This week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) passed their fiscal year 2016 funding bill. The bill includes funding for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies.
This week, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing that looked at the role of federal regulations as it pertains to Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety, including Hours of Service regulations. 51风流 submitted a statement outlining our transportation reauthorization priorities on issues affecting the construction industry under the jurisdiction of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In just five weeks, on May 31, highway and transit program authorization ends. Even with an extension of authorization, additional revenue is needed in the HTF by mid-summer or the Department of Transportation (DOT) will have to implement 鈥渃ash management鈥 practices which will result in slow or reduced reimbursements to states for on-going construction projects. Several states have cancelled contract lettings or reduced the number of projects in the lettings because of this uncertainty. Additionally, feedback from speakers and Hill visits at last week鈥檚 Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In indicate that it is unlikely that Congress will be able to pass legislation before the deadline and yet another short-term extension will be necessary 鈥 the thirteenth short-term extension in the past five years.
Over 500 contractors, material suppliers, equipment distributors and manufacturers, and other construction industry businesses participated in the 2015 Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Legislative Fly-In, held this week in Washington, D.C. The groups heard from House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wisc.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx about the prospects for passage of a long-term transportation reauthorization bill and a fix for the Highway Trust Fund. TCC members then spent a day visiting with their Congressional delegations pointing out that the uncertainty of not having a long-term reauthorization bill in place has caused states to reduce lettings going into the construction season and undermines contractor hiring and training of new employees and making investments in equipment. 51风流鈥檚 Highway and Transportation Division Chair Tom Foss participated in a press conference with Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and ranking Democrat Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called to highlight the need for Congress to act.
As the House and Senate begin discussions on how to deal with the May 31 expiration of the current transportation authorization, two bipartisan bills are emerging that seek to end the cycle of short-term bailouts of the Highway Trust Fund and set a path for a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Monday, April 6 鈥 the day comments were due on its proposed local hire pilot program 鈥 to extend the comment period an additional 30 days through May 6, 2015.
With the May 31 deadline for MAP-21 highway and transit authorization fast approaching, now is the time for Congress to act. Join your construction peers at the Transportation Construction Coalition鈥檚 (TCC) 2015 Legislative Fly-In and make your voice heard. The meeting is scheduled for April 14-15 at the Capitol Hill Hyatt Regency located conveniently to Congressional offices to facilitate your visits. The hotel is now sold out, but several options are still available.
This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation transmitted to Congress the 2015 version of the GROW AMERICA Act 鈥 their surface transportation reauthorization proposal. The bill is very similar to the one that was sent to Congress last year, with the major exception being the length and levels of funding.
On March 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) established a pilot program that will allow state and local governments to use local geographic hiring preferences on their federal-aid highway and federal transit assisted contracts. The pilot program is effective immediately and will last one year. DOT also issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to make these changes permanent by altering existing Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations. Read the pilot program proposal here and the Notice of Proposed Rule Making here.
Take Part in the Hardhats for Highways Ten-Week Grassroots Blitz