Engineering Inc. - May/June 2015 - (Page 4)

Legislative Action C ongress is expected to pass a short-term extension of federal highway and transit programs under MAP-21 in advance of a May 31 deadline, although the length of the extension has not yet been settled. In visits with lawmakers during the recent Annual Convention, ACEC member firm leaders pushed for a long-term solution on transportation funding. Council members emphasized that the current series of shortterm patches is irresponsible because continued uncertainty is forcing states to cancel or postpone projects. By contrast, sustainable long-term investment would foster economic growth by addressing safety, congestion and repair needs before they worsen. ACEC has identified a wide range of solutions for addressing the revenue shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund. The Trust Fund is projected to be solvent into late July or early August. One option under consideration in Congress is a shorter extension without the need to transfer money from the General Fund. A longer extension to the end of the fiscal year or the end of the calendar year would require another infusion to the Trust Fund. ACEC has made clear that any extension should be undertaken with a view toward enacting a long-term bill. The extension should include "an explicit timeline detailing when the tax committees and the full Congress will act to generate the revenues needed to stabilize and grow highway and transit investment," ACEC and other stakeholders in the Transportation Construction Coalition wrote in a letter to congressional leaders. "The simple fact is Congress has had nearly 10 months and all the necessary information to finalize a long-term solution to the Highway Trust Fund and yet we are right back to the same scenario, with the same rhetoric, and, potentially, the same 'solution' as took place last July." ACEC Seeks Expanded Flexibility for Unmanned Aircraft Operations I n comments filed with the Federal Aviation Administration regarding proposed rules involving unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), ACEC highlighted the industry's eagerness to use UAS in a variety of engineering, surveying, inspection and related tasks. ACEC also expressed concern with two proposed restrictions. The requirement for line-of-sight operation and the prohibition against operating above people on the ground would severely limit the potential for engineering and constructionrelated applications, including bridge inspections and construction-site monitoring. The Council asked for greater flexibility and discretion for UAS operators to assess potential risks to people and property on the ground. The Council urged the agency to finalize its regulatory framework as soon as possible to establish a common set of operational standards that will hasten the use of new technologies and commercial applications. Congress has set a September 2015 deadline for the FAA to establish UAS rules and standards, but most experts expect the final rule to be delayed. Design-Build Reform Moves Forward 4 ENGINEERING INC. MAY / JUNE 2015 BILL CLARK/GETTY IMAGES R ep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) has introduced H.R. 1666, the DesignBuild Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2015. The ACEC-backed bill seeks to limit the number of finalists in a two-phase designbuild to five, while also limiting the overall use of one-step design-build in both military and civilian construction. ACEC has worked with a coalition of organizations in developing the legislation, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) including the Associated General Contractors and the American Institute of Archi- tects. The measure seeks to address concerns over the high cost of design-build competitions. At present, contracting officers have the authority to increase the number of finalists beyond the industry standard of five, which leads to a decreased likelihood of winning the work in civil projects. By restoring the short list to five firms, the bill ensures that the competitions focus on the strongest teams, while saving money for both the agency and firms involved. The measure also limits the use of single-step design-build to small projects. ACEC members actively lobbied for the bill during the recent Annual Convention, and were successful in gaining new co-sponsors for H.R.1666. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is expected to introduce companion legislation in the Senate. DOXIEONE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES Extending MAP-21-Short or Long Term

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - May/June 2015

Engineering Inc. - May/june 2015
Contents
From ACEC to You
Legislative Action
Market Watch
2015 Convention Wrap-Up
2015 Engineering Excellence Awards
Now You’re Connecting
Putting Minority Students on Engineering Track
ACEC/PAC Honor Roll
Guest Column
Business Insights
Members in the News
Mergers and Acquisitions

Engineering Inc. - May/June 2015