ARTBA for ARTBA

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: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Small Business Administration (SBA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

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: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); SENATE

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

ARTBA opposed S. 3609/H.R. 6787, the "Gas Prices Relief Act."

Contacted: SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: H.R. 6787 (117th), S. 3609 (117th)

Transportation TRA

ARTBA outlined our priorities for implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). ARTBA recommended nominees for an IIJA working group tasked with conducting a study on access to covered resources for infrastructure projects. ARTBA urged the Office of Management and Budget to solicit public input before issuing guidance related to the Buy America provisions in the IIJA.

Contacted: Transportation, Dept of (DOT); SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; President of the U.S.; White House Office; Treasury, Dept of

Government Issues GOV

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

Contacted: SENATE; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Highway Administration (FHA)

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 opposed Executive Order (EO) 14063, which requires project labor agreements (PLA) on federal construction contracts exceeding $35 million. ARTBA supported S. 403/H.R. 1284, the "Fair and Open Competition Act" which would prevent federal agencies from requiring PLAs. ATRBA asked U.S. DOT to include transportation construction workers under its definition of "vulnerable road users" for purposes of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Contacted: Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE

Bills named: H.R. 1284 (117th), S. 403 (117th)

Environment/Superfund ENV

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

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

ARTBA urged Congress to pass the FY 2022 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill. ARTBA supported the addition of S. 3011/H.R. 5735 to the FY 2022 omnibus appropriations bill. The legislation would provides states and localities the flexibility to use COVID relief funds for infrastructure projects. ARTBA asked the Department of Treasury to clarify that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds may be used to mitigate the impact of supply chain delays and shortages. ARTBA urged House and Senate appropriators to retain language ensuring "local hire" requirements for transportation projects do not lead to detrimental impacts on competition, price or safety.

Contacted: SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Treasury, Dept of

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