Monthly Newsletter
Public Works, Procurement, and Disadvantaged Business News
April 2011 | Volume 2, Number 2 | Texas | www.dbegoodfaith.com
Highway legislation extended, lawmakers discuss successor bill
Congress extended the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which provides funding for transportation projects nationwide, for the seventh - and likely final - time in early March.
"We stabilized the trust fund through Sept. 30th when we passed the seventh extension, but I'm here to tell you that there won't be an eighth," Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the National Association of Counties at their annual legislative conference. "That's no way to conduct business relating to what you all need to know - what the federal government is going to be doing and what the federal government is going to be funding."
Officials from all levels of government and construction advocacy groups have been clamoring for Congress to begin drafting a multi-year successor to SAFETEA-LU. The Associated General Contractors of America, for instance, stressed the need for long-term infrastructure investments by the federal government in its recently published Blueprint for Economic Growth.
"Federal investment policies are causing considerable uncertainty for the growing numbers of construction firms that have come to focus on federally-funded projects," says the Blueprint. "That is because Congress has yet to pass long-term infrastructure investment legislation addressing our aging inventory of water, road, transit or aviation systems."
President Barack Obama has publicly backed successor legislation, calling for the approval of a six-year surface transportation package in his "Win the Future with a 21st Century Infrastructure" plan. The multi-year bill he envisions would spend $35 billion more on transportation projects per year than SAFETEA-LU.
The push for long-term infrastructure investments has received support from legislators on both sides of the aisle, but many are questioning how the federal government will pay for it. The White House has ruled out increasing the gas tax and GOP members are wary of any further deficit spending.
The SAFETEA-LU legislation originally expired in September 2009.
Learn more about SAFETEA-LU.
Read the AGC's Blueprint for Economic Growth.
Read the Obama administration's "Win the Future with a 21st Century Infrastructure" proposal.
"We stabilized the trust fund through Sept. 30th when we passed the seventh extension, but I'm here to tell you that there won't be an eighth," Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the National Association of Counties at their annual legislative conference. "That's no way to conduct business relating to what you all need to know - what the federal government is going to be doing and what the federal government is going to be funding."
Officials from all levels of government and construction advocacy groups have been clamoring for Congress to begin drafting a multi-year successor to SAFETEA-LU. The Associated General Contractors of America, for instance, stressed the need for long-term infrastructure investments by the federal government in its recently published Blueprint for Economic Growth.
"Federal investment policies are causing considerable uncertainty for the growing numbers of construction firms that have come to focus on federally-funded projects," says the Blueprint. "That is because Congress has yet to pass long-term infrastructure investment legislation addressing our aging inventory of water, road, transit or aviation systems."
President Barack Obama has publicly backed successor legislation, calling for the approval of a six-year surface transportation package in his "Win the Future with a 21st Century Infrastructure" plan. The multi-year bill he envisions would spend $35 billion more on transportation projects per year than SAFETEA-LU.
The push for long-term infrastructure investments has received support from legislators on both sides of the aisle, but many are questioning how the federal government will pay for it. The White House has ruled out increasing the gas tax and GOP members are wary of any further deficit spending.
The SAFETEA-LU legislation originally expired in September 2009.
Learn more about SAFETEA-LU.
Read the AGC's Blueprint for Economic Growth.
Read the Obama administration's "Win the Future with a 21st Century Infrastructure" proposal.
Disabled veterans may be eligible for HUB certification
The Texas Legislature is currently considering bills that would permit service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprise (DVBE) participation in the state's Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program.
A HUB has been traditionally defined as a business that is at least 51 percent owned by a economically disadvantaged person, a category that is exclusive to women or a minority group that has suffered because of discriminatory practices.
With HUB certification, a business can be used to fulfill HUB participation goals on state-funded public works and procurement contracts. Under state law, state agencies are required to work toward awarding a set percentage of its annual contracts to HUB businesses.
While some HUBs are concerned that the inclusion of DVBEs will dilute the program by making the bid environment more competitive, the bills have received support from the Texas Association of Historically Underutilized Businesses and the U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association.
Other states, such as California, and the federal government have programs to help DVBEs get a slice of the government contract pie. At present, approximately 1,300 Texas DVBE firms are registered with the federal government.
Since 2008, the state has awarded more than $6 billion in state contracts to HUBs, though it often fails to meet its annual HUB participation goals. Last year, the state only achieved its goals in two of six contract categories.
Learn more about the Texas's HUB program.
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With DBE GoodFaith's intuitive outreach service, disadvantaged businesses (DBEs, MBEs, WBEs, & HUBs) can be targeted to receive subcontracting and supplier opportunities for your contract.
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For more information on how DBE GoodFaith can help your business, contact us at (877) 802-3394 or visit www.dbegoodfaith.com.