The stage is set for Roofing Day in D.C. 2024
Roofing Day in D.C. is less than two weeks away. The stage is set, speakers are confirmed, the menu is finalized and we are ready to advocate. This year, we have more than 200 attendees flying to the nation’s capital to advocate on behalf of the roofing industry regarding workforce shortages and pro-growth tax policy. If you are registered to attend, please visit our recently updated website at www.nrca.net/roofingday to prepare for the big day. Although registration has ended, please let DMazol@nrca.net know if you still would like to attend.
Congress completes funding bills for fiscal year 2024
On March 23, Congress passed the $1.2 trillion funding package, preventing a partial government shutdown. The legislation was approved by a vote of 74-24 in the Senate after the House passed the bill by a vote of 286-134 March 22. The package included funding for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and State, as well as the legislative branch. With its passage, Congress has funded the federal government until Sept. 30.
Within the Department of Education, Perkins Career and Technical Education State Grants—a top priority for NRCA—were funded at $1.44 billion, a $10 million increase from the previous fiscal year. As this year’s bills were delayed, Congress already has started the process to draft legislation for federal discretionary spending in fiscal year 2025.
USCIS streamlines process for refugee employment authorization documents
On March 12, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it is implementing a streamlined process to provide Employment Authorization Documents, also known as work permits, to individuals admitted to the U.S. as refugees within 30 days after they enter the country. USCIS now will use an automated process to complete the necessary application forms for Employment Authorization Documents for all individuals admitted under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In addition, the agency will provide the Social Security Administration with the information required to assign them a Social Security number and card. Under current law, refugees are authorized to work as soon as they enter the U.S.; however, obtaining Employment Authorization Documents and Social Security numbers has been a cumbersome process that often delays for several months the ability of refugees to work in the U.S.
OSHA publishes final employee representation rule
On April 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a final rule to revise the process for determining who may act as an employee representative to accompany OSHA compliance officers during workplace inspections. Commonly known as the “Worker Walkaround Rule,” agency officials indicate it is needed to clarify employees may authorize an employee or a nonemployee from a third party as their representative if the compliance officer determines the third party is reasonably necessary to conduct an effective inspection. The final rule is similar to a proposed rule issued by the agency in August 2023. NRCA and other members of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition submitted comments regarding the proposed rule, which outlined concerns regarding how it may negatively affect employers by broadly expanding the eligibility of third-party representatives. These concerns include increased risks on multi-employer worksites, conflicts with longstanding agency guidance, lack of clarity regarding how the rule will be implemented and increased costs incurred by employers. OSHA did not address these concerns in the final rule, so litigation challenging the rule is being considered by NRCA and other construction industry associations. The rule will take effect May 31. More information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section of OSHA’s website.
