Archive for August 2023

Congress Returns on September 5th! When Congress returns from its August recess on September 5th, there will be just 25 calendar days left in the 2023 fiscal year.  Speaker McCarthy has advised House Republicans that he believes Congress will have to pass a short-term government funding bill to avoid a shutdown this fall.  The remarks reflect…

ASA and SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman In the fall, ASA will once again host a webinar with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of the National Ombudsman.  Their mission is to achieve regulatory fairness while leveling the playing field for small businesses.  Many of our ASA members are small businesses that are required…

OSHA Proposed “Walk Around Rule” Clears White House Review On August 24th, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) completed its review of OSHA’s Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPRM). The regulation could be released any day now. While we do not have specifics about the rulemaking, we expect it will allow…

OSHA Releases Some Details on Heat Proposal as Part of Small Business Review Obligations As part of its obligations under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA), OSHA must involve small business representatives in the development of some rules.  This requires the agency convene a Small Business Advocacy Review Panel consisting of representatives from OSHA, the…

ASA Think Tank Join us in exciting Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 20th, 2023 for the ASA Think Tank! The ASA Think Tank is open to all members and meets twice per year to discuss pertinent industry issues and Association business. Besides the superior networking opportunity for business leaders to connect, the Think Tank guides…

ASA Attorneys’ Council Fall 2023 Meetings Join us on October 20-21, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida, for the Annual Attorneys’ Council Meetings.   Registration fees will cover conference room rental and audio visual as well as three meals (Friday lunch, Saturday breakfast and lunch) at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club on Ponta Vedra Beach.  This event…

SLDF St. Augustine Fundraiser Help us raise money for the Subcontractors Legal Defense Fund! During the event, attendees will enjoy the St. Augustine Trolley Tour, as well dive into a fantastic bourbon tasting. Event includes round trip shuttle transportation from Ponte Vedra Resort, hop on/off guided trolley tour of historic St. Augustine, Florida History Museum…

Update on the Political and Legislative Landscape For the past 18 months polling has consistently shown that 70% of the voters believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction. The combination of COVID, soaring inflation, and a lack of faith in our political leaders has clearly taken its toll on the public’s confidence,…

ASA Considers MSHA Silica Proposal ASA, along with the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC), are drafting comments on the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Silica Proposal, which has extended the comment period until September 11th, 2023. It seems that there could be some conflicts between the MSHA proposal and the OSHA final regulations, which…

OSHA’s Worker Heat Rule? Since 2021, OSHA has been working on a heat stress rule, following a decade’s worth of advocacy groups and members of Congress calling for action. Supporters of a rule cite a changing climate and worker heated-related deaths as drivers of their concern. Outside of the rulemaking, the agency has been conducting an annual…