ACPA Quarter 3 2018

Concrete Pavement Progress www.acpa.org 22 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVES of the as- sociations comprising the North American Concrete Alliance (NACA) met recently in Washington, D.C. The primary focus of discussion related to infrastruc- ture investment and the recent “discussion” draft introduced by T&I Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA-9). Discussions also touched on ongoing ef- forts to develop a NACA website to communicate the group’s legislative and policy priorities with legislators, regulators and members. “The associations continue to coordinate and col- laborate actively on topics of strategic interest to all our members,” says Leif Wathne, who represented ACPA members at the meeting. “We’re making good progress,” he says, adding, “The group’s broad and varied expertise represents significant value to our collective memberships. “Together, the NACA partners represent a formi- dable force in the transportation-construction industry, and our industry’s government affairs posture will be expressed prominently via the website and related communications,” he says. A related topic was coordinating fundraising and other PAC activities to provide an even greater presence among lawmakers. The website was scheduled to launch shortly after press time. NACA is comprised of the American Concrete Pavement Association, American Concrete Pipe Association, American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, American Concrete Pumping Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, National Precast Concrete Association, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Portland Cement Association, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, and Tilt-Up Concrete Association. NACA Par tners Map Strategies, Communications Construction Industry Allies Discuss Hours of Service ACPA was among 10 transportation construction associations that met Tuesday (July 31) to discuss the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad- ministration’s (FMCSA) drivers’ Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. The objective was to discuss ongoing efforts within the construction industry to address the regulations and to determine next steps and other future actions. The group discussed the Honest Operators Undertake Road Safety Act, or HOURS Act (HR6178), a bill sponsored by Rep. Eric A. “Rick” Crawford* (R-AR-01).The group plans tomeet with the Congressman’s office to assess the full intent of the bill and to understand the extent to which it offers HOS regulatory relief for the construction industry. “The common denominator among our construction industry allies is we are all looking for relief and flexibility related to HOS regula- tions,” according to Leif Wathne. Wathne shared ACPA’s efforts, which included an ACPA Board- approved plan to develop and submit a petition for exemption from the 30-minute break requirement and 12-hour limit on short haul exceptions.The petition was submitted to the FMCSA on June 12, and ACPA expects to see a formal response sometime in late December. Further discussions will focus on whether to support the HOURS Act, as well as whether a broader construction industry exemption needs to be pursued. * Rep. Crawford serves as Subcommittee Chairman on House Agriculture Committee’s General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, as well as the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee where he is a member of the subcommittees on Highway and Transit, Water Resources and Environment, and Economic Development.