Engineering Inc. - November/December 2004 - 9

Water Infrastructure and Superfund Funding t h r o u g h trade associations
to purchase Boosted; WRDA Pending health insurance through a provider, or
self- ACEC and its industry allies made progress in protecting funding for
insure. wastewater treatment and construction projects when the Senate The
advantage of an AHP to ACEC Appropriations Committee increased funding for
the F.Y. 2005 Clean member firms is lower cost due to a national Water
State Revolving Loan Fund CWSRF by $500 million to set of standards rather
than different stan- dards for individual states that have to be $1.35
billion, slightly higher than last year's appropriated level. followed,
said Derrell Johnson, president of This boost was critical, as both the
administration-requested and ACEC's Life/Health Trust. In addition, a the
House version of the VA-HUD appropriations bill called for only Senator
Robert Byrd national standard would provide us with the $850 million in
2005. D-W.Va. same footing as large firms and labor unions The SRF program
is already underfunded, said ACEC Chairman in regard to our ability to
offer coverage. Bill Howard. It is critical that we at least maintain
current funding The Bush administration has strongly endorsed AHP
legislation levels in the SRF appropriations while we fight for increases
through and has encouraged its passage while on the campaign trail as a
viable other means. method for controlling skyrocketing insurance costs.
The legislation ACEC joined coalition partners in an aggressive campaign
to con- also has received strong bipartisan support in the House, but the
Sen- vince Senate appropriators that the CWSRF funding should be pro- ate
has been reticent and it is unlikely to move the legislation forward
tected. There are indications that the VA-HUD appropriations bill during
the remainder of this year. However, the fact that the bill will be
packaged with other spending measures in an omnibus appro- recently
received its first Democratic co-sponsor, Senator Robert Byrd priations
bill in November. D-W.Va. , is a positive sign that the Senate may move
the legislation The Council also is pushing Congress to finalize work on
the Water forward in the 109th Congress. Resources Development Act WRDA .
WRDA, which authorizes funding for the Army Corps of Engineers flood
control, navigation House Effort to Curb Junk Lawsuits and environmental
restoration projects, has passed both the House Opens Potential for Tort
Reform H.R. 2557 and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public The
House has passed legislation that seeks to curb so-called junk Works S.
2773 , but still awaits further action. lawsuits in a move that could set
the stage for substantial progress on The House bill authorizes $4.6
billion for Corps water projects, tort reform a key ACEC legislative
initiative when the new Con- while the Senate version provides for $8
billion and includes several gress convenes next January. large-scale
projects not included in H.R. 2557, including navigation The Lawsuit Abuse
Reduction Act H.R. 4571 would establish and ecosystem restoration for the
upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers, mandator y sanctions for filing
frivolous lawsuits in violation of and restoration of the Louisiana coast
and the Everglades. Other than Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure. funding levels, conferees will need to address differences in
Corps The Act would abolish Rule 11's current reform environmental
measures, including independent peer review free pass that allows lawyers
to avoid of projects and the establishment of a Corps of Engineers River
Stew- sanctions by simply withdrawing frivolous ardship Commission charged
with investigating the Corps planning claims within 21 days after a motion
for and river management operations. sanctions has been filed.
Additionally, a Census Report Underscores Need for Three Strikes and
You're Out provision ACEC-Backed Health Care Legislation mandates a
one-year suspension of a law Adding credence to the need for affordable
health care options for Amer- license to practice in federal court after a
ica's small businesses, the U.S. Census Bureau recently released statistics
lawyer has filed three or more frivolous House Majority Whip confirming an
increase in the ranks of uninsured across the country. lawsuits in the
same federal court. Roy Blunt R-Mo. The Census Bureau disclosed that 45
million Americans do not There are too many frivolous lawsuits have health
insurance. Of additional concern is the fact that the num- in America, said
House Majority Whip ber of businesses offering health insurance to
employees also is shrink- Roy Blunt R-Mo . Skyrocketing liability costs
are shutting down ing. According to the Census Bureau, the proportion of
people receiv- small businesses and putting workers out of jobs. Lawsuit
abuse also ing health insurance through an employer fell to 60.4 percent,
the drives up prices for consumers. lowest level in a decade. ACEC, which
is supportive of this legislation, is urging Congress ACEC and its
industry allies continue to advocate Association to pursue a broader tort
reform FOR MORE NEWS Health Plan AHP legislation that, if enacted, would
go a long way a g e n d a that includes Good toward reducing insurance
premiums for companies and expand the Samaritan protection, reasonable For
weekly legislative news, availability of coverage to the uninsured. The
legislation, titled the caps on liability and reforms to visit ACEC's Last
Word online Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004, would create more
joint and several liability. at www.acec.org. opportunities for small
businesses to pool together across state lines 9 N o v e m b e r l
December 2004 ENGINEERING INC.
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2004

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