The House transportation bill was originally expected to total $230 billion over six years, reflecting what the Highway Trust Fund could support under current budget forecasts. A bill funded at current levels plus inflation would total $325 billion. Mica provided no details on the source of the additional funds, other than to reiterate absolute opposition to a gas tax increase.

"This is a game-changing development. It's clear that Congress is beginning to recognize the devastating consequences of a 30 percent reduction in transportation investments," said ACEC President Dave Raymond.

Ending one of the most restrictive ownership policies for design firms in the United States, the new law permits employees other than licensed design professionals to own up to 25 percent.

"This law will help to keep companies' headquarters in New York and to recruit and retain talented non-licensed professionals," said ACEC/NY Executive Director Jay Simson. "It is a big win for design professionals."

The House Appropriations Committee has recommended severe cuts to both programs, providing only $695 million for the CWSRF and $829 billion for the DWSRF.

"These are extremely cost effective government programs—for every dollar the federal government invests, more than two dollars is matched or made available for environmental improvements," ACEC President Dave Raymond wrote to committee members. "Additionally, each $1 billion invested in water and wastewater infrastructure creates up to 27,000 new jobs with average annual earnings of more than $50,000, many of them in engineering firms."

ACEC/AK has reached its ACEC/PAC goal for the ninth straight year. "We never stop educating our members about the issues affecting their firms," said PAC Champion Floyd Damron of CH2M HILL in Anchorage. "With so much as stake right now for our business and the future of the industry, I ask my fellow engineers if they can really afford not to contribute?"

For more information about ACEC/PAC and ACEC's political programs, click here.

The Conference's 32 Professional Development sessions—each providing 1.25 PDHs—will cover critical business management topics such as strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, personnel management, IT trends, sustainability and risk management. For a complete list of sessions, click here.

For more information on the ACEC Fall Conference or to register, click here.

ACEC's practical bottom-line course Essentials of A/E Financial Management and Firm Valuation, November 3-4, Orlando, will reveal how powerful accounting tools can energize Member Firm finances.

Presented by David Cohen, principal, Matheson Financial Advisors, Inc., the course will cover project management financials, income statements, balance sheet development and interpretation, firm valuation, internal ownership transition planning, mergers and acquisitions, and related financial management issues—from ways to increase cash flow to benchmarking against other firms in the industry.

Click here for agenda and to register at early-bird best price.

Sharpen and update the management practices that drive successful A/E firm operations in today's changing business environment.

ACEC's marquee course, The Business of Design Consulting, November 9-12, New Orleans, features industry leading practitioners explaining current best-practices and offering new strategic insights for building a better bottom line.

Curriculum specific to the A/E workplace is presented over 23 hours (with PDHs), including segments on leadership, strategy, planning, performance management, contracts and risk management, finance, business management, ownership transition, and marketing.

Click here for the full agenda and to register at early-bird best price.

In Writing the Perfect FONSI — Finding of No Significant Impact, Owen Schmidt, former senior counsel at USDA, demonstrates the finer points of a fail-safe technique for writing the perfect FONSI.

This webinar is a must for planners, environmental specialists, project managers, decision-makers, attorneys, and those in related fields who are responsible for preparing or reviewing Environmental Assessments (EAs) and FONSIs.

Click here to register.

A vital part of A/E practice management includes determining if, or when it is appropriate for your firm to consider merging with another firm.

Conducted by experienced industry experts, attorneys Bill Mandel, CPA, and his partner, Laura Howard, MBV Law, Mergers and Acquisitions 101 will detail what a firm should anticipate in the steps leading up to a merger-acquisition. Although every transaction is different, all follow the same process. Understanding the market terms of a merger-acquisition deal in today's economic environment and the process of a transaction is crucial for a firm considering a merger-acquisition opportunity.

Click here to register.

In USACE's Sustainability Program: An Inside Perspective, Douglas Warnock, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Headquarters, examines the USACE's decade-long focus on sustainability and its impact on private sector contractors.

Warnock will describe how external environmental and energy statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders drive the Corps' sustainability program, provide details on internal policies and plans for sustainability programs, and offer examples of current and potential sustainability projects and initiatives.

Click here to register.

Federal contracting can be a strong profit center but it poses unique challenges, with dense regulations and complex policies that will have a significant impact on performance and profits.

Neal J. Sweeney of the law firm Kilpatrick Townsend, a 25-year veteran in federal contracting, highlights many of the major pitfalls lurking for the unwary, including mandatory ethics and compliance programs, The False Claims Act, organizational conflicts of interest and the increased scrutiny of joint ventures under SBA programs.

Click here to register.