LEGISLATION

Perry Signs Electrical Safety, Licensing Act

The Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act was signed into law June 20 by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. This law will be administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and will take effect Sept. 1.

The bill provides portability for electricians throughout the state, allows for the enforcement of the National Electrical Code as a minimum standard and makes it a criminal penalty to do electrical work without a license.

All persons performing electrical work and all electrical contractors must be licensed beginning Sept. 1, 2004. Requirements include a completed application, payment of fees and meeting specific criteria for each type of license. There is a grandfather provision that allows a person meeting certain requirements to obtain a license without taking an examination; applications for the grandfather provision must be completed before June 1, 2004.

The IEC of Texas, a trade association representing over 430 independent electrical contractors throughout the state, was a vocal supporter of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Driver (R-Garland) and Sen. Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria).

AGGREGATES

Allied Aggregates Buys, Launches First Dredge

Allied Aggregates, a support division of Houston-based Allied Concrete, recently purchased a 16-in.-by-14-in. Shark class dredge from the Dredging Supply Co. of Reserve, La.

It was the company's first dredge and will be used to mine sand and gravel for the ready mix division of Allied Concrete.

"We were referred to DSC by a consultant and a company in Victoria, which had previously done business with them," said Matt Connor, general manager of Allied Aggregates.

Once Allied personnel has visited the DSC manufacturing facility in Louisiana and undergone extensive training, DSC also provided engineers onsite at Allied Aggregates for the launch of the dredge. Included during the onsite inspection was a thorough engine test to verify all measurements.

BUILDING

Ambitious Expansion Planned For Hospital

Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth just opened a $13.5 million expansion of its emergency department in mid-June and already has plans for a new $15 million bed tower project.

According to the Dallas Business Journal, construction on the 36-bed facility could begin by early 2004 and provide beds to more than 40 percent of emergency department patients admitted to the hospital.

The tower is being designed by Dallas-based HKS Inc. and is part of an ambitious $1.5 billion capital investment campaign recently announced by Arlington-based Texas Health Resources, the parent company for Harris Southwest.

Completion of the tower project is expected in 2006.

LEGISLATION

Group Continues Attack On Labor Agreements

The U.S. House of Representatives recently heard introduction of two separate bills that would ban project labor agreements on projects that use federal funds or are federally assisted.

The Alexandria, Va.-based Independent Electrical Contractors Inc. has been urging Congress to introduce legislation in the U.S. House and Senate that will prevent future reversal of President Bush's 2001 executive order banning PLAs on federal projects.

Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) introduced House Resolution 2269 to modify the Federal Acquisition Regulations and complete codification of the President's executive order.
The bill was referred to the House Government Reform Committee.

Meanwhile, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) introduced HR. 2293, which amends section 8(e) of the National Labor Relations Act. That bill was referred to the Employer-Employee Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce
Committee.

While both bills make it unlawful to require PLAs on federal and federally
assisted projects, each bill would accomplish their goal in slightly different ways.

The Sullivan bill amends the federal contracting requirements and regulations, making it unlawful for a PLA to be implemented. The Johnson bill amends the NLRA, and in particular a section that pertains to restrictive contracting agreements, thereby outlawing PLAs on federal and federally assisted projects.

DESIGN

Jacobs To Provide Design Services For JFK Memorial

Houston-based Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. was recently selected by Dallas County to provide architectural, engineering and other services for redeveloping the John F. Kennedy Memorial and Records Complex Plazas in downtown Dallas.

Also part of the project will be parking garage under the Founders Plaza to accommodate between 460 and 630 additional vehicles. Jacobs will design the underground garage that links via tunnels under Main Street to the existing 500-space garage located below the JFK Memorial.

The company will also design the redevelopment of the plazas into an integrated open green space and coordinate the work with ongoing expansion, restoration and renovation of surrounding buildings.

LEGISLATION

Health Plan Bill Passes Through U.S. House

The U.S. House of Representatives in late June passed the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 by a margin of 262-162. The association health plan was backed by several construction industry organizations, including the Independent Electrical Contractors Inc.

"IEC is excited about this victory, which allows small businesses access to the same kind of quality, affordable healthcare that larger corporations and labor unions enjoy," said Lou Schreier, president of the organization's National Government Affairs Committee.

"This is a moral fairness issue," added U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), who serves as chairman of the House Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee. "If it's good enough for labor unions, and if it's good enough for Fortune 500 companies, then it should be good enough for small business.

"We must remember that our ultimate goal here is to bring quality coverage to the 41 million Americans who have no health insurance. AHPs will do just that."

Following the House vote, the Bush Administration released a policy statement supporting the Small Business Health Fairness Act today. It cited worker protections in the bill, stating the act would "safeguard consumer interests" with its strict eligibility requirements and strong solvency standards that go beyond what is required of large corporations and labor unions under current law.