CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES

Articles and editorials

Senate Health Bill Unfair to Construction Industry—NAHB, S13814 [23DE]

Bills and resolutions

American Council of Engineering Companies: anniversary (see H. Res. 447), H5666 [14MY]

Appropriations: making supplemental appropriations for job creation, school repair and modernization, and tax reduction (see H.R. 861), H1042 [4FE]

China: investigate drywall imports, prohibit further imports, recall hazardous drywall, seek penalties against manufacturers, and provide assistance to homeowners affected by hazardous drywall (see S. Res. 91), S3986 [30MR]

———support detained human rights activists Huang Qi and Tan Zuoren relative to investigation of the role poor construction and corruption played in death of children in school collapses during Sichuan earthquake (see H. Res. 877), H12141 [29OC]

Conservation of energy: encourage energy efficient and environment-friendly building and facility certification programs to incorporate use of mechanical insulation as part of standards and ratings systems (see H. Res. 389), H5062 [30AP]

———establish national energy and environmental building retrofit policies for both residential and commercial buildings (see H.R. 1778), H4128 [30MR]

Contracts: assure quality and best value in Federal construction projects by prohibiting the practice known as bid shopping (see H.R. 3492), H9278 [31JY]

———preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (see S. 90), S41 [6JA] (see H.R. 983), H1247 [11FE]

———repeal wage rate requirements applicable to laborers and mechanics employed on Federal-aid highway and public transportation construction projects (see H.R. 687), H526 [26JA]

CPSC: study drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007 (see S. 739), S3986 [30MR] (see H.R. 1977), H4523 [2AP]

Davis-Bacon Act: repeal wage rate requirements (see H.R. 2900), H6903 [16JN]

Dept. of Defense: establish Veterans to Work program (see H.R. 4058), H12587 [6NO]

———incorporate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development (LEED) principles in military construction projects and require a specific goal for the use of renewable energy (see H.R. 1876), H4518 [2AP]

———require contractors and subcontractors working on military construction projects to comply with licensing requirements for employees working at the project location (see H.R. 4379), H15500 [16DE]

Dept. of Energy: establish Clean Energy for Homes and Buildings Program to provide financial assistance to promote residential-, commercial-, and industrial-scale energy efficiency and on-site renewable technologies (see S. 1574), S8765 [4AU]

———establish the Home Energy Retrofit Finance Program (see S. 1246), S6542 [11JN]

Dept. of HUD: permit use of funds from the Community Development Block Grant Program to be used to remediate damage from installation of tainted drywall (see S. 2850), S12708 [8DE]

———promote and enhance local building code enforcement administration by establishing a competitive matching grant program (see H.R. 2246), H5168 [5MY]

Dept. of Labor: prescribe regulations requiring employers with more than one establishment and not fewer than 500 employees to report work-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses (see H.R. 2113), H4839 [27AP]

Dept. of the Interior: provide with a mechanism to cancel contracts for the sale of Soledad Canyon, CA, mining contracts (see H.R. 4332), H15498 [16DE]

Dept. of Transportation: conduct a program to demonstrate the use of asphalt produced with an asphalt binder made from biomass in highway construction projects (see H.R. 1167), H2833 [25FE]

———require that broadband conduit be installed as part of certain highway construction projects (see S. 1266), S6581 [15JN] (see H.R. 2428), H5665 [14MY]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: guarantee housing loans for the construction of energy efficient dwellings (see H.R. 4359), H15499 [16DE]

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act: authorize assistance for certain construction in coastal high hazard areas (see S. 1088), S5700 [20MY]

———enhance existing programs providing mitigation assistance by encouraging States to adopt and actively enforce State building codes (see H.R. 2592), H6010 [21MY]

Disasters: establish a comprehensive national system for skilled construction workers to assist first responders (see H.R. 652), H485 [22JA]

Ecology and environment: provide for a green building certification program as part of the Energy Star program (see H.R. 695), H526 [26JA]

———recognize importance and sustainability of U.S. hardwoods industry and urge such products be given full consideration in programs for constructing environmentally preferable buildings (see H. Res. 81), H485 [22JA]

Financial institutions: encourage banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forebearance without penalty on mortgage payments (see S. Res. 352), S11344 [10NO] (see H. Con. Res. 197), H11166 [8OC]

Foreign trade: provide for limitation on entry of steel, drywall, and cement products that fail to meet industry standards (see H.R. 2155), H4914 [28AP]

Government regulations: promote and enhance local building code enforcement administration by establishing a competitive matching grant program (see S. 970), S5127 [5MY]

Hazardous substances: reduce emissions of formaldehyde from composite wood products (see S. 1660), S9264 [10SE]

High-Performance Building Week: support goals and ideals (see H. Res. 492), H6075 [2JN]

Housing: provide assistance to owners of manufactured homes constructed prior to 1976 to purchase Energy Star qualified manufactured homes (see S. 1320), S6888 [22JN] (see H.R. 1749), H4062 [26MR]

———require all newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and town houses meet minimum standards of visitability for the disabled (see H.R. 1408), H3144 [10MR]

Insurance: prohibit insurers from canceling or refusing to renew homeowners insurance policies because of the presence of certain types of drywall in the home (see H.R. 4094), H13068 [17NO]

National Association of Women in Construction: tribute to Montgomery, AL, chapter (see H. Res. 206), H2980 [4MR]

Native Americans: repeal the Bennett Freeze ban on construction to allow Navajo Nation citizens to live in habitable dwellings and raise their living conditions (see S. 39), S40 [6JA] (see H.R. 1762), H4063 [26MR]

NRC: establish an expedited schedule for the issuance of a Combined Construction and Operating License for nuclear reactors that meet certain conditions (see H.R. 3448), H9275 [31JY]

OSHA: revise regulations to increase worker safety on construction sites and to protect child trespassers from unforeseen dangers (see H.R. 3094), H7704 [26JN]

Recycling: require certain metal recyclers to keep records of their transactions in order to deter theft and interstate fencing of stolen metal (see S. 418), S2144 [11FE] (see H.R. 1006), H1248 [11FE]

Roads and highways: protect States that have in effect laws or orders with respect to pay to play reform (see H.R. 3427), H9206 [30JY]

SBA: establish mentorship and assistance programs designed to help minority, veteran-owned, and woman-owned small businesses operate in the construction industry (see H.R. 3771), H11165 [8OC]

———improve and extend certain disaster assistance and hurricane relief programs and provide assistance to homeowners affected by defective drywall imported from China (see S. 2731), S11205 [5NO]

Tariff: clarify classification of fiberboard core and laminate boards and panels (see S. 1879), S10734 [26OC]

Taxation: allow a credit for amounts paid for energy efficient property placed in service in commercial buildings pursuant to an approved energy efficiency plan (see H.R. 3659), H10069 [29SE]

———allow a refundable credit to issuers of qualified zone academy bonds and qualified school construction bonds (see H.R. 4292), H14826 [11DE]

———encourage use of corrosion prevention and mitigation measures in the construction and maintenance of business energy-related property (see H.R. 3462), H9276 [31JY]

———exclude from gross income remediation payments for hazardous drywall (see H.R. 4362), H15500 [16DE]

———exempt public school rehabilitation from the tax-exempt use exception to the rehabilitation credit (see H.R. 4133), H13352 [19NO]

———expand rehabilitation credit (see S. 1743), S10061 [1OC]

———extend increased rehabilitation credit for structures in the Gulf Opportunity Zone (see S. 1861), S10700 [22OC]

———improve and extend certain energy-related tax provisions (see H.R. 4226), H13627 (see H.R. 4226), H14371 [8DE]

———improve and extend certain tax incentives for energy efficient home and commercial building construction and the residential energy efficiency industry (see S. 1637), S8993 [6AU]

———modify requirements for windows, doors, and skylights to be eligible for the credit for nonbusiness energy property (see S. 1792), S10487 [15OC] (see H.R. 4112), H13266 [18NO]

———promote tax parity between residential and business fuel cell tax credits (see H.R. 3660), H10069 [29SE]

———provide a tax incentive for installation and maintenance of mechanical insulation property (see H.R. 4296), H14826 [11DE]

———provide for the designation of Clean Energy Business Zones and tax incentives for the construction of, and employment at, energy-efficient buildings and clean energy facilities (see H.R. 3919), H11739 [23OC]

———provide tax incentives for making homes more water-efficient, building new water-efficient homes, and public water conservation (see S. 1711), S9840 [24SE] (see H.R. 3746), H11110 [7OC]

———reduce depreciation recovery period for roof systems (see H.R. 426), H161 [9JA]

Transportation: require public employees to perform inspection of State and local surface transportation projects and ensure public safety, cost-effective use of funds, and timely project delivery (see H.R. 2104), H4838 [27AP]

Letters

Colleges and universities infrastructure repair and renovation projects funding: Molly Corbett Broad, American Council on Education, S1777 [6FE]

Construction industry exclusion from small business exemption from providing minimum health insurance standards to employees: several construction industry organizations, S13775 [22DE], S13814 [23DE]

Energy innovation hub funding: High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition, H8124 [15JY], E1854 [20JY]

———Representatives Carnahan and Biggert, High-Performance Buildings Caucus, H8123 [15JY], E1849 [20JY]

———Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, H8124 [15JY], E1852 [20JY]

Fair Pay Act: several business organizations, S773 [22JA]

SBA Disaster Recovery and Reform Act: Karen Gordon Mills, SBA, S11212 [5NO]

———several Senators, S11212 [5NO]

Transportation, water, and sewer system projects funding: Americans for Transportation Mobility (organization), S1381 [3FE]

———Jeffrey D. Shoaf, Associated General Contractors of America, S1381 [3FE]

Lists

High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition members, H6276 [8JN]

Remarks in House

American Council of Engineering Companies: anniversary (H. Res. 447), H9352, H9353 [9SE], E2211 [9SE], E2230 [10SE]

Brooks 1st Construction (business): anniversary, E2334 [22SE]

Business and industry: encourage public-private partnerships to create jobs, H1222-H1227 [11FE]

China: investigate effects of drywall imports on foreclosures and availability of property insurance for homes where defective drywall imports are present, H5363, H5364 [7MY]

———establish national energy and environmental building retrofit policies for both residential and commercial buildings, H7634 [26JN], H11761 [26OC], H13120-H13122 [18NO]

———establish national energy and environmental building retrofit policies for both residential and commercial buildings (H.R. 1778), H13391 [2DE]

CPSC: study contaminated drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007, H11560 [21OC]

———study drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007, H8209 [16JY]

———study drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007 (H.R. 1977), H5363 [7MY]

Davis-Bacon Act: repeal wage rate requirements, E1764 [14JY]

Dept. of Defense: allow facilities to receive financial incentives for implementing energy management policies, H7362 [25JN]

———facilities rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance funding, H639 [28JA]

Dept. of Education: promote opportunities for individuals enrolled in Job Corps to gain employment experience on construction, modernization, or repair of public educational facilities, H5515, H5516 [13MY]

———require local educational agencies receiving Federal funds for modernization, renovation, or repair of public educational facilities to use iron and steel produced in the U.S. for such projects, H5504 [13MY]

Dept. of Energy: energy innovation hub funding, H8123-H8125 [15JY]

———include agricultural and construction nonroad equipment in a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application in vehicle technologies, H9582, H9583 [16SE]

———include agricultural and construction nonroad equipment in a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application vehicle technologies program, E2327 [22SE]

Dept. of HUD: promote and enhance local building code enforcement administration by establishing a competitive matching grant program, H7663 [26JN]

———require use of green building standards in subsidized housing, H4567 [21AP]

Dept. of Transportation: conduct a program to demonstrate the use of asphalt produced with an asphalt binder made from biomass in highway construction projects (H.R. 1167), E410 [25FE]

Ecology and environment: recognize importance and sustainability of U.S. hardwoods industry and urge such products be given full consideration in programs for constructing environmentally preferable buildings (H. Res. 81), H9517, H9518 [15SE], E2323 [21SE]

Education: redirect portion of school construction spending toward deficit reduction, H9630-H9632 [16SE]

Financial institutions: encourage banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forebearance without penalty on mortgage payments (H. Con. Res. 197), H13401-H13404 [2DE], E2883 [3DE]

GSA: Federal buildings and ports of entry construction projects funding, H562 [27JA]

Heavy Construction Systems Specialists (HCSS), Inc.: inclusion in Wall Street Journal list of top small business workplaces, H11272 [13OC]

High-Performance Building Week: support goals and ideals (H. Res. 492), H6275-H6277 [8JN], H6748 [15JN]

Hoboken, NJ: Garden Street Lofts recipient of Sustainable Building Industry Council Beyond Green High Performance Buildings Award, H2984 [5MR]

Housing: require all newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and town houses meet minimum standards of visitability for the disabled (H.R. 1408), E613 [10MR]

National September 11 Memorial: call for use of domestic granite in construction, H14808 [11DE]

Native Americans: repeal the Bennett Freeze ban on construction to allow Navajo Nation citizens to live in habitable dwellings and raise their living conditions (S. 39), H4538, H4539 [21AP]

Public buildings: prohibit funding for purchase of light bulbs that do not have the Energy Star or Federal Energy Management Program designation, H6943 [17JN]

Roads and highways: protect States that have in effect laws or orders with respect to pay to play reform (H.R. 3427), H9464 [14SE], H13471 [3DE]

SBA: allow for repayment of loans to small construction companies to be deferred, H12109 [29OC]

———establish mentorship and assistance programs designed to help minority, veteran-owned, and woman-owned small businesses operate in the construction industry (H.R. 3771), H12987 [16NO]

———make low-interest disaster loans to homeowners for repair or replacement of toxic drywall installed in principal residences, H12111-H12113 [29OC]

Taxation: expand incentives for construction and renovation of public schools, H613, H631 [28JA], H1530, H1557 [13FE]

———extend increased rehabilitation credit for structures in the Gulf Opportunity Zone, H14381, H14382 [9DE]

———prohibit tax increase on real estate partnerships, H14399-H14402 [9DE]

Transportation: infrastructure funding, H496 [26JA], H1530, H1574, H1576 [13FE], H9262 [31JY], H11585 [22OC], H13008 [17NO], H13552, H13601 [8DE], H14852 [14DE], H15000 [16DE], E783, E784 [26MR]

———reduce time period for State and local governments to obligate highway, transit, rail, and aviation funds received from supplemental appropriations for economic stimulus, H711, H712, H715 [28JA]

———require public employees to perform inspection of State and local surface transportation projects and ensure public safety, cost-effective use of funds, and timely project delivery (H.R. 2104), E989 [27AP]

———State and local surface transportation projects funding, H530 [27JA]

Remarks in Senate

Buy American Act: clarify that provisions will be applied consistent with international trade agreement obligations, S1528 [4FE], S2190 [12FE]

———compliance, S1038-S1040 [29JA], S1392 [3FE], S2522 [26FE]

Colleges and universities: infrastructure repair and renovation projects funding, S1776 [6FE]

Contracts: preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects, S773, S774 [22JA]

———promote accountability and prevent fraud in Federal contracting relative to electrical work done in reconstruction efforts in Iraq, S8169 [28JY]

———promote accountability and prevent fraud in Federal contracting relative to war and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, S9115-S9117 [8SE]

CPSC: study drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007, S5794 [21MY]

———study drywall imported from China from 2004 through 2007 (S. 739), S4709 [24AP]

Davis-Bacon Act: waive prevailing wage requirements for Federal construction projects, S1393 [3FE]

Dept. of Defense: submit a report to Congress analyzing alternative designs for major military construction projects to secure nuclear weapons facilities, S11364 [16NO]

Dept. of Energy: establish the Home Energy Retrofit Finance Program (S. 1246), S6552 [11JN]

Harbor Technologies, LLC: tribute, S9837 [24SE]

Infrastructure: transportation, water, and sewer system projects funding, S1374-S1376, S1379-S1384, S1386, S1387, S1394 [3FE]

Kansas City, MO: address delays in Federal building construction, S10889 [29OC]

Native Americans: repeal the Bennett Freeze ban on construction to allow Navajo Nation citizens to live in habitable dwellings and raise their living conditions (S. 39), S55 [6JA], S3091 [12MR]

Pennsylvania: infrastructure projects funding, S887-S889 [27JA]

Recycling: require certain metal recyclers to keep records of their transactions in order to deter theft and interstate fencing of stolen metal (S. 418), S2159 [11FE]

Reed & Reed, Inc.: tribute, S10214 [7OC]

SBA: improve and extend certain disaster assistance and hurricane relief programs and provide assistance to homeowners affected by defective drywall imported from China (S. 2731), S11207-S11210 [5NO]

Taxation: improve and extend certain tax incentives for energy efficient home and commercial building construction and the residential energy efficiency industry (S. 1637), S9075 [7AU]

———increase and expand incentives for construction of energy efficient buildings, S1674, S1675 [5FE]

———provide tax incentives for making homes more water-efficient, building new water-efficient homes, and public water conservation (S. 1711), S9843 [24SE]

Reports

Copper Thefts Threaten U.S. Critical Infrastructure, S2159 [11FE]

Tables

Infrastructure spending and job creation by State, S1375 [3FE]

Texts of

H. Con. Res. 197, encourage banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forebearance without penalty on mortgage payments, H13402 [2DE]

H. Res. 81, recognize importance and sustainability of U.S. hardwoods industry and urge such products be given full consideration in programs for constructing environmentally preferable buildings, H9517 [15SE]

H. Res. 447, American Council of Engineering Companies anniversary, H9352 [9SE]

H. Res. 492, support goals and ideals of High-Performance Building Week, H6275 [8JN]

H. Res. 877, support detained human rights activists Huang Qi and Tan Zuoren relative to investigation of the role poor construction and corruption played in death of children in school collapses during Sichuan earthquake in China, H12536 [6NO]

S. 39, repeal the Bennett Freeze ban on construction to allow Navajo Nation citizens to live in habitable dwellings and raise their living conditions, S3091 [12MR], H4538 [21AP]

S. 1246, Home Energy Retrofit Finance Program Act, S6552 [11JN]

S. 1574, Clean Energy for Homes and Buildings Act, S8769-S8771 [4AU]

S. 1711, Water Efficiency and Conservation Investment Act, S9844 [24SE]

S. 2731, SBA Disaster Recovery and Reform Act, S11210-S11212 [5NO]

S. Res. 91, investigate drywall imports from China, prohibit further imports, recall hazardous drywall, seek penalties against manufacturers, and provide assistance to homeowners affected by hazardous drywall, S4006 [30MR]

S. Res. 352, encourage banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forebearance without penalty on mortgage payments, S11350, S11356 [10NO]