Upcoming Think Tank Meeting in Baton Rouge, Alabama
Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Yes, we know Baton Rouge is in Louisiana. Now that you’ve established your geography prowess, join us in Louisiana and share your insights and ideas on how to improve your ASA association. The Think Tank meeting is on Thursday, January 18, 2024. They’ll be a fun event in the evening hosted by the Baton Rouge ASA chapter. Committee meetings (committee members only) will be on Friday. More details and registration here.
Federal Sector Best Practices for Design-Build Updated by DBIA
Best Practices for Federal Agencies Firmly Grounded in FAR, OMB and OFPP
The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has updated its Design-Build Done Right® Federal Sector Best Practices, offering a comprehensive guide for teams navigating the intricacies of federal project delivery. For these teams, understanding the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and adhering to the right practices can be the key to a successful design-build project, and the updated Federal Sector Best Practices provides that guidance.
Download the updated Federal Sector Best Practices for free in the DBIA Bookstore.
The House Announces the Construction Procurement Caucus
The House Administration Committee approves the Construction Procurement Caucus (CPC) as a Congressional Member Organization (CMO) of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 118th Congress. The Committee has determined that both the described purpose of the organization and the registration information appear to be in full compliance with the applicable regulations. This caucus will serve as a bipartisan forum for the exchange of ideas and information on construction procurement in the U.S. House of Representatives. Educational briefings will be planned throughout the year with members of the Caucus, their congressional staff, along with construction industry experts engaged in architecture, engineering, surveying and mapping, prime contracting, subcontracting, specialty trade contracting, supplying, construction and program management and surety bond production. These briefings will highlight important legislative and regulatory matters impacting the construction industry. We thank Rep. Stauber (R-MN) for his leadership serving as the CPC Chair in the 118th Congress.
NGA Publishes Updated Technical Resource on Heat-Treated Glass Surfaces
NGA volunteers update Glass Technical Papers (GTPs) through the systematic review ballot process on a 5-year cycle. The GTP FB02-02 Heat-Treated Glass Surfaces Are Different was updated in October and is now available to download for free in the NGA Store.
As the use of glass increased over recent years, issues of strength, safety and thermal performance became increasingly important design considerations. The availability of tinted and coated glasses had a dramatic impact on glass use in building projects. The vastly expanded aesthetic options, combined with the improved energy conserving and comfort capabilities of tinted and coated glasses allowed architects to use more glass, as well as larger sizes in their designs.
A consequence of this trend was a corresponding increase in the use of tempered and heat-strengthened glass in order to meet both thermal and windload design requirements. The demand for tempered glass further increased with the passing of safety glazing legislation in 1977, which mandated its use in certain locations.
This updated document discusses why industry cleaning procedures must be followed to avoid glass damage.
ASA Calls Upon Congressional Leadership to Delay the Implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act
ASA joined the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in strongly urging Congress to delay implementation of the beneficial ownership reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) by one year. The CTA requires the submission of regular reports to the federal government identifying the beneficial owners of businesses and other legal entities. The stated goal is to target shell companies used in illicit financial transactions, but the new law defines the targeted entities as those having fewer than 20 employees and $5 million in revenues. In other words, not just shell companies but nearly every small business in America.
Per their letter, “the scope of the data collection is beyond anything the Federal government has ever attempted outside of the Tax Code. Covered entities will be required to provide the personal information of their so-called beneficial owners – owners, board members, senior employees, attorneys, etc. – and then constantly monitor the information to ensure it is current. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) expects to receive more than 32 million separate reports in 2024, with an additional five to six million filings each year thereafter. Despite this unprecedented challenge, FinCEN is simply not ready. Of the three primary rules necessary to implement the new law, only one has been completed, the second is still at the “proposed” stage and needs to be finalized, while the third has yet to be released even as a proposed rule. FinCEN’s leadership has assured Congress they are ready to go starting next year but that is clearly not the case.”
A National Federation of Independent Business survey found that 90 percent of respondents were entirely unfamiliar with the reporting requirements. The CTA includes civil and criminal penalties of up to $10,000 and two years of jail time for failing to comply, so this lack of awareness is alarming and needs to be addressed before the law is implemented.
A year’s delay will provide FinCEN and the business community with more time to educate owners of their new obligations. It will also give Congress and FinCEN time to review the new rules to ensure they are successful.
