Featured Content

Bipartisan Senate Highway Plan Calls for 34 Percent Investment Increase

Federal highway investment would grow by $11.2 billion to $58.3 billion in FY 2022 (23.8 percent increase) under legislation unveiled today by Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ranking Republican Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 (STRA) would provide a total boost of 34 percent in core highway investment over its five-year life and distribute 90 percent of these funds by formula to states.

Other key provisions of the $303.5 billion measure would:

• Codify into law former President Donald Trump’s “one federal decision” Executive Order that includes a goal of two years for major project reviews and a 200-page limit for environmental documents;

• Establish a performance measure for greenhouse gas emissions from transportation projects. Also directs the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop the data to be used in implementing such standards; and

• Provide dedicated funding to build out electric vehicle charging systems and expand current programs eligibility to support climate mitigation activities and emphasize resiliency to natural disasters.

It is notable the STRA does not include any elements of the “PRO Act” proposal that would make various pro-organized labor changes to current law. The measure also has no “earmarks” for specific projects.

“We must reauthorize the surface transportation bill before its current authorization expires in September: it is a vital foundation for President Biden’s American Jobs Plan,” Carper said.

“Safe and reliable infrastructure is something every American can get behind,” Capito said.

The STRA will be considered May 26 by the EPW Committee and the measure is expected to earn overwhelming approval. That puts the ball in the court of the other senate transportation committees to advance the remaining components of a surface transportation reauthorization bill. The Senate Finance Committee has begun deliberations on how to pay for needed transportation infrastructure improvements.

ARTBA will continue working with Congress and the Biden administration to ensure robust, long-term surface transportation investment is enacted this year.

The following are links to EPW Committee prepared details on the STRA:

     - State-by-state breakdown of the proposed formula funding

     - Programmatic funding levels

     - Bill text

     - Section-by-section summary

News

OCA Office Availability for Member Meetings Returns Starting June 2nd

Normal office operations will return to OCA starting June 2nd. Member companies can now contact Kim Dillon (614-488-0724) to reserve the conference room space. Also starting that week, OCA staff will be returning to regular staffing under our new work policies.

OCA's May 1, 2021 Union Wage Bulletin Now Available!

The Carpenters Union has now provided OCA with their wage & benefit allocations allowing us to publish the final version of the May 1, 2021 Union Wage and Benefit Bulletin. The Bulletin is available on the OCA website in the “Breaking News” and Labor Resources sections. You can also access the Bulletin by clicking here.

ODOT Announces Fiscal Year Cutoff Date

ODOT CFO Sara Downs informed OCA staff this week that the last day for approval of regular processing of estimates will be June 18th. No estimates will be processed from this date until July 5th due to the annual fiscal year end reconciliation. If you have a project with an estimate date after June 18th, but have significant work for which you would like to expedite payment, contact your ODOT Project Engineer.

For more information, contact Chris Engle. To view the slideshow presentation, click here.

Ohio Department of Administrative Services Training Available for Minority Businesses

May is Open Enrollment, and now is the time to make sure that Sedgwick Managed Care Ohio is your managed care organization (MCO) for workers’ compensation. Sedgwick MCO (formerly CompManagement Health Systems) is the Ohio Contractors Association’s trusted partner. Sedgwick MCO helps our members navigate the workers’ compensation claims process, help employees recover and return to work, and control costs. This is an essential component of OCA’s workers’ compensation program.

What does an MCO do for me?

Your MCO plays a vital role in your ability to control claim costs, care for injured employees, and preserve options for premium savings. MCOs are involved in every claim to organize the medical treatment, facilitate return-to-work, and process medical bills. Sedgwick is Ohio’s largest workers’ compensation MCO, serving over 114,000 employers*.

No cost enrollment

If you already use Sedgwick MCO, no action is required on your part to maintain this important resource. But if not, CLICK HERE to enroll and learn more about Sedgwick MCO and the importance of the MCO role to your organization and your employees. Enrollment is easy and there is no cost.

You can also contact David Merz at Sedgwick MCO at 614-619-0201 or by email at [email protected].

*BWC Public Demographic Data, January 2021

Quick Links to On-line OCA Resources

Upcoming Events Click here for current events

Safety Talks 8 Easy Inspections to Ensure Uptime

This email was sent to {#party.Email} because you are subscribed to the Ohio Contractors Association weekly e-Newsletter.  This email was sent by: Ohio Contractors Association, 1313 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215