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There are 13 item(s) tagged with the keyword "advocacy".
Displaying: 1 - 10 of 13
- 1. ACEC Submits Comments on Employment-Based Visa Fees
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ACEC submitted comments on a proposal from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to substantially increase the fees associated with employment-based visas.
USCIS processes the visas that engineering firms use to employ international talent when qualified Americans and U.S. residents are not available. This includes optional practical training (OPT), H-1B visas, and employment-based green cards. Over ninety percent of the USCIS budget comes from visa fees and the agency generally proposes fee increases every four years, although the fees were last raised in 2016.
- 2. Council Reinforces Need to Maintain Fair and Open Competition
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This week, ACEC submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is proposing to revise title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR). Specifically, ACEC shared the Council’s concerns over past interpretations of CFR 2, Section 200.319, which states, “In order to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, or invitations for bids or requests for proposals must be excluded from competing for such procurements.”
- 3. New Guidance on Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
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On Friday, FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt circulated new guidance on implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Administration's priorities. The memo supersedes guidance issued in December 2021 that was the subject of some confusion and concern, particularly with respect to the way it discouraged construction of new highway capacity projects.
- 4. ACEC Submits Comments on Federal Contractor Greenhouse Gas Disclosure Rules
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The proposed amendment to the FAR, called the Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk, would require federal contractors to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. It would also require larger firms to set science-based emissions reduction targets.
- 5. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Members Set
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Members of Congress serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the 118th Congress...
- 6. ACEC Issues Action Alert Encouraging Repeal R&D Amortization
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ACEC members should urge lawmakers to cosponsor legislation to repeal R&D amortization.
Contact Your Representative and Senators
Starting on January 1, 2022, Congress changed how firms write off R&D expenses. Previously those expenses could be deducted in the year they were incurred, but now they must be amortized over five years in most cases.
- 7. Member Action Needed on R&D Amortization
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Since 1954, Section 174 of the federal tax code allowed businesses to deduct qualified research expenses in the year those costs were incurred. Congress created the related R&D tax credit in 1981.
As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Congress changed how taxpayers write off R&D expenses. Starting on January 1, 2022, firms could no longer write off R&D expenses in the year they were incurred and now must amortize those expenses over five years in most cases.
- 8. ACEC Submits Comments on Section 179D - Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction
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In response to a request for information from Treasury and the IRS, the Council submitted comments highlighting key issues related to the Section 179D energy-efficient commercial buildings tax deduction. The agencies are drafting regulations to implement the changes to Section 179D in the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
- 9. ACEC Comments on Proposed Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects
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The FAR Council published a proposed rule implementing Executive Order 14063, which requires Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on federal construction contracts exceeding $35 million. Executive Order 14063 applies to direct federal construction contractors, not Federal-Aid (e.g. federal-aid transportation) contractors. This policy could drive up the costs of projects by the Corps of Engineers, NAVFAC, GSA and others and discourage firms from pursuing federal contracting opportunities.
- 10. ACEC Requests More Flexibility for DoD Contracts
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This week, the American Council of Engineering Companies wrote the Department of Defense’s Office of Defense, Pricing and Contracting (DPC) urging them to incorporate FAR 52.216-4 into new and existing contracts.
Displaying: 1 - 10 of 13
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