Contact Your Member of Congress During Spring Recess and Urge them to Support Increased Airport Infrastructure Funding Before the House of Representatives left on their two-week spring recess, its members passed a bill to extend Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs through mid-July. AGC has been pushing Congress to increase funding for the Airport Improvement Program and modernize the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. With the House out until April 11 and the Senate out until April 4, now is a great opportunity for AGC members to contact their members of Congress while they are home and urge them to pass a FAA Reauthorization bill that includes these two AGC-supported reforms.

This week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced it was making $15 million available for grants to test alternative revenue mechanisms to address the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund.

Citing a contractor's control over employees at a worksite and the payment of hourly wages, among other factors, a Connecticut judge ruled the contractor could not evade Occupational Safety and Health Administration fines by claiming the employees were independent contractors. The decision in a case involving Royal Construction of Canton, Conn., "upholds a basic tenet of the OSH Act, the employer/employee relationship," said Kim Stille, OSHA's regional administrator for New England. EHS Today

Contractors apparently now have more direct access to manufacturers, who are approaching them and going around the traditional middlemen. The practice is said to be more common with makers of lighting. One information technology consultant and three electrical contractors relate their experiences. TED Magazine

Employers reporting a workplace death or injury to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration should be cautious about submitting such information online, which could put them at risk of admitting fault, some lawyers say. "I don't know a single employer who completes an effective and thoughtful incident investigation in eight hours or 24 hours, so I think it's premature to commit in writing to some version of the incident," lawyer Eric Conn says. Business Insurance (tiered subscription model)

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) addressed AGC’s Highway and Transportation Division during AGC’s 97th Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Chairman Brady’s committee is responsible for tax issues in the House including Highway Trust Fund motor fuel tax revenue. He said he was pleased that Congress was able to find sufficient revenue last year to fund the FAST Act for the next five years but he believes we need to get back to a user fee-based revenue source. He reported that transportation committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) is organizing a summit of key House members and outside stakeholders to discuss the best route to a long-term, sustainable solution.

House and Senate Pass Competing Extensions This week, the Senate Commerce Committee passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. The nearly two-year authorization provides a $400 million increase in 2017 for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) but does not lift the volume cap on the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. The AIP and PFC are the main funding and financing mechanisms for airport and runway infrastructure projects. Prior to the committee’s consideration, AGC sent a letter supporting the increase in the AIP and asking for the Senate to consider an increase in the PFC as the legislative process moves forward.

Deliver the Message at the TCC Fly-In The Transportation Construction Coalition’s (TCC) 2016 Legislative Fly-In is scheduled for May 10-11, 2016. While the FAST provides a steady source of funding over the next five years for highway and transit programs, the legislation did not solve the long-term Highway Trust Fund revenue problem. At the expiration of the FAST Act in FY 2020, significant new revenue will be needed just to maintain current funding levels. Your Senators and Representative need to understand that they need to get started on fixing the transportation infrastructure investment shortfall we are facing now and into the future.

House Budget Committee approved the week of March 14 a fiscal year 2017 budget resolution by a 20-16 vote. Republicans on the Budget Committee say their $3.9 trillion plan would reduce deficits by $7 trillion over 10 years, without increasing taxes, by cutting $6.5 trillion in government spending. The budget maintains the $1.07 trillion cap for discretionary spending in fiscal year 2017 that was set in last year’s bipartisan budget agreement – a level opposed by members of the House Freedom Caucus who want greater reductions in discretionary spending. Interestingly the Freedom Caucus opposition may lead to a continuing resolution that will result in a defense spending cut of more than $2 billion.

The week of March 14, the Senate Commerce Committee passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. The nearly two-year authorization provides a $400 million increase in 2017 for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) but does not lift the volume cap on the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. The AIP and PFC are the main funding and financing mechanisms for airport and runway infrastructure projects. Prior to the committee’s consideration, AGC sent a letter supporting the increase in the AIP and asking for the Senate to consider an increase in the PFC as the legislative process moves forward.