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Natural Disaster Resource Guide September marks the beginning of National DisasterPreparedness Month, a nationwide campaign to increase awareness about disaster preparedness. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there were 18 weather/climate disasters in 2022 with losses exceeding $1 billion. While late summer often brings hurricanes, we know that wildfires, earthquakes, floods, and other…

ASA Calls for an Extension Request for Proposed Overtime Rule On September 8th, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the proposed changes to the salary threshold for overtime exemption in the federal register and provided 60 days to comment (the comment period closes on November 7th).  We do not believe 60 days is enough time for…

ASA Comments on OSHA’s Proposed Rule on PPE in Construction ASA, along with the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC), submitted comments to OSHA’s proposed rulemaking on its Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Construction standard.   Per their letter, while CISC agrees that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is an essential element of an effective health and safety…

Small Business Virtual Roundtable Meetings on the Department of Labor’s Proposed Overtime Rule   TUESDAY, September 26, 2023, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Eastern Time WEDNESDAY, September 27, 2023, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Eastern Time Via Microsoft Teams Meeting The Small Business Administration (SBA)’s next Office of Advocacy Roundtable will meet virtually to discuss…

This Week in Congress This week, the House returned for its first floor votes post-recess to kick off a packed fall agenda, and both chambers of Congress voted on FY24 funding bills. Return to the ASAToday page to read more articles.

Government Shutdown Threats Looming Government shutdown threats are looming, and a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at the FY23 funding levels post September 30th is highly probable.  Senators want a December 8th deadline while House Republicans want the CR “in the October timeframe.”  One of the biggest issues to reaching a bipartisan CR…

The Fall Legislative Agenda In addition to the September 30th deadline for appropriation bills, there are a number of other legislative measures that need to be addressed including the farm bill.  Also, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s authorization expires on September 30th. The law sets funding levels and authorizes revenue collections for Airport and Airway…

The Senate Addresses Artificial Intelligence (AI) This week, the Senate heard from virtually all the captains of America’s tech industry including some key defense figures, on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI). Senate Majority Leader Schumer stated, “it was a meeting unlike any other that we have seen in the Senate in a very long…

ASA Submits Comments to MSHA’s Proposed Silica Rule ASA, along with the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CSIC), submitted comments to the recent Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) proposed rulemaking on its respirable crystalline silica standard. Workplace safety and health is paramount for our members, and each is committed to creating safer construction jobsites for workers.…

This Week in Congress Congress has few working days left to fund the government and extend key programs by September 30th, with the Senate scheduled to return this week and the House on September 12th. Both chambers have a packed agenda that will include work on fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations, the annual defense policy…