During the short September Congressional session and the "Lame Duck" period following the November 4 election, the Council is focused on the following priorities:

• Passage of a continuing resolution to fund federal programs after September 30.


• Reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank charter, set to expire at the end of September. ACEC Members are encouraged to contact their Congressional delegation in support of the Bank. Click here for more information and a sample letter.


• Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (which sets government-wide procurement rules) with limits on the use of single-step design-build, prohibitions on the use of reverse auctions, and reforms to the short-listing process.


• Extension of several expiring tax provisions, including the R&D tax credit, parity for employer-provided transit benefits, increased Section 179 expensing limits, and the wind energy tax credit. The tax benefits would be in effect for 2014, retroactive to January 1, and end on December 31, 2015. A few provisions—such as R&D or Section 179—could be made permanent.


• Early action on long-term transportation funding in advance of MAP-21 expiration in May, 2015.

ACEC's auditing firm CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) has commended the Council's financial and operational performance following the 2014 audit.

"In this challenging economic climate—in which organizations must also meet higher standards of compliance—ACEC has not only preserved its financial health but continues to meet and exceed these higher industry standards," wrote CLA Principal J. Andrew Smith. ACEC's financial practices and procedures are "much better than many of the over 600 non-profit organizations we encounter."

To view a copy of the auditor letter, click here.

ACEC has awarded a Minuteman Fund grant to ACEC/Idaho to help defray the cost of a public outreach campaign to increase transportation funding in the state.

ACEC/Idaho and a coalition of transportation stakeholders called the Idaho Transportation Funding Coalition are leading the effort to add $300 million annually to the state's transportation budget by increasing the state gas tax, registration fee, and other fees. A recent survey of likely voters in the state found support for increased transportation funding.

For more information on The Minuteman Fund, click here.

ACEC/Washington became the latest state to achieve its 2014 ACEC/PAC fundraising goal, joining Indiana, South Carolina, Delaware, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Nevada, Kentucky and Connecticut. Seven other states are at 70 percent or higher of their goal.

ACEC/WA's ten-year streak is no accident, said PAC Champion Chris Robertson of Shannon and Wilson in Seattle. “Supporting ACEC/PAC is part of our organizational culture. It begins with our leaders but we work to engage all of our membership in our political programs and help them understand that the PAC exists to benefit them and their firm.”

For more information about ACEC/PAC and ACEC’s political programs, contact ACEC Executive Director for Political Affairs Greg Knopp or ACEC/PAC Director Cara Gavagan.

Register by September 22 for the 2014 ACEC Fall Conference at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii, October 22-25, and save $100. Additional registrants from the same firm—and first-time Member attendees—save an additional $145.

ACEC's special discounted room rate of just $214/night also expires on September 22.

The Conference features expert speakers, CEO panels, more than 30 management education programs, CEO roundtables, the CASE Convocation, a celebration of 20 years of the ACEC Senior Executives Institute, the annual ACEC awards luncheon, and numerous ACEC coalition, council, and forum events.

For more information and to register, click here.

The Federal Highway Administration has released the next round of its “Every Day Counts” series of project delivery acceleration and technology deployment initiatives. Several ACEC Member Organizations are participating in the effort through their DOT’s designated State Innovation Council.

The program features 11 technologies and practices designed to help shorten the project delivery process, enhance safety and improve environmental sustainability, including 3-D Engineered Models, Accelerated Bridge Construction, Electronic Project Document Management Systems, Roadway Reconfiguration, e-NEPA and Implementing Quality Environmental Documentation.

FHWA will work with state and local transportation agencies and other partners, including ACEC and its Member Firms, to deploy the innovations over the next two years. A series of regional summits will be held this fall to discuss the initiatives and share best practices.

For more information, click here.

The California legislature passed a bill over the weekend that calls for local and state management of groundwater supplies. California has been the only state in the nation not to monitor or regulate groundwater.

The legislation, which Governor Brown is expected to sign, requires groundwater basins to form a local management agency within two years, adopt a sustainable management plan within five years, and achieve a sustainable supply of groundwater within 20 years.

Unlike the current situation in which landowners can pump as much groundwater as they want without accountability, the new bill mandates that each groundwater basin report every landowner's pumping quantities and the depth of groundwater each year.

The Federal Highway Administration has completed only half of the 24 required MAP-21 bridge safety and funding provisions, according to a recent report by the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General.

Delays in two rulemakings regarding asset management and performance management may delay states' implementation of key performance and accountability requirements by at least a year later than specfied in MAP-21. Further, the FHWA has not finalized plans for the prioritization process for bridges or fully determined the contents of a required report to Congress on national bridge and tunnel inventories.

To view the complete report, click here.

The American Council of Engineering Companies
1015 15th St., NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005-2605
Phone: 202-347-7474 - Fax: 202-898-0068
www.acec.org - E-mail:acec@acec.org
Alan D. Crockett, Director, Communications
Gerry Donohue, Editor/Designer