Recently, Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.) introduced a bill that would reasonably limit federal agencies’ use of one-step design-build procurements and the shortlist for two-step design-build procurements. The Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2015, H.R. 1666, would mandate the use of the two-step design-build procurement process for projects valued at $750,000 or more. As a result, there would be no one-step design-build procurements above this threshold, though they would be allowed below that. Additionally, the bill would require contracting officers to provide written justification for short listing more than five finalists in the two-step design build process.
Register by Tuesday, April 7 to Save $100!
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently released a new version of its safety and health manual.
Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) recently introduced the “Government Neutrality in Contracting Act” (H.R. 1671) in the House. This legislation—like its companion bill, S. 71, in the Senate introduced by Sen. David Vitter in January—would prohibit federal contracting agencies from mandating that contractors and unions enter project labor agreements (PLAs) on direct federal projects. In addition, the bill would preserve the right of contractors and unions to voluntarily negotiate and execute project labor agreements on federal projects, if they so choose.
USACE Would Take Over Major VA Construction Management
This week, AGC met with the Executive Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Construction & Facilities Management (CFM) Stella Fiotes to inform her that the association will urge Congress to remove her office from executing major VA construction projects. AGC let Ms. Fiotes know that it will ask Congress to: (1) remove and replace CFM as construction manager of the agency’s major construction program (projects above $10 million) with the best-qualified federal owner through thoughtful transition process; (2) reform VA’s construction planning and design decision processes; and (3) conduct additional oversight of the VA’s minor construction program (projects $10 million and below).
On March 25, two committees in the House—the Small Business and Armed Services Committees—took action on AGC-supported construction procurement reform legislation. The House Small Business Committee unanimously approved a construction procurement reform bill and the House Armed Services Committee introduced a Department of Defense-specific procurement reform bill that would both:
Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) introduced AGC-supported legislation that would help prohibit reverse auctions for direct-federal construction services contracts. The Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015, H.R. 1444, would prohibit reverse auctions for all federal small business set-aside construction contracts, including for the performance of construction work for facility, infrastructure and environmental restoration projects as well as the delivery and supply of construction materials to construction sites. Please ask your representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 1444.