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Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the �鶹��Ƶ-backed Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act, and included the legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill would prohibit federal agencies from procuring construction services through reverse auctions. Please urge your senators to co-sponsor the bill and support this amendment.

On June 9, �鶹��Ƶ submitted a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking for clarification on the reporting process for employers that contribute to multiemployer health plans and the requirements to provide detailed information on the health care coverage employers’ offer. Employers participating in multiemployer health plans are subject to additional complexity while trying to comply because many decisions and requirements are bound by the employer’s collective bargaining agreements. Under the multiemployer plan model, a plan administrator has access to the information required by the IRS and reports this information, despite the reporting obligation remaining with the employer.

Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) this week introduced the �鶹��Ƶ-backed Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act, and included the legislation as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit federal agencies from procuring construction services through reverse auctions. Please urge your senators to co-sponsor the bill and support this amendment.

The Department of the Army recently issued a final rule (via memorandum) to the Army Federal Acquisition Regulation that, if implemented, would remove contracting authority from about 400 engineers within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The rule would remove construction experts from having the authority to make construction contracting decisions for the safe and efficient construction of everything from barracks that house and protect our soldiers to the levees and dams that guard millions of Americans from floods. The Army issued this rule without providing for any public comment and claims that such a rule will not impact the contracting industry. Ultimately, the Army is seeking to move all contracting activities, including the procurement of construction through USACE, within the Army Contracting Command.

Congress Passes �鶹��Ƶ-Backed Measure to Allow Construction to Continue

On May 27, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued a proposed rule and the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance implementing the president’s “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” Executive Order (EO) 13673, commonly referred to as the Blacklisting EO.

The House passed, by unanimous consent, legislation to allow work on the Department of Veterans Affairs Denver Hospital Project to continue for several more weeks. The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, introduced by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), increases funding for the project by $100 million. The Senate is expected to pass this legislation before adjourning for the Memorial Day recess. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently found that the project will cost about $1.7 billion to complete, $1.1 billion more than the initial cost estimate.

The House of Representatives passed a provision that would help prevent federal agencies from procuring construction services through reverse auctions. Representative Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) offered this �鶹��Ƶ-supported provision as an amendment—which passed by unanimous voice vote—to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. The Defense Act – with the reverse auction ban amendment included – subsequently passed the House on a 269 to 151 vote late last week. The Act funds for the Department of Defense and has passed Congress every year for over 50 consecutive years.

Late last week, the House of Representatives passed a funding bill on a 240 to 177 vote that would significantly increase funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program in fiscal year 2016 compared to the president’s budget proposal.The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill would provide about $5.6 billion to the Civil Works Program in FY 2016; that’s $865 million more than the president requested in his budget proposal and $142 million above the FY 2015 funding levels. The bill: (1) increases the president’s proposed construction account funding level by about 40 percent to $1.631 billion; (2) increases the operations and maintenance account funding level to over $3 billion—the most ever and about $350 million more than the president requested; and (3) increases funding out of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to about $1.2 billion—the highest ever—and increases spending from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to $340 million—which is reportedly all of the estimated revenues expected to flow into the trust fund this year. You can find project-specific funding information in the House Committee Report,linked here.

Late last week, the House of Representatives passed a funding bill for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs on a 255 to 163 vote. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations billincreases military construction and family housing spending to $7.7 billion, which is $900 million over FY 2015 levels. The bill, however, falls below the $8.4 billion president’s budget request for those accounts in FY 2016. The House also approved an amendment to the bill that would prohibit the use of any funds to implement a new BRAC round. You can find project-specific funding information in the House Committee Report, linked here.