ASA Board of Directors Takes to Capitol Hill
On Thursday, September 26, 2019, members of the American Subcontractors Association’s (ASA) Board of Directors, including the Executive Committee, walked the halls of Congress to meet with key congressional staff to promote the association’s legislative priorities in the 116th Congress. Our members also had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Veasey (D-TX), a prime sponsor of H.R. 2344, the Small Business Payment for Performance Act, which would require prompt payment to contractors for change orders; and Rep. Peters (D-CA), the sponsor of the soon to be reintroduced Stop Unfair Bid Shopping Act (SUBS Act), to ensure that companies honor their contract with the federal government by adding a means to eliminate the practice of bid shopping.
The September 26th fly-in also featured meetings with high level congressional staff. Our members met with Irene Rivera Goyco, House Small Business Majority Procurement Counsel, along with Vivian Ling, House Small Business Committee Minority Procurement Counsel, and staff members from Rep. Veasey (D-TX), Kelly (R-MS), Stauber (R-MN), and Peters (D-CA). In the Senate, our members met with staff members from Sens. Hirono (D-HI) and Portman (R-OH), to discuss their sponsored legislation, S. 1434, the Construction Consensus Procurement Act, which would prohibit the use of reverse auctions for design and construction services procurement. ASA members also met with staff from Sen. Wicker’s (R-MS) office.
In addition to the legislation highlighted above, the ASA Executive Committee members also addressed several other legislative priorities during this fly-in, including H.R. 224, the Miller Act, to exempt certain contracts from periodic adjustments to an acquisition-related dollar threshold, our support of the reduction of the maximum retainage rate used by the federal government from 10 percent to five percent, and our support for a robust, well-funded, comprehensive infrastructure funding bill.
ASA’s presence on Capitol Hill is crucial to the advancement of the association’s legislative priorities. The members of the Executive Committee represented our association tremendously and set the groundwork for a successful association-wide fly-in on October 29/30.
OSHA New Proposed Rule on Beryllium Standards
On Tuesday, October 8, 2019, OSHA issued a new proposed rule to amend
the beryllium standards for construction and shipyards to tailor the
requirements of the standards to the exposures in these industries, more
closely aligning the standards to the general industry standard where
appropriate, and clarifying certain requirements with respect to
materials containing only trace amounts of beryllium.
Click here for the link to the Federal Register version.
OSHA is only allowing a 30 day
comment period, with comments due November 7, 2019, and the agency will
also hold an informal public hearing on December 3, 2019 at the
Department of Labor.
ASA National Recognizes Scaffold Resource for Leadership
ASA commends Scaffold Resource in Lanham, MD for their incredible support of the American Subcontractors Association. They currently have two associates serving as Chapter Presidents within ASA. Elizabeth Justis has been appointed as the President of ASA of Baltimore, and Jeff Bellfield has been appointed as the President of ASA of Metro Washington.
Scaffold Resource is an active member of the Baltimore-Washington community, and we commend them for their tireless efforts in support of the subcontracting industry and beyond. Congratulations!
OSHA Revives National Worker Safety Advisory
On Monday, September 23, 2019, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revived an employee safety advisory committee after a three-year hiatus. The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health is a 12-member panel overseeing several industries, including manufacturing, retail, health care, warehousing, services, and agriculture. The panel, established in 1970 by Congress, often serves as a sounding board for OSHA initiatives and a forum for safety advocates to press OSHA to take on projects the agency hadn’t made a priority, such as improving protections for emergency workers. The panel is also tasked with advising the secretaries of labor and health and human services on occupational safety and health programs and policies.
The panel’s members include Michael Belcher, president of the consulting firm SafetyPro LLC; Mark Friend, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Amy Harper, deputy director of the National Safety Council; John Lambeth, a health specialist with the AFL-CIO; Andrew Perkins, senior industrial hygienist with Alabama Power Co.; Robyn Robbins, director of safety and health for the United Food & Commercial Workers; Steven Sallman, a safety and health specialist with the United Steelworkers; Kelli Smith, health and safety director for Cummins Inc.; and William Walkowiak, director of occupational safety policy for the U.S. Air Force.
