The ACEC Minuteman Fund Wants You . . .
To Help Us Fight Your Legislative and Legal Battles

The Minuteman Fund represents one of the most direct ways in which ACEC provides assistance to M.O.s for local battles of national importance. It has been used successfully for a host of initiatives by M.O.s nationwide to defend our front-line business interests. With your support, we will continue to build up the Fund and use it aggressively.

Recent M.O. victories supported by the Minuteman Fund include:

• Maryland and Michigan: Defeated attempts to implement a sales tax on professional design services.
• Alabama: Protected the requirement that only a licensed engineer can offer expert witness testimony on engineering issues.
• California: Defeated multiple attempts by the public employees union to prevent outsourcing of A/E services.
• Nevada: Defended the Economic Loss Doctrine, which protects engineering firms against unfair financial damages.
• Arizona: Defeated a federal court case adjudicating whether federal highway transportation dollars could be withheld from the state.
• Washington: Defeated attempt to repeal gas tax increase needed to fund $8.5 billion in transportation projects.
• Texas: Defeated attempts to roll back QBS for the procurement of engineering services and to reduce outsourcing to the private sector.
• Colorado: Overturned court ruling that allowed a subcontractor to sue design firms for "economic loss," even though there was no contract between the parties.
• Georgia and Alabama: Passed QBS legislation for the selection of design professionals.
• South Carolina: Passed comprehensive tort reform legislation.
• Wisconsin: Defeated an attempt to impose new construction liability on engineering firms.

Help us to help you! Show your support for the Fund by checking off the Minuteman Fund box on your dues invoice, or send a contribution by check payable to ACEC to Minuteman Fund/Accounting Department, ACEC, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005-2605.

Both firms and individuals may contribute to the Fund.

MO Requests for Minuteman funding must meet the following requirements:

• The issue(s) for which funding is requested must potentially affect a large segment of the membership or otherwise have major precedent-setting implications.
• The M.O. must demonstrate its own financial and political commitment to the effort.
• The M.O. request is no greater than the amount that the M.O itself has committed to the issue initiative (e.g., an M.O. that commits $4,000 from its own resources may seek up to an additional $4,000 in support from the Minuteman Fund). Funding in excess of a dollar-for-dollar match may be granted on the grounds of extraordinary need and urgency. Funding of $50,000 or more requires the approval of the ACEC Board of Directors.
• The M.O. includes a voluntary check-off on its member firms' dues invoices for contributions to the Minuteman Fund, or in some other equally systematic and regular way encourages member firms to contribute to the Fund.
• The M.O. has a record of reasonable contributions to the Minuteman Fund.
• The funding request must be submitted prior to the conclusion of the legal or legislative action taken by the M.O. for which Minuteman funds are solicited.