Engineering Inc - January/February 2012 - (Page 6)

Legislative Action House, Senate Poised to Act on Multiyear Surface Transportation Bills T MARk WilSON/GETTy iMAGES he House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to unveil a five-year surface transportation bill that maintains current funding and significantly reforms project delivery and environmental review laws. Speaker of the House John Boehner has stated his intention to move the bill through the House in early 2012. ACEC has been working closely with Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) and his staff on the bill. It is expected to reflect many Council-supported policies, including an emphasis on utilizing private-sector engineering services, as well as program consolidation for increased state flexibility, expanded private sector participation in project financing and delivery, and additional tolling for new capacity projects. Entitled the “American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act,” the House bill will expand domestic oil and gas production and use the anticipated revenues to help finance the transportation funding levels in the bill. In the Senate, the Environment and Public Works Committee has unanimously approved the highway portions of a surface transportation bill that also focuses on program consolidation and project delivery reforms and expands the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act program to $1 billion per year to leverage more state and private financing for projects. The Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee has passed the highway safety and freight pieces of the legislation. Once the committees responsible for House Speaker John Boehner intends transit programs to move a transportation bill through and financing act, the House in early 2012. the stage will also be set for Senate action in early 2012. The Senate version of the bill totals $109 billion over two years, consistent with current funding plus inflation, including $85.3 billion for highway programs. President Signs 3 B ringing to an end a fiveand-a-half-year fight by ACEC and other organizations, President Obama took the final step in the long effort to repeal the 3 percent withholding mandate, signing H.R. 674 into law in November 2011. Repeal of the 3 percent withholding mandate has been a priority for ACEC since it was enacted in 2006. The Council was the lead lobbying group for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s broad-based repeal coalition of more than 100 business and industry organizations. At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce victory reception for 3 percent repeal, from the left: Giovanni Coratolo, U.S. Chamber vice president of small business policy; ACEC President Dave Raymond; Bruce Josten, U.S. Chamber executive vice president of government affairs; and Katharine Mottley, ACEC director of tax and regulatory affairs. ACEC was singled out at the celebration for its leadership in achieving the major legislative win for business. T Transportation Funding Set for 2012 for capital investment grants—a $360 million increase above current levels. Airport improvement project funding was reduced $165 million to a total of $3.35 billion. Amtrak received $1.45 billion, including $952 million for capital expenses. No funding was provided for high-speed intercity passenger rail. Having successfully avoided major funding cuts, ACEC and its coalition partners are now lobbying aggressively for multiyear transportation and aviation authorization bills that would increase funding for those programs. he House and Senate finalized the annual appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Transportation (H.R. 2112), and the president has signed it into law. The bill capped highway funding at $39.14 billion, a $2 billion reduction from 2011 formula funding, but significantly higher than the $27 billion included in an earlier House version. The bill also added $1.66 billion in emergency highway relief. Transit funding totaled $10.6 billion, including $8.36 billion for buses and bus facilities and $1.955 billion 6 ENGINEERING INC. JaNuaRy / FEbRuaRy 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc - January/February 2012

Engineering Inc. - January/February 2012
Contents
From ACEC to You
News and Notes
Legislative Action
A Capitol Investment
A Brighter Light
Professional Liability Insurance Survey of Carriers
2012 Annual Convention Preview
Business Insights
Risk Management
Members in the News
Mergers and Acquisitions

Engineering Inc - January/February 2012