Engineering Inc - March/April 2018 - 9

Infrastructure Package
Emphasizes Permit Streamlining
As part of the $1.5 trillion infrastructure package, the Trump administration has a detailed set of draft legislative principles for permit streamlining to accelerate federal reviews and approvals of projects, with the goal
of removing delays in construction startups.
The principles envision a comprehensive approach across all major
federal permitting agencies and infrastructure sectors, with emphasis
on the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act
and the National Historic Preservation Act.
The plan proposes a "one agency, one decision" approach to environmental review, greater delegation of federal authority to the states, pilot
programs to test opportunities for permitting efficiencies, and a realignment of judicial authority to accelerate review of permitting decisions
across infrastructure sectors.

ISSUES ON THE MOVE

WHAT'S NEXT

White House Infrastructure
Proposal

House, Senate committee
consideration this spring

Tax Reform Implementation

Treasury regulatory action by
summer

Contracting Out Legislation

House committee action in
March

Tax, Labor Regulatory
Actions a Priority for 2018
The Department of Labor
(DOL) is expected to release
a new proposed overtime
pay rule in 2018. A federal
judge struck down the 2016
overtime pay rule in August
2017, and ACEC submitted
comments on
a DOL request
for information
to reopen the
rulemaking
process, expressing
support for a
more moderate
increase in the
overtime pay salary
threshold. The
Council expects to
comment on the
new proposed rule
once it is issued.
In addition,
ACEC and the
ACEC Life/Health Trust
have submitted comments
on a separate DOL rule that
is designed to facilitate the
formation of association
health plans. The Council
and the Trust raised concerns
about a requirement in the
proposed rule that could make
it harder for the Trust to offer
competitive health insurance
rates to firms of all sizes.

ACEC
worked with
Congress
to ensure
that A/E
firms would
have access
to the 20
percent
deduction

FERC Proposes to Approve
Supply Chain Cyber
Security Standard; Includes
Recommended ACEC Changes

JOHN LUND / GETTY IMAGES

ollowing passage of
the Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act (H.R. 1),
the Department of
Treasury began reviewing
the law and analyzing
new provisions to begin
implementing
regulations.
In addition to
international tax
code changes,
Treasury officials
have stated
that the top
two domestic
priorities are the
new 20 percent
tax deduction
for passthrough
firms and the
limitation on
interest expense
deductibility.
ACEC worked with
Congress to ensure that A/E
firms would have access to the
20 percent deduction, and the
Council is now engaged in
discussions with Treasury to
ensure proper implementation.
The Treasury expects to release
guidance on the 20 percent
deduction later this year and
to provide an opportunity for
stakeholder comments.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has
recommended approval of supply chain cyber security
standards submitted by the North American Electric
Reliability Corp. (NERC) late last year.
ACEC was successful in getting
NERC to drop proposed contract
language that would have created
unreasonable liability for engineering
firms in the event of a breach of utility
cyber security. Original contract
language recommended by the
For weekly
Department of Energy included
legislative
prescriptive provisions that pushed
news, visit
liability down the supply chain to
ACEC's Last
vendors such as engineering firms.
Word online
The new standard incorporates
at www.
a risk-based approach that limits
acec.org.
prospective liability for A/E firms.
ACEC's Supply Chain Cyber Security
Workgroup will continue to engage in
the process.

For
More
News

MARCH / APRIL 2018

ENGINEERING INC.

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