CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES

Articles and editorials

When Debt Is a Sound Investment, H4241 [9JY]

Bills and resolutions

BLS: require determination of the prevailing wage utilized under the Davis-Bacon Act (see H.R. 448), H315 [1FE]

Contracts: assure quality and best value in Federal construction projects by prohibiting the practice known as bid shopping (see H.R. 1942), H2568 [9MY]

——— preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (see S. 109), S214 [23JA] (see H.R. 436), H300 [29JA]

——— repeal wage rate requirements applicable to laborers and mechanics employed on Federal-aid highway and public transportation construction projects (see H.R. 711), H545 [14FE]

Corps of Engineers: establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of allowing non-Federal interests to carry out certain water infrastructure projects (see S. 566), S1853 [14MR] (see H.R. 1153), H1425 [14MR]

——— provide construction and major rehabilitation funding for projects located on inland and intracoastal waterways (see S. 407), S1011 [28FE] (see H.R. 1149), H1425 [14MR]

Credit: require Federal mortgage agencies to consider energy costs in the underwriting process, reduce home energy consumption, and facilitate creation of energy efficiency retrofit and construction jobs (see S. 1106), S3987 [6JN]

Crime: prohibit and deter theft of metal (see S. 394), S943 [27FE] (see H.R. 867), H701 [27FE]

Davis-Bacon Act: raise threshold dollar amount of contracts subject to the prevailing wage requirements (see H.R. 1637), H2157 [18AP]

——— repeal wage rate requirements (see H.R. 2013), H2716 [16MY]

Dept. of Commerce: enable concrete masonry products manufacturers and importers to carry out coordinated program of research, education, and promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets (see S. 429), S1012 [28FE] (see H.R. 1563), H2025 [15AP]

Dept. of Energy: establish Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program (see H.R. 2128), H2952 [23MY]

Dept. of the Interior: provide with a mechanism to cancel certain Soledad Canyon, CA, mining contracts and allow for the sale of certain lands to compensate the contract holders (see S. 771), S2798 [18AP]

Dept. of the Treasury: authorize States to use assistance provided under the Hardest Hit Fund program to demolish blighted structures (see S. 1122), S4058 [10JN] (see H.R. 655), H500 [13FE]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: give preference to veteran-owned local contractors (see H.R. 2358), H3590 [13JN]

——— improve construction of major medical facilities (see H.R. 3593), H7353 [21NO]

Economy: create jobs and invest in communities through rehabilitation of abandoned and foreclosed residential and commercial properties (see H.R. 1397), H1825 [21MR]

Employment: create an emergency jobs program (see H.R. 1617), H2156 [18AP]

EPA: amend guidelines governing the handling of lead-based paint during remodeling or renovation activities (see S. 484), S1229 [6MR] (see H.R. 2093), H2910 [22MY]

FEMA: enhance existing programs providing disaster mitigation assistance by encouraging States to adopt and actively enforce State building codes (see S. 905), S3256 [8MY] (see S. 924), S3326 [9MY] (see H.R. 1878), H2532 [8MY]

GSA: incorporate bird-safe building materials and design features into public buildings (see H.R. 2078), H2838 [21MY]

Housing: enable Federal and State chartered banks and thrifts to meet the credit needs of homebuilders, and provide liquidity and ensure stable credit for meeting the need for new homes (see S. 1002), S3657 [21MY] (see H.R. 1255), H1630 [19MR]

——— require all newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and town houses meet minimum standards of visitability for the disabled (see H.R. 2352), H3590 [13JN]

National Safe Digging Month: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 111), S2960 [24AP]

OMB: oversee reforms to improve efficiency, management, and interagency coordination of the Federal permitting process for major capital projects (see S. 1397), S6072 [30JY]

Public works: ensure that transportation and infrastructure projects using Federal financial assistance are constructed with steel, iron, and manufactured goods produced in the U.S. (see H.R. 949), H981 [5MR]

Roads and highways: protect States that have in effect laws or orders with respect to pay-to-play reform (see S. 1146), S4405 [12JN] (see H.R. 2340), H3356 [12JN]

SBA: allow use of physical damage disaster loans for the construction of tornado safe rooms (see S. 1440), S6207 [1AU] (see H.R. 2908), H5341 [1AU]

Small business: prohibit use of reverse auctions for design and construction services procurements (see H.R. 2751), H4825 [19JY]

——— require the use of two-phase selection procedures when design-build contracts are suitable for award to small business concerns (see H.R. 2750), H4825 [19JY]

Taxation: allow a credit against tax for qualified manufacturing facility construction costs (see H.R. 616), H454 [12FE]

——— expand rehabilitation credit (see S. 1141), S4213 [11JN]

——— extend energy credit for certain property under construction (see H.R. 2502), H4038 [25JN] (see H.R. 3017), H5397 [2AU]

——— extend the nonbusiness energy property credit to include insulated siding (see H.R. 3378), H6901 [29OC]

——— make biomass fuel property and heating appliances eligible for the residential and commercial renewable energy investment tax credits (see S. 1007), S3760 [22MY]

——— protect employees in the building and construction industry who are participants in multiemployer plans (see S. 838), S3029 [25AP]

——— provide a tax credit for owning certain disaster resilient property (see H.R. 2241), H3094 [4JN]

——— provide a tax incentive for installation and maintenance of mechanical insulation property (see S. 775), S2845 [22AP] (see H.R. 184), H51 [4JA]

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. 3597), H7353 [21NO]

Remarks in House

Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement: signing and enforcement by fashion industry corporate leaders to prevent future garment industry disasters, H2407 [6MY], H2608, H2624 [15MY]

Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh: anniversary, E689 [17MY]

Building Safety Month: observance, E597 [6MY]

Contracts: assure quality and best value in Federal construction projects by prohibiting the practice known as bid shopping (H.R. 1942), E640 [9MY]

Corps of Engineers: construction account funding, H4344, H4346 [10JY]

——— construction account funding through reductions in Dept. of Energy fossil energy research and development funding, H4243 [9JY], H4325, H4326 [10JY]

——— construction account funding through reductions in Dept. of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration funding, H4347 [10JY]

——— establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of allowing non-Federal interests to carry out certain water infrastructure projects (H.R. 1153), H1416 [14MR]

——— funding, H4244, H4245 [9JY], H4515 [16JY]

——— Inland Waterways Trust Fund funding, H6711, H6712 [23OC]

——— prohibit waiver of standard local cost-share for construction projects unrelated to damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, H140 [15JA]

Dept. of Energy: establish Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program (H.R. 2128), H7267 [20NO]

Depts. of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies: prohibit funding to enforce wage rate requirements for contracts under the Davis-Bacon Act, H3080–H3083 [4JN]

Energy and water development: importance of infrastructure investment, H4240 [9JY], H4603 [18JY]

Federal agencies and departments: allow use of project labor agreements for Federal construction projects, H3026 [4JN]

Haven Building Products (business): anniversary, E1655 [14NO]

High Performing Building Week: observance, E701 [20MY]

Miller, Representative George: report on trip to Bangladesh, H3099 [5JN]

Munilla Construction Management, LLC (MCM): anniversary, E1800 [5DE]

Public works: ensure that transportation and infrastructure projects using Federal financial assistance are constructed with steel, iron, and manufactured goods produced in the U.S. (H.R. 949), H2235 [23AP], H2258 [24AP], H4540–H4542 [17JY]

Roads and highways: protect States that have in effect laws or orders with respect to pay-to-play reform (H.R. 2340), H3292 [12JN]

Taxation: allow a credit against tax for qualified manufacturing facility construction costs (H.R. 616), H6213 [3OC]

——— provide a tax incentive for installation and maintenance of mechanical insulation property (H.R. 184), E701 [20MY]

Transportation: importance of infrastructure investment, H155–H160 [15JA], H463 [13FE], H1345–H1347 [12MR], H1573, H1627 [19MR], H1642, H1707 [20MR], H2233–H2235 [23AP], H2474, H2475 [7MY], H3025, H3091–H3093 [4JN], H3257, H3275–H3277 [11JN], H4253 [9JY], H4511–H4516 [16JY], H4859, H4860 [23JY], H5179 [31JY], H5271 [1AU], H5578–H5580 [17SE], H6066 [1OC], H6345 [8OC], H6666 [22OC], H6982 [12NO], H7397, H7430–H7433 [3DE], H7457 [4DE], H7624 [10DE]

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.: alleged responsibility for deadly factory fire in Bangladesh, H7451 [4DE]

Remarks in Senate

Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement: signing and enforcement by fashion industry corporate leaders to prevent future garment industry disasters, S3563 [16MY]

Conservation of energy: ensure current and new Federal building energy performance standards allow use of domestic building materials that meet the new standards, S6370 [11SE]

Corps of Engineers: establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of allowing non-Federal interests to carry out certain water infrastructure projects, S3452 [15MY]

——— establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of allowing non-Federal interests to carry out certain water infrastructure projects (S. 566), S1857 [14MR]

——— provide construction and major rehabilitation funding for projects located on inland and intracoastal waterways, S3300 [9MY], S3424 [14MY], S3452 [15MY]

——— require iron, steel, and manufactured goods used for water resources development projects be made in the U.S., S3445, S3446 [15MY]

Credit: require Federal mortgage agencies to consider energy costs in the underwriting process, reduce home energy consumption, and facilitate creation of energy efficiency retrofit and construction jobs, S6498 [17SE]

Crime: prohibit and deter theft of metal, S6585 [18SE]

——— prohibit and deter theft of metal (S. 394), S4449 [13JN]

Dept. of Defense: Navy vessels construction funding, S8305 [20NO]

Disasters: study impact of certain resilient construction techniques in storm situations, S3144, S3145 [7MY]

EPA: amend guidelines governing the handling of lead-based paint during remodeling or renovation activities (S. 484), S1235 [6MR], S1589 [11MR]

——— authorize WaterSense Program labeling system for water-efficient appliances, plumbing fixtures, landscaping, and new homes and establish Blue Ban grant program for water and sewer utilities, S6422 [12SE]

National Safe Digging Month: support goals and ideals (S. Res. 111), S2979 [24AP]

SBA: allow use of physical damage disaster loans for the construction of tornado safe rooms (S. 1440), S6220 [1AU]

Taxation: make biomass fuel property and heating appliances eligible for the residential and commercial renewable energy investment tax credits (S. 1007), S3763 [22MY]

Waterways: water infrastructure projects funding, S3423 [14MY]

Western Research Institute: tribute to Petersen Asphalt Research Conference, S5491 [27JN]

Reports filed

Metal Theft Prevention Act: Committee on the Judiciary (Senate) (S. 394), S4521 [17JN]

Texts of

S. 484, amend EPA guidelines governing the handling of lead-based paint during remodeling or renovation activities, S1236 [6MR]

S. 566, Water Infrastructure Now Public-Private Partnership (WIN P3) Act, S1858 [14MR]

S. 1440, Tornado Family Safety Act, S6221 [1AU]

S. Res. 111, support goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month, S2965 [24AP]