Top Asks for Your Meeting
- Fair and Open Competition Act — H.R. 2126 / S. 1064
- Employee Rights Act — H.R. 4154 / S. 2984
- Market-Based Worker Visa Act (H-2C program)
- START Act — S. 4409 (apprenticeship deadlines)
- BUILD America 250 Act — H.R. 8870
- Faster Labor Contracts Act — H.R. 5408 / S. 844
- H.Res. 1140 discharge petition (advances FLCA)
- PLA mandates in any infrastructure reauthorization
- New prevailing wage expansions (Davis-Bacon, ROAD to Housing add-ons)
- OMB Memorandum 25-29 (PLA mandate continuation)
Project Labor Agreements
800+ days of noncompetitive procurement on federal projects over $35M. 30+ projects worth $17B+ stalled; 65,000+ jobs sidelined.
Fair and Open Competition Act (FOCA)
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) · Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) · 107 House / 23 Senate cosponsors
Protects federal and federally assisted construction contracts from government-mandated PLAs. Estimated $10B/year in taxpayer savings.
The Ask: Cosponsor FOCA. Visit BuildAmericaLocal.com.
Labor & Employment
Reject the FLCA — a federal bureaucrat would dictate the contents of private contracts for the first time in U.S. history.
Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA)
Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) · Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)
Forces mandatory arbitration of first union contracts: 10 days to begin bargaining, 90 days to a deal, then federal mediators and a 3-person arbitration panel impose a binding contract.
The Ask: Oppose FLCA and H.Res. 1140 discharge petition. Visit protectingamericanworkers.org.
Employee Rights Act (ERA)
Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) · Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)
Guarantees secret-ballot union elections, protects independent contractors and clarifies the joint-employer standard.
The Ask: Cosponsor the ERA.
Modern Worker Empowerment Act
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.)
Amends the FLSA to base worker classification on two clear tests.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Modern Worker Security Act
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.)
Lets businesses offer portable benefits without jeopardizing worker classification.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah)
Requires labor organizations and consultants to report when they engage in salting.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Immigration
Construction needs 349,000 net new workers in 2026. Visa reform is workforce policy.
Market-Based Worker Visa Act
Creates an H-2C visa specifically for construction. Requires U.S. worker recruitment first, mandates E-Verify, includes strict enforcement and worker protections.
The Ask: Cosponsor / support introduction.
Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act
Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.)
New visa program capped at 85,000 positions/year for temporary workers.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Increase the H-2B Cap
Expand H-2B visas and reform the program to address workforce needs of construction and other in-demand industries.
The Ask: Support legislation and appropriations riders raising the cap.
Mandatory E-Verify
Improved, mandatory E-Verify with protections for employers acting in good faith.
The Ask: Support a mandatory, employer-friendly E-Verify framework.
DACA & TPS Protections
Continue protections for DACA and TPS recipients, who have been in the construction workforce for years.
The Ask: Preserve protections; support a legislative fix.
Workforce Development
ABC's 67 chapters run 450+ government-registered apprenticeship programs across 20+ trades. None are union-affiliated.
START Act
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.)
Forces state apprenticeship agencies to approve/deny complete applications in 90 days with financial penalties for misses.
The Ask: Cosponsor S. 4409.
A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.)
Reauthorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The Ask: Cosponsor H.R. 8210.
U.S. DOL Apprenticeship Guidance
New ETA guidance improves flexibility for sponsors, addresses state policies that impair worker access to high-quality RAPs.
The Ask: Publicly support DOL's new RAP guidance.
America's Workforce Academy
ABC + Meta's $115M guaranteed-employment pipeline into AI infrastructure jobs. Participants get a job offer BEFORE training begins — first program of its kind.
Training covers OSHA and basic safety, construction math and drawing, material handling and rigging, plus introductions to the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fiber systems found in modern data centers. Skills are portable across construction, energy, and infrastructure — sectors projected to grow for decades.
The Ask: Highlight America's Workforce Academy as a model for federally backed, employer-led workforce solutions — no PLA mandate, no union-only requirement, and a real job at the end. Direct constituents and contractor partners to abc.org/Americas-Workforce-Academy.
Working Families Tax Cuts
Signed July 4, 2025. Preserve these wins; reject new tax hikes on job creators.
The Ask: Thank the member if they voted yes. Oppose any future tax increases on job creators.
Infrastructure & Permitting
Surface transportation authorization expires Sept. 30, 2026.
BUILD America 250 Act
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Surface transportation reauthorization. ABC supports the draft as introduced.
The Ask: Advance H.R. 8870; reject PLA mandates and prevailing wage expansions in amendments.
PERMIT Act
Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) · Passed House
Among the most comprehensive permitting reform measures in the last decade.
The Ask: Senate: take up and pass.
SPEED Act
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) · Passed House
Streamlines federal permitting for critical infrastructure.
The Ask: Senate: take up and pass.
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
Addresses housing affordability via permitting reform, but new prevailing wage mandates were added last-minute.
The Ask: Support permitting reforms; strip the new prevailing wage mandates.
More ABC-Supported Legislation
Additional cosponsorship asks if time allows.
Small Business
Prove It Act of 2025
Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) · Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
Strengthens the Regulatory Flexibility Act — small businesses can petition SBA on rules with significant economic effects.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) · Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)
Repeals the Corporate Transparency Act and its burdensome reporting requirements.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
White House Conference on Small Business Act
Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.)
Reestablishes the White House Conference on Small Business.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Good Government & Safety
Prior Approval Reform Act
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.)
Removes an administrative hurdle for trade association PAC fundraising.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act of 2025
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.)
Codifies OSHA's VPP into law and dedicates ≥5% of OSHA's annual funds to the program.
The Ask: Cosponsor.
Permitting
Studying NEPA's Impact on Projects Act
Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.) · Passed House
Adds transparency to NEPA environmental impact statement costs and timelines.
The Ask: Senate: take up and pass.
ESA Amendments Act
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) · Passed House
Reforms the Endangered Species Act — clear definitions, species recovery focus, streamlined permitting.
The Ask: Senate: take up and pass.