Policy

In the final year of a presidential term, especially when neither political party holds a trifecta and legislative victories are scarce, it is not uncommon for the White House to aggressively advance its policy agenda by testing the limits of executive power via new executive ord...

The Biden administration’s final rule “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations” took effect on Oct. 23, 2023. In “the first comprehensive regulatory review in nearly 40 years,” the Department of Labor has returned to the definition of “prevailing wage” it used from ...

In October 2023, the Office of Management and Budget released guidance for the Build America, Buy America Act, which was enacted in November 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This guidance: Finalizes stricter rules for U.S. content requirements Further...

The U.S. Department of Labor’s finalization of a rule updating the Davis-Bacon Act, the federal law which governs how prevailing wages for federal construction projects can be determined, will have a significant impact on contractors and workers alike in the construction industry...

Government contractors in Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana can’t be forced to comply with the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, according to a recent federal court ruling. The three states alleged that the president overreached his author...

For the first time since 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency updated and strengthened air quality standards. Construction sites are responsible for 14.5% of particulate matter in the air and 8% of total emissions in the United States. With that in mind, Construction Execut...

While many economists and experts seem to agree that a recession is looming (or already here), the Biden administration continues to champion policies that will make it tougher for certain businesses to manage through the next economic downturn—after already having survived the p...

Concern about being infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is seen as one factor in the struggle to hire new employees that many industries are experiencing, including construction. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce report on the Commercial Construction Index, releas...

The civil and potential criminal consequences of a failure to comply with the Davis-Bacon Act are very real and very serious. Every once in a while, a case comes along that drives those points home. One such recent case involved criminal convictions for wire fraud and conspiracy ...

The White House this week released its reforms to target PPP loans to underserved businesses. Beginning Wednesday morning, Feb. 24, and ending March 9, the U.S. Small Business Association will only accept Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications from businesses with fewer t...