captive audience” meetings, in which the employer expresses its views on unionization and its potential impact. The decision undoes 75 years of precedent, violating employer free speech rights and depriving workers of vital information.

On Nov. 15, ABC applauded the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which set aside the U.S. Department of Labor’s controversial 2024 final rule, Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees. The rule changed overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently announced a series of virtual compliance seminars to provide information on prevailing wage requirements for federally funded construction and service contracts. Each seminar will offer separate sessions focused on Davis-Bacon Act and Service Contract Act compliance.

Over the past two years, ABC’s Free Enterprise Alliance has spent more than $5 million dollars to fund issue advocacy efforts and, separately, get-out-the-vote campaigns in key states. In addition, ABC PAC has invested nearly $2 million in direct support of federal candidates and campaign committees who champion free enterprise and fair and open competition.

ABC continues to fight against the Biden-Harris administration’s anti-growth and oppressive regulatory agenda, which creates significant uncertainty and barriers to job creation.