President Trump is expected to sign into law criminal justice reforms in the FIRST STEP Act before the holidays. This legislation includes numerous policy changes with the goal to reduce recidivism and help ex-offenders lead productive lives after leaving the criminal justice system. Among those provisions that AGC supported are the employment and job training opportunities for
There were a wide range of state and local ballot initiatives decided on Nov. 6 that have ramification for your construction business and market. Click the “read more” option below to find brief overviews of how initiatives regarding the outcomes of transportation and legalized marijuana ballot initiatives across the nation. Transportation According to the Eno
In five days, general and specialty contractors, service providers, and suppliers have a unique opportunity to shape our future by helping to elect 35 US senators, 435 US representatives, 36 governors, and many statewide and local officials. The construction industry and the millions of workers it employs have much at stake in this election. It
On October 17, 2018, the Trump Administration unveiled its Fall 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions mapping out federal agencies’ priorities for the coming months. This bi-annual publication informs the public of regulatory or de-regulatory actions under consideration or planned by federal agencies. The present agenda includes several submissions with implications for construction contractors, included
On Oct. 9, AGC joined industry allies in urging Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin to have the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issue interim guidance to correct a drafting error from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that accidentally changed the depreciation period for certain commercial real estate improvements to 39 years, instead of 15 years—or
On Sept. 17, the U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan bill targeting policy changes to help reverse the current opioid crisis. AGC-supported changes in the bill, which include increasing the number of mental health and substance abuse professionals, providing job training and treatment services to individuals with substance use disorders, and providing support for recovering individuals to
On Sept. 13, the House passed an AGC-supported water resources development bill that helps the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintain much of our nation’s water resources infrastructure. The Senate is expected to approve the bill in the coming days. While not a funding bill, this legislation allows Congress to eventually approve billions of dollars in funding for
Eighty percent of construction firms report they are having a hard time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released today by Autodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials said shortages pose a significant risk to future economic growth. AGC
Urge Congress to Take Action on Infrastructure House Transportation and infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) released a Republican “discussion draft” for addressing the nation’s infrastructure needs and, in particular, fixing the long term health of the Highway Trust Fund. Some of the ideas have come from existing proposals from the administration’s infrastructure plan as well as
AGC Participates in White House Event to Sign Job Training Pledge On July 19, the President signed an Executive Order that establishes the President’s National Council for the America Worker. The council will help develop a national strategy for job training programs with guidance from an advisory board of private sector and government representatives to
