Engineering Inc. - March/April 2005 - (Page 9)
This proposal also retained a cap of $7 million in annual gross receives
based on its contributions to the highway trust fund , which receipts.
ACEC objected to the proposed standard, arguing that two would increase
from the current 90.5 percent to 92 percent. separate size tests employees
and gross receipts were not necessary While the chairman of the Senate
Environment and Public Works and would be burdensome for engineering
firms. Committee, Senator Jim Inhofe R-Okla. , has not, at press time, The
Council also cited flaws in SBA's proposed employee count, introduced his
own reauthorization measure, he continues to advo- which would consider
full- and part-time employees and interns cate a higher funding level for
the next transportation program. In a equally. In light of these concerns,
SBA withdrew the proposed stan- letter to the president prior to his budget
submission, Inhofe was dard and committed to work with the Council in
formulating a new joined by 23 Republican members of the committee
supporting a proposal. funding level of $318 billion over six years. Since
then, he has pub- SBA plans to hold a series of stakeholder meetings prior
to licly said that the final package likely will be closer to $299 billion
deciding its next course of action, and has invited comments by with $284
billion in guaranteed spending , adding: I am going to April 3. do what I
can to get more [funding]. ACEC has established a task force of small,
medium and large ACEC Responds to USDOT Inspector firm principals to
address the size standard issue. The task force will General Audits
respond to SBA's notice and continue to assist SBA as it moves toward a
new proposed rule. ACEC has convened special task forces to review two
pending U.S. Department of Transportation DOT Inspector General audits on
ACEC Urges Quick Action on AHP Legislation errors/omissions policies and
cost recovery procedures in selected states and executive compensation.
ACEC and coalition allies are pushing House leaders to move legisla- The
purpose of the audit on cost recovery procedures is to 1 tion early in the
new session to make it easier for engineering firms review state DOT and
Federal Highway Administration FHWA and other businesses to access
affordable procedures for handling and recovering costs from errors and
omis- h e a l t h insurance through Association sions; 2 determine how
much funding has been recovered by state Health Plans AHPs . DOTs from
errors and omissions; and 3 determine how much fed- In a letter from the
Association Health eral funding has been returned to FHWA. The Inspector
General's Plan Coalition, of which ACEC is a mem- office will make
recommendations to FHWA on improving cost ber, House members who supported
the recovery practices. Association Health Plan legislation in the The
Inspector General also is conducting an audit on the accuracy last
Congress are being urged to continue of overhead rates of design firms,
with a particular focus on whether their support as the legislation is
reintro- Rep. Nydia Velazquez the reasonableness of executive compensation
conforms to the Fed- duced in 2005. Rep. John Boehner R-Ohio , chairman
D-N.Y. eral Acquisition Regulations FAR . Special task forces have been
created by ACEC to examine the IG of the House Education and Workforce
findings and guide the association in responding to the audits. If
Committee, Rep. Sam Johnson R-Texas necessary, these task forces also will
work with FHWA on possible and Rep. Nydia Velazquez D-N.Y. intro-
regulatory or policy changes. duced an AHP bill, H.R. 525, the Small ACEC
also is briefing select congressional and agency officials to Business
Health Fairness Act. Republican provide the industry's perspective on the
audit process. leaders in the House have indicated plans to move the
measure early in the session, Small Business Administration Revisiting
Size w h e r e it is expected to receive strong, Standards; ACEC Task
Force Assists bipartisan support. Senator Olympia Snowe R-Maine has On
December 3, 2004, the Small Business Administration SBA introduced
companion legislation in the announced its intention to revisit the issue
of establishing new size Se n a t e S. 406 . While a more intense Rep.
John Boehner standards for small businesses. The agency initially launched
this fight is anticipated in the Senate, prospects R-Ohio effort in March
2004, but its proposed new standard ran into strong for passage have
improved since last year opposition from ACEC and other organizations and
was withdrawn. with the election of five new senators who have expressed
their sup- Federal agencies use SBA standards to determine the eligibility
of port for AHPs. firms for small business programs and federal set-aside
contracts. Passage of this legislation will S B A's announcement launches
the latest round of potential FOR MORE NEWS make it easier to offer
low-cost changes to simplify the definition of small businesses within
several h e a l t h insurance products to industries. For weekly
legislative news, A C E C members, said Derrell Earlier this year, SBA
published a proposed rule that would have visit ACEC's Last Word online Jo
h n s o n , president of ACEC's converted the current engineering firm size
standard of $4 million in at www.acec.org. Life/Health Trust. gross
receipts or less to a new standard of 50 employees or fewer. 9 M a r c h l
April 2005 ENGINEERING INC.
http://www.acec.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - March/April 2005
Table of Contents
From ACEC To You
Ask Members
News & Notes
Market Watch
Legislative Action
COVER STORY: A Perfect Legal Storm
Interview With F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Is There an Engineer in the House
The ABCs Of ESOPS
ACEC/PAC Donations Break All-Time Record
ACEC Roundtable
Members In the News
One on One
Engineering Inc. - March/April 2005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc_spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc_winter2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0919
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0719
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0519
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0319
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1118
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0918
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0718
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0518
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0318
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0118
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0917
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0717
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0517
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0317
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0916
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0716
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0516
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0316
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1115
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0915
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0715
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0515
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0315
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0115
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0914
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0714
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0514
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0314
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0913
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0713
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0513
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0313
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0113
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringincSeptOct
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc1106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acec/engineeringinc0706
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com