ARTBA for ARTBA

Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR

ARTBA urged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider several issues which would impact the transportation construction industry as they promulgate an emergency temporary standard (ETS) concerning COVID vaccinations for private employers with 100 or more employees. These issues included concerns about recordkeeping, treatment of subcontractors, impacts on the transportation construction workforce and costs associated with the ETS. ARTBA also expressed concern with Executive Order (EO) 14042, mandating vaccination for federal contractors. Specifically, ARTBA urged the inclusion of a testing option in lieu of vaccination, asked for clarity on the terms of the EO and asked that the EO be enforced consistently across all federal agencies.

Contacted: Small Business Administration (SBA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Treasury, Dept of; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); White House Office; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); SENATE; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers)

Transportation TRA

ARTBA met with members of Congress and Biden Administration officials to discuss myriad federal transportation issues, including the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program. ARTBA sent multiple letters of support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to the U.S. Senate. ARTBA thanked legislators and the Biden administration for the passage of the IIJA. ARTBA asked the Department of the Treasury to clarify that Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) may be used by state and local governments to mitigate the impacts of supply chain issues. ARTBA supported passage of S. 3011 and H.R. 5735, the "State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act" allowing COVID-19 relief funds to be used for infrastructure projects.

Contacted: Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); White House Office; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); President of the U.S.; Treasury, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Small Business Administration (SBA)

Bills named: S. 3011 (117th), H.R. 5735 (117th)

Government Issues GOV

ARTBA met with Department of Transportation officials to discuss regulatory reform priorities.

Contacted: Federal Highway Administration (FHA); SENATE; White House Office; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Treasury, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Small Business Administration (SBA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); President of the U.S.

Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV

Urged proper implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Issues of concern include the legal and regulatory limitations on the abilities of prime contractors to help grow DBE capacity as well as the disparity between the pool of certified DBE firms and those able to participate as subcontractors on federal-aid projects.

Contacted: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Small Business Administration (SBA); White House Office; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Treasury, Dept of

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

ARTBA urged inclusion of a long-term Highway Trust Fund revenue solution in any legislation with a tax-title or as a stand-alone measure. ARTBA urged Congress to lift the $15 billion cap on Private Activity Bonds(PABs) for highway construction projects.

Contacted: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Small Business Administration (SBA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); SENATE; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); White House Office; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; Treasury, Dept of

Environment/Superfund ENV

ARTBA supported the modernization of the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) and opposed the rollback of recent NEPA reforms.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Treasury, Dept of; White House Office; President of the U.S.; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Small Business Administration (SBA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); SENATE

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Urged support for the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and opposed expanding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) jurisdictional authority to include roadside ditches.

Contacted: White House Office; Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Treasury, Dept of; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); SENATE; Small Business Administration (SBA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)