Government & Legislative

In continuing efforts to ensure supply chain stability, on July 9th The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), announced it awarded $400,000 to each of its MEP National Network Centers in every state and Puerto Rico for a totaling funding of $20 million to be used to develop programs to make domestic supply chains more resilient and efficient.

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President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s 99-page debt ceiling bill that would suspend the nation’s debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending goes before Congress this week. Details on what’s in and what’s out have now been released.

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The Protecting America’s Workers Act, reintroduced on Friday, April 28, 2023 on Workers Memorial Day, would once again seek to expand OSHA coverage to state and local government employees and increase monetary penalties for “high gravity” OSHA violations and would also reinstate the “Volks” rule.

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On April 28, 2023, President Biden proclaimed May 2023 as National Building Safety Month, encouraging citizens, government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and other interested groups to join in activities that raise awareness about building safety.

Read more at The White House

Four U.S. senators recently reintroduced the Training America’s Workforce Act, a bill they say would make apprenticeships more responsive to industry workforce needs. For the door and window industries, that could mean more on-the-job training and classroom instruction to help take a bite out of workforce shortages.

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In a final decision hailed as a “major victory” for the housing industry by the NAHB, the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota has ruled the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule under the Clean Water Act (CWA) cannot be implemented in 24 states.

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In an expected but disappointing development for housing interest groups, President Biden vetoed a congressional resolution to rescind the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule under the Clean Water Act. According to the NAHB and NMHC, the rule will add regulatory burdens for builders and developers, cause permitting delays, and raise housing costs, negatively impacting affordability.

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March 14, 2023 – National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) has released its “Government Relations Update,” which includes a Tax Update, Amazon Update, FTC Non-compete Clause Update, Congressional Update, and Labor Update.

WMA Members Read NAW Government Relations Update (03.14.23)

In 2022 the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a proposed rule requiring publicly traded companies to step up their reporting on climate-related risks. The proposed rule, The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors, drew over 15,000 comments and the SEC has indicated that it plans to finalize the rule in April.

Read more at USGBC

The Biden Administration’s proposal on building materials rules used on federal construction and federally funded state and local buildings would significantly boost the made-in-American mandate. At least 75% of the value of the product’s component would have to be made in the U.S., according to the proposal.

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