Archive for February 2023

ASA Supports 5% Retainage Cap and Retainage Bond Legislation in Washington Last week, ASA sent a support letter to the House and Senate Labor Committees in Washington state regarding legislation (HB 1524/SB 5528) that would extend the 5% retainage cap for all public construction projects to private construction projects, along with extending the use of…

House Republican Earmark Rules House Republicans plan to limit the types of projects that are eligible for earmarks. Projects would not be permitted for city parks and county museums, which could be named after members. Funds for building bridges or water systems would still be on the list of allowable projects. Return to the ASAToday…

This Week in Congress Congress voted on legislation regarding China and the threat it poses to the United States’ security and economy.  Three congressional hearings on the subject were scheduled for this week.  The House voted on legislation that would overturn a Washington, D.C. law that allows non-citizen residents to vote in local elections as…

OSHA Adds “Instance-By-Instance” Citation Policy On January 26th, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued new enforcement guidance allowing “instance-by-instance” citations for “high-gravity” serious violations of several agency standards.  Regional administrators and area office directors will have the authority to issue instance-by-instance citations for violations of fall protection, lockout/tagout, machine guarding, permit-required confined space, respiratory protection, and…

Do You Still Need to Register for SUBExcel? SUBExcel Ties It All Together From advocacy to legal defense to contractor education, ASA, its staff and directors, work tirelessly on behalf of the entire industry to advance the issues important to subcontractors and the construction industry. SUBExcel is our chance to tie everything together. This annual…

The FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Brings Employment Law Changes The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act contained two important employment law changes, which will go into effect this year. Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has been introduced in every Congress since 2011 and made it across the finish line…

Democrats’ First 2024 Primary Moves to South Carolina The Democratic National Committee has approved a revised schedule for presidential primaries in 2024, which elevated South Carolina as the nation’s first primary and removes Iowa from the list of early contests. If the states follow through on the plan they would upend a half-century-old schedule that…