CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES

Amendments

Contracts: prohibit use of reverse auctions for design and construction services procurements (S. 1434), S7218, S7229 [19DE]

Bills and resolutions

Building Safety Month: support goals and ideals (see H. Res. 352), H3440 [2MY]

Coastal zones: improve resilience of built and natural environment to natural disasters and climate change using, among other measures, natural and nature-based features (see H.R. 1317), H2046 [22FE]

Commission of Fine Arts: prohibit exercising of authority over non-Federal property in the District of Columbia (see H.R. 3365), H4917 [19JN]

Contracts: preserve open competition and neutrality toward labor relations of Federal contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (see S. 907), S2043 [27MR] (see H.R. 1858), H2795 [25MR]

——— prohibit use of reverse auctions for design and construction services procurements (see S. 1434), S2787 [13MY]

——— require prime contractors under Federal construction contracts to notify the Government of changes in certain subcontractors performing work under the contract (see H.R. 5247), H9169 [21NO]

Davis-Bacon Act: repeal wage rate requirements (see S. 2630), S5895 [17OC] (see H.R. 1319), H2046 [22FE]

Dept. of Education: provide for long-term improvement of public school facilities (see S. 266), S742 [29JA] (see H.R. 865), H1332 [30JA]

——— provide grants to State educational agencies for modernization, renovation, or repair of public school facilities (see H.R. 1457), H2313 [28FE]

——— provide temporary Impact Aid Program construction grants to eligible local educational agencies (see H.R. 3647), H5302 [9JY]

Dept. of Energy: establish Federal Smart Building Program (see S. 2335), S5196 [30JY] (see H.R. 2044), H3066 [3AP]

——— establish Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program (see H.R. 2043), H3066 [3AP]

Dept. of HHS: establish Administration on Aging initiative to coordinate efforts and programs for home modification enabling older individuals and the disabled to live independently and safely in a home environment (see S. 702), S1733 [7MR] (see H.R. 1583), H2581 [7MR]

Dept. of Homeland Security: require use of American made iron and steel products in southern border wall construction (see H.R. 1543), H2367 [5MR]

Dept. of HUD: establish a grant program to provide assistance to States to prevent and repair damage to residential structures with crumbling foundations due to pyrrhotite (see S. 356), S919 [6FE]

——— establish grant programs for public housing authorities to rehabilitate, upgrade, and transition public housing into zero-carbon homes and provide economic opportunities for public housing residents (see S. 2876), S6605 [14NO] (see H.R. 5185), H9057 [19NO]

——— facilitate development of affordable housing (see S. 2951), S6756 [21NO] (see H.R. 5187), H9120 [20NO]

——— make housing more affordable (see S. 787), S1845 [13MR] (see H.R. 1737), H2716 [13MR]

Dept. of Labor: support development of pre-apprenticeship programs in building and construction trades that serve underrepresented populations, including individuals from low-income and rural areas (see H.R. 399), H358 [9JA]

Dept. of State: improve design and construction of diplomatic posts (see H.R. 193), H208 [3JA]

Dept. of Transportation: assess the total amount of nonhighway recreational fuel taxes received by Dept. of the Treasury and transferred to the Highway Trust Fund (see S. 1527), S2924 [16MY]

——— authorize funds for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs, expedite environmental reviews for projects, improve resiliency, and reduce carbon emissions (see S. 2302), S5141 [29JY]

——— establish a national intersection and interchange safety construction program (see H.R. 529), H543 [14JA]

——— establish additional requirements for certain transportation projects with estimated costs of 2.5 billion dollars or more (see H.R. 5508), H12289 [19DE]

——— extend regulatory deadline for emergency relief transportation projects to advance to construction (see H.R. 3193), H4431 [11JN]

——— repeal wage rate requirements applicable to laborers and mechanics employed on Federal-aid highway and public transportation construction projects (see H.R. 3904), H7240 [23JY]

——— require States to conduct life-cycle cost analyses for certain infrastructure projects (see H.R. 1890), H2827 [26MR]

——— study regulatory and legislative improvements necessary to preserve access to aggregates used in construction projects and reduce costs and environmental impacts of infrastructure projects (see H.R. 5117), H8908 [15NO]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: encourage use of design-build construction method for construction projects (see H.R. 3996), H7463 [25JY]

Employment: expand qualified use of 529 education savings plans, establish highway construction workforce development grants, encourage military spouse professional development, and expand goals of SBA 504 loan program (see S. 2620), S5895 [17OC]

Endangered Species Act: encourage construction of critical infrastructure (see H.R. 5445), H10608 [17DE]

FEMA: establish a grant program to provide assistance to States to prevent and repair damage to small business, condominium association, and residential structures with crumbling foundations due to pyrrhotite (see S. 355), S919 [6FE]

GAO: study Corps of Engineers contracting practices with a focus on compliance with and enforcement of requirement to pay prevailing wages on federally financed construction jobs (see H.R. 2122), H3128 [8AP]

GSA: incorporate bird-safe building materials and design features into public buildings (see H.R. 919), H1335 [30JA]

Housing: require all newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and town houses meet minimum standards of visitability for the disabled (see S. 2291), S5107 [25JY] (see H.R. 4064), H7466 [25JY]

Infrastructure: encourage research and use of innovative materials and associated techniques in construction and preservation of domestic transportation and water infrastructure system (see S. 403), S1132 [7FE] (see H.R. 1159), H1580 [13FE]

——— ensure any infrastructure plan provides for job creation, public investment, clean energy jobs, fair hiring and wage standards, and protection of Federal aid programs, the environment, and civil rights (see H. Con. Res. 36), H3283 [25AP]

——— establish an expansive infrastructure program to create local jobs and raise quality of life, launch middle class career pathways in infrastructure, and invest in high quality jobs (see S. 2404), S5249 [31JY] (see H.R. 4101), H7479 [30JY]

——— improve through investment in broadband, water systems, clean energy, brownfield redevelopment, and health care projects (see H.R. 2741), H3840 [15MY]

——— waive certain procurement provisions for a project that receives funds from certain Federal agencies (see H.R. 4687), H8197 [16OC]

National Safe Digging Month: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 136), S2189 [2AP]

NIST: facilitate adoption of composite technology in infrastructure (see S. 384), S1132 [7FE]

——— implement certain recommendations relative to overcoming barriers to adoption of composites in sustainable infrastructure (see H.R. 2393), H3303 [29AP]

Northern Mariana Islands: temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery (see H.R. 4479), H7901 [24SE]

Public works: ensure that certain materials used in carrying out Federal infrastructure aid programs are made in the U.S. (see S. 1955), S4504 [25JN] (see S. 2056), S4698 [8JY] (see H.R. 3459), H5165 [25JN]

SBA: provide interim partial payment to small business contractors that request an equitable adjustment due to a change in the terms of a Federal construction contract (see S. 2853), S6567 [13NO] (see H.R. 2344), H3275 [18AP]

Taxation: establish a credit for construction of new all-electric homes (see S. 1197), S2434 [11AP]

——— exclude from gross income amounts received from State-based catastrophe loss mitigation programs (see H.R. 5494), H12289 [19DE]

——— exclude from gross income amounts received from State-based earthquake loss mitigation programs (see S. 1058), S2294 [8AP] (see H.R. 2053), H3067 [3AP]

——— expand credit for expenditures to provide access to disabled individuals (see S. 2290), S5107 [25JY] (see H.R. 4045), H7466 [25JY]

——— expand new energy efficient home credit, extend energy efficient commercial buildings deduction, and eliminate basis reduction for low-income housing properties receiving certain energy benefits (see H.R. 4317), H7705 [12SE]

——— extend and update new energy efficient home credit (see S. 2595), S5793 [15OC] (see H.R. 4646), H8110 [11OC]

——— extend energy efficient commercial buildings deduction (see H.R. 3051), H4180 [30MY]

——— modify energy efficient commercial buildings deduction (see H.R. 5160), H9056 [19NO]

——— modify rehabilitation credit for certain small projects, eliminate requirement that the taxpayer’s basis in a building be reduced by the amount of rehabilitation credit determined relative to such building (see H.R. 2825), H3962 [17MY]

——— protect employees in the building and construction industry who are participants in multiemployer plans (see S. 2276), S5107 [25JY] (see H.R. 4043), H7465 [25JY]

——— provide a credit against tax for disaster mitigation expenditures (see S. 1958), S4504 [25JN] (see H.R. 3462), H5165 [25JN]

——— provide a credit for labor costs of installing mechanical insulation property (see H.R. 5166), H9056 [19NO]

——— provide a tax incentive for installation and maintenance of mechanical insulation property (see H.R. 1987), H2917 [28MR]

——— restore incentives for investments in qualified improvement property (see S. 803), S1898 [14MR] (see H.R. 1869), H2826 [26MR]

Transcontinental Railroad: recognize Chinese railroad workers for contributions to construction, honor those who lost their lives during construction, and acknowledge risks faced while enduring discrimination (see H. Res. 165), H2315 [28FE]

Transportation: require construction inspection functions be conducted by public employees (see H.R. 1099), H1461 [7FE]

Letters

Allow non-registered industry-recognized apprenticeship programs to be eligible for Dept. of Labor grant funding: Jimmy Christianson, Associated General Contractors of America, H4572 [12JN]

——— Megan Evans, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, H4573 [12JN]

——— several organizations, H4573 [12JN]

America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act: American Council of Engineering Companies of North Dakota, S5234 [31JY]

——— Bernie L. Dardis, West Fargo, ND, Board of City Commissioners, S5234 [31JY]

——— Brenda E. Derrig, Fargo, ND, City Engineer, S5233 [31JY]

——— Brian Ritter, Bismarck-Mandan, ND, Chamber of Commerce, S5235 [31JY]

——— Dave Carlsrud, Mayor of Valley City, ND, S5234 [31JY]

——— Fargo-Moorhead, ND, Metropolitan Council of Governments, S5233 [31JY]

——— Michael R. Brown, Mayor of Grand Forks, ND, S5234 [31JY]

——— Russ Hanson, Associated General Contractors of North Dakota, S5233 [31JY]

——— Thomas K. Sorel and Doug Burgum, North Dakota Dept. of Transportation, S5233 [31JY]

Disaster relief to Puerto Rico for those affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria: Senators Leahy and Schumer, S2018 [27MR]

Memorandums

America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act: Jason Benson, Cass County, ND, Engineer, S5234 [31JY]

Remarks in House

Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston, TX: anniversary, E461 [12AP]

Building Safety Month: observance, E631 [20MY], E673 [24MY]

Commission of Fine Arts: prohibit exercising of authority over non-Federal property in the District of Columbia (H.R. 3365), E796 [19JN]

Dept. of Defense: military emergency responder facility construction projects funding, H5011, H5012 [21JN]

——— prohibit funding for any building project that does not conform to military installation resilience standards, H5019 [21JN]

Dept. of Education: provide for long-term improvement of public school facilities (H.R. 865), H8608 [30OC]

Dept. of HUD: establish grant programs for public housing authorities to rehabilitate, upgrade, and transition public housing into zero-carbon homes and provide economic opportunities for public housing residents (H.R. 5185), H9284 [5DE]

——— make housing more affordable (H.R. 1737), H7382 [25JY]

——— make housing more affordable (S. 787), H9286 [5DE]

Dept. of Labor: allow non-registered industry-recognized apprenticeship programs to be eligible for grant funding, H4571–H4573 [12JN]

Dept. of Transportation: extend regulatory deadline for emergency relief transportation projects to advance to construction (H.R. 3193), E743 [11JN]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: encourage use of design-build construction method for construction projects (H.R. 3996), H8760, H8761 [12NO]

——— expedite construction of previously authorized medical clinic in Bakersfield, CA, H5013 [21JN]

Enbridge Inc.: address delays in Line 3 Replacement Project, H2007 [14FE], E179 [14FE]

GAO: investigate Corp of Engineers contracting practices relative to enforcement of payment of prevailing wages at Federal construction projects, H5691 [11JY], E913 [12JY]

Immigration: establish Guest Worker Program for agriculture, hospitality, and construction workers, H7824–H7826 [19SE]

LeChase Construction Services, LLC: anniversary, E991 [25JY]

McCownGordon Construction, LLC: anniversary, E1432 [13NO]

Motor vehicles: call for drivers to stay alert and reduce speed to protect first responders and others required to work on the side of the road, H2837 [27MR]

NIST: pyrrhotite in concrete aggregate research funding, H4885 [19JN], E860 [27JN]

Northeastern Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council: anniversary, E1213 [26SE]

OSHA: prohibit funding to finalize or implement proposed rule to weaken health protections in existing beryllium standards for construction and maritime workers, H4540 [12JN]

Public works: ensure that certain materials used in carrying out Federal infrastructure aid programs are made in the U.S. (H.R. 3459), H7228 [23JY]

Taxation: restore incentives for investments in qualified improvement property (H.R. 1869), H9071 [20NO], H10311 [17DE]

Transcontinental Railroad: recognize Chinese railroad workers for contributions to construction, honor those who lost their lives during construction, and acknowledge risks faced while enduring discrimination (H. Res. 165), E575 [10MY]

Wood: accelerate use of wood in buildings, especially tall wood buildings, H8528 [28OC]

Remarks in Senate

Brunow Contracting, LLC: tribute, S2768 [9MY]

Carroll Bradford, Inc.: tribute, S794 [31JA]

Contracts: prohibit use of reverse auctions for design and construction services procurements (S. 1434), S7229 [19DE]

Dept. of Defense: oppose deferment of military construction funding for national emergency to obtain funding for construction of a continuous wall or fence along southern U.S. border, S1678–S1680 [6MR]

Dept. of Education: provide for long-term improvement of public school facilities (S. 266), S743 [29JA]

Dept. of Transportation: authorize funds for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs, expedite environmental reviews for projects, improve resiliency, and reduce carbon emissions (S. 2302), S5135, S5143–S5146 [29JY], S5172, S5173 [30JY], S5209, S5211, S5232 [31JY], S6934 [10DE]

Green Bay, WI: anniversary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 158, S5099 [25JY]

National Safe Digging Month: support goals and ideals (S. Res. 136), S2455 [11AP]

Taxation: restore incentives for investments in qualified improvement property, S6461 [7NO], S7186, S7187 [19DE]

Reports filed

America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act: Committee on Environment and Public Works (Senate) (S. 2302), S5310 [1AU]

Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Senate) (S. 1434) (S. Rept. 116–100), S5407 [10SE]

NIST Adoption of Composite Technology in Infrastructure Facilitation: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 384) (S. Rept. 116–128), S5747 [26SE]

Smart Building Acceleration Act: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Senate) (S. 2335) (S. Rept. 116–151), S6155 [24OC]

Texts of

H.R. 3996, VA Design-Build Construction Enhancement Act, H8760 [12NO]

S. 1434, Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act, S7229 [19DE]

S. Res. 136, support goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month, S2193 [2AP]