ACEC President's Monthly Update - February 1, 2012
Dear Colleagues – We’re off to a fast start this year with the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee releasing its five-year surface transportation bill today; I just returned from Committee Chairman Mica’s press conference on Capitol Hill, and he recognized ACEC for our leadership on moving this bill forward. Among many provisions, the bill includes, at ACEC’s initiative, strong language to make sure that state DOTs contract out to the private sector. Full coverage of the bill will appear in Last Word on Thursday, February 2, 2012. Considering that infrastructure was highlighted in the President’s State of the Union, and that the Senate has companion legislation moving this week as well, I think that infrastructure offers one of few important legislative areas where we see realistic prospects for passage this year.
--- David Raymond, ACEC President PRESIDENT’S MONTHLY UPDATE
February 1, 2012 General - Participated in press conference with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL) on the release of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, a five-year $260 billion reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs.
- Secured language in the House transportation bill to require State DOTs to contract out for engineering services to the maximum extent practicable, including a reporting requirement on compliance.
- Executive Committee approved ACEC’s 2012 legislative agenda – focused on passing transportation, water and energy legislation, as well as curbing government insourcing and achieving pro-business regulatory reforms.
- Executive Committee also underscored the importance of involving all states and all member firms in meeting the ACEC/PAC 2012 goal as integral to achieving the 2012 legislative agenda.
Government Affairs - Minuteman Fund grants were approved for ACEC/Alabama (to pass Certificate of Merit Legislation), ACEC/California (to appeal a court decision inflicting unfair liability on engineering firms) and ACEC/Ohio (to support a legal case seeking to dedicate more highway infrastructure funding from the state’s taxes).
- Helped gain over 1,000 associations and businesses to sign a letter to every House Member and Senator urging swift passage of the multi-year surface transportation bill.
- Secured language in multiple House bills that will require agencies to justify insourcing decisions, make it easier to account for small business participation on federal contracts, and initiate other pro-business reforms.
- ACEC's Federal Agencies and Procurement Advocacy Committee (FAPA) promoted federal agency outsourcing with House and Senate committees.
- Launched new survey to assess how many member firms are using the General Services Administration (GSA) supply schedules and if they are getting any work through them.
Institute for Business Management - The ACEC/ASCE/APWA-founded Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure released its sustainability rating tool to evaluate and grade the sustainability of infrastructure projects. More information: www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.
- Popular business webinars held in January: Ethical Decision-Making for PEs; BIM and the Engineer; 2011 Year in Review - Legal Issues for Engineers.
- Don’t miss industry business webinars coming in February: Driving Financial Performance to New Levels; Know What Drives Your Clients - Make Your Firm Invaluable; Wage and Hour Issues in the A&E World; Keeping Clients for Life; Corps Programmatic Outlook; What You Need To Know as a Successful Hazardous Materials and Forensics Expert Witness.
- Entered into a reciprocal promotion agreement with ASCE to publicize ACEC Designation programs and ASCE Certification programs.
- Senior Executives Institute Class 17 met for their second session, focused on communication techniques and business missions.
- January Bookstore Top Sellers: Choose Engineering as Your College Major; and Ownership Transition.
- ACEC members can save 20% on all floral orders through www.acec.org/ftd for Valentine’s Day.
- RCEP now holds PDH records for 20,448 professionals and has 91 approved providers in the system including five ACEC state organizations. For more information on how your state can join, contact Maria Buscemi at (202) 682-4323 or mbuscemi@acec.org.
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