Engineering Inc. - September/October 2011 - (Page 6)

Legislative Action Private Activity Bond Bill To Boost Water Funding Gaining Co-Sponsors ACEC Gains House Majority to Back 3 Percent Repeal A CEC-supported legislation to increase funding for private activity bonds is quickly gaining co-sponsors from both sides of the political aisle. In just the two months since H.R. 1802 was introduced by Reps. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) and Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.), the number of co-sponsors has risen to 38, with dozens more likely to add their names in the coming weeks. The bill would waive the state volume Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) cap on private activity bonds for water and wastewater projects, making available up to $6 billion annually in private investment. According to the Joint Tax Commission, the tax foregone to the federal government would be less than $36 million per year. Private activity bonds are used widely by states and local governments, but only a small fraction of the federally tax-exempt bonds are allocated for water Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) infrastructure projects. Exemptions from the state volume cap are already permitted for airports, ports and landfills. An identical Senate bill (S. 939) has been introduced by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Michael Crapo (R-Idaho). A Bill ClARk/GETTY imAGES mEl EvAnS/AP PHoTo majority of the House of Representatives has cosponsored legislation to repeal the 3 percent withholding mandate, and support continues to grow in the Senate. The surge in support comes on the heels of a multifaceted lobbying effort led by ACEC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Support for the House repeal legislation (H.R. 674) now tops 218, constituting a majority of House members. In the Senate, 28 senators are on record supporting one of two repeal bills (S. 89 or S. 164). ACEC is orchestrating the aggressive government advocacy campaign, which represents the interests of more than 100 industry and business organizations committed to defeating the onerous mandate. ACEC and coalition allies will be pressuring Congress to act on this legislation in the fall. C FAA and Airports Funding Again Extended; Long-Term Deal Elusive ongress extended Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding and programs through Sept. 16, while House and Senate negotiations continue over a long-term reauthorization bill. It is the 21st short-term extension since the current law expired in 2007. The extension came after a brief lapse in the Aviation Trust Fund taxes and spending when the House included policy changes to Essential Air Service subsidies for small airports, changes that were initially opposed by the Senate. FAA engineering, research and development, and capital programs were shut down for nearly two weeks during the legislative standoff. A long-term bill continues to languish as transportation committee leaders wrangle over a labor provision included in the House-passed bill (H.R. 658), which would overturn a decision by the National Mediation Board on airline worker unionization. The House and Senate are also divided on funding levels, including the Airport Improvement Program. ACEC supports the Senate-passed $4.1 billion for airport capital grants, an annual increase of more than $500 million above current funding. JuSTin SullivAn/GETTY imAGES T Water Funding Takes Hit in F . 2012 Spending Bill .Y he House-passed F.Y. 2012 appropriations bill for the Environmental Protection Agency included significant cuts to federal water infrastructure programs. The bill cuts Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs by nearly $1 billion compared with current levels. Specifically, the Clean Water SRF would receive $689 million (a 45 percent cut) and the Drinking Water SRF would get $829 million (a 14 percent cut), turning the clock back to funding levels last seen in F.Y. 2008. The bill included a number of regulatory provisions as well, including a prohibition on EPA proceeding with a proposed wetlands guidance document expanding which marginal waters are subject to federal jurisdiction, and a provision prohibiting the agency from expanding stormwater permit requirements for post-construction development. ACEC is working in the Senate to restore the funding cuts. 6 ENGINEERING INC. SEptEmbER / OCtObER 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - September/October 2011

Engineering Inc. - September/October 2011
Contents
From ACEC to You
News and Notes
Legislative Action
2011 Fall Conference Preview
Fitting the Pieces Together
Alternate Routes
Building Big
Business Insights
Members in the News
Mergers and Acquisitions

Engineering Inc. - September/October 2011