Kentucky, Utah, Tennessee Nearing ACEC/PAC Goal Early In '05; North Dakota Across Finish Line ACEC Chairman Ed Mulcahy says ACEC/PAC benefits bottom line. With ACEC of North Dakota already across the finish line, a number of other State Organizations are making significant headway to achieve their ACEC/PAC fundraising goals. ACEC of Kentucky, ACEC of Tennessee, and ACEC of Utah are all close to achieving their yearly fundraising targets. State Organizations have been assigned fundraising targets based on membership strength, with an overall goal of raising $500,000 by the end of 2005. As of May 1, ACEC/PAC has raised over $125,000—a quarter of the total goal—to support key House and Senate members who are preparing for the campaign season next year. "We all have a stake in the success of this effort," said ACEC Chairman Ed Mulcahy. "Our success with ACEC/PAC means more success in Congress on the issues which affect our bottom lines." At ACEC's recent Annual Board Meeting, the Directors emphasized the importance of Member Organizations taking a more proactive role in supporting ACEC/PAC. To facilitate these efforts, ACEC staff has provided a fundraising "tool kit" for ACEC/PAC Trustees and Executive Directors. The national staff is also working with individual states to craft fundraising strategies. For more information, contact ACEC/PAC Director Corie Simmons at csimmons@acec.org or call 202-347-7474. Click here to see the progress of your state in achieving its ACEC/PAC goal for 2005 and the name of the PAC Trustee who is leading the fundraising effort in your state.

Corps Water Funding Legislation On The Move; Includes ACEC Provisions ACEC Vice Chairman Rod Hoffman urges passage of WRDA. The House and Senate have begun a new effort to pass the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) this year. WRDA authorizes funding for Army Corps of Engineers flood control, navigation and environmental restoration projects. These projects are considered critical to sustaining the nation's waterway transportation system, which is in need of significant rehabilitation and upgrade, and important to the many ACEC member firms that focus on Corps projects. The Senate version of WRDA (S. 728) passed the Environment and Public Works committee on April 28, and is expected to be taken up on the Senate floor in June. S. 728 includes over $7 billion in project authorizations, including major lock modernization work on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois waterways. Nearly 60 percent of the WRDA bill authorizes environmental and ecosystem restoration projects, including restoration of the Everglades, Coastal Louisiana, Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, and Salton Sea. The legislation includes bipartisan language supported by ACEC and industry allies that creates a new review process to enhance oversight on major Corps projects. ACEC is opposed to amendments expected in the Senate which would impose stricter reviews and cost-benefit ratios on Corps projects, changes that would add at least nine months to the project planning phase. "Congress has not passed a WRDA bill since 2000." said ACEC Executive Committee Member Rod Hoffman of HDR, Inc. "They need to resolve the Corps reform issue in a reasonable manner that provides the Corps and the water resources industry with a stable regulatory structure, and then pass the bill." House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-TN) is expected to introduce a companion WRDA bill this month.

Register Now For A Special ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust Webcast On HSAs The ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust will sponsor a webcast presentation on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) on Wednesday, May 25, at 3pm EDT. HSAs work in conjunction with low-cost, high-deductible health insurance policies. Money deposited in an HSA is tax-deductible and can be used to pay most medical bills tax-free. This presentation will be conducted by Michael Berry, a nationally recognized expert on HSAs and member of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance National HSA Committee. To register, log onto http://hphi.raindance.com and click on "View Scheduled Events." Click on the green "Register" button listed under the "May Health Savings Account" presentation and follow the directions. Once registered, you will be sent reminder emails as well as web and phone login information. Please feel free to invite your agent to participate in this event. The ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust offers Qualified High Deductible Plans and HSAs as ways to help member firms take more control over health care costs.

Copyright © 2005 by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photographic, or other means without the prior written permission of ACEC.

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