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Washington (Summit) Victory for NUCA!
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June / July 2025
NUCA Celebrates Workforce Pell Grant Program Inclusion in Landmark Legislation
Beneficial Business Tax Reforms Signed Into Law
2025 Washington Summit: Highlights and News
First FY2026 Approps Vote Held, Cutting 25 Percent of SRFs
Senate Approps Committee Understands Critical Infrastructure
Seeking Information on ICE Immigration Actions
PERMIT Act Passes House T&I Committee
NUCA's Government Affairs Webinar: Summer 2025 Update
Trump Administration Regulatory Actions Continue
Update: OSHA Heat Safety Proposed Rule
Senate EPW Committee Begins Work On Surface Transpo Bill
OSHA Announces Penalty Reductions For Small Businesses
Next NUCA Government Affairs Committee Meeting
NUCA/PAC: Going Strong Since 1976
First Session, 119th Congress Schedule
NUCA Official Letters To Congress
Join NUCA's Government Affairs Committee
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The Newsletter of the NUCA Governmental Affairs Department
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NUCA Celebrates Workforce Pell Grant Program Inclusion in Landmark Legislation
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On July 4, NUCA achieved a major long-time workforce development advocacy goal when President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBB, H.R. 1.) While NUCA did not take a position on the broader bill, we did support several important sections of the bill that made it to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
Above all, NUCA is very pleased that our workforce development priorities lobbied for at the 2025 Washington Summit were included in the final bill. The legislation includes the creation of the Workforce Pell Grant program, a long-sought utility construction industry program to address the skilled labor shortage by expanding Pell Grant eligibility to accredited short-term career and technical education (CTE) programs. This is a significant victory for workforce development in the utility construction industry, NUCA members should be proud of their hard work helping make this program a reality.
This victory was made possible because of the advocacy of NUCA members over the last several years, including recent efforts at the Washington Summit held May 14. At the last two Washington Summits, our members urged Congress to support workforce development through bills like the JOBS Act of 2025 (S. 383) and the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (H.R. 6585) – both of which influenced and are reflected in the final legislation.
“This program is a game-changer for our industry,” said Zack Perconti, NUCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “By giving more individuals the opportunity to learn skills for roles like heavy equipment operation or welding, Workforce Pell Grants create pathways to rewarding careers. The opportunities are there – the construction industry will need nearly 450,000 new employees in the next year. In
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some markets, like water utilities, nearly half the workforce is eligible for retirement within the next decade. Workforce Pell Grants are key to ensuring a robust talent pipeline for the next generation of workers building and maintaining America’s critical infrastructure.”
The Workforce Pell Grant program, effective July 1, 2026, extends eligibility to students in approved high-quality CTE programs offering 150 to 600 hours of instruction over 8 to 15 weeks. This allows workers to acquire or enhance skills quickly, boosting job prospects and economic stability. Over the next year, NUCA and the industry will work with the Department of Education on the rulemakings and implementation governing the Workforce Pell program, including criteria for programmatic approval.
Our association also supported several business tax reforms contained in the OBBB such as Section 199 deductions, restoring and extending full expensing and the R&D tax credit, and other pro-growth measures that will strengthen the bottom line of American contractors and small businesses.
NUCA commends President Donald Trump and Congress for delivering this important workforce development program to all Americans, which empowers workers, strengthens communities, and addresses the critical nationwide need for skilled labor. By enhancing access to education and training, Workforce Pell Grants fosters job creation and supports the industry’s need for skilled workers to deliver clean water, sanitation, broadband, and energy infrastructure, potentially creating over 800,000 jobs in the next two decades.
Read our media release.
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Beneficial Business Tax Reforms Signed Into Law
The OBBB also included several welcome business tax provisions that will directly benefit utility contractors. The bill permanently extends the Section 199A deduction for S corporations, ensuring long-term certainty for businesses, while preserving the 37% top tax rate. Additional reforms include restoring the R&D tax credit and full expensing, relaxing the interest expense limitation, and implementing other pro-growth measures designed to strengthen American businesses and stimulate economic expansion.
While NUCA, in line with our “all of the above” energy policy, does have some concerns around provisions relating to the phaseout of certain renewable energy tax credits, overall the final language around those projects is significantly improved from earlier drafts.
We intend to continue to work our industry partners to communicate the importance of these projects to the Administration and Congress, and will work to ensure that projects employing countless utility contractors delivering energy to American homes and businesses continue to move forward.
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PERMIT Act Passes House T&I Committee
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed on June 25 the "Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act" (H.R. 3898). NUCA issued a statement praising Chairman Graves and the committee for this result, with NUCA's Zack Perconti stating, "Fixing the broken permitting process used to build our nation’s infrastructure projects must be a top priority for Congress. Too many of our industry’s projects run into seemingly endless delays caused by uncertain timelines, driving up costs.”
The PERMIT Act reform package introduced by the House committee's Republican majority will streamline the federal permitting process and deliver predictability to a project's timelines. This legislation cuts red tape, streamlines permit reviews,
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and provides greater regulatory certainty under Clean Water Act permitting processes. These bills will establish clear boundaries between agencies and mandate predictable timelines. For too many projects, endless delays caused by unnecessary permit requirements added cost and delayed the completion of these water and wastewater projects.
“The PERMIT Act and other regulatory reform bills will help modernize or rebuild our nation's infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and create jobs and economic strength while maintaining environmental protections for clean water," Perconti concluded.
The bill now moves to the full House for a vote.
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First FY2026 Water Infrastructure Approps Vote Held, Cutting 25 Percent of SRFs
The appropriations process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 has begun, with action in both the House and Senate. On July 14, the House Appropriations Committee released the FY2026 "Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill" (HR ___). The two State Revolving Funds used by our industry for infrastructure projects are facing reductions in this House bill:
• EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: $894,737,000 (a roughly 20% decrease from FY2025
• EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund: $1,208,314,000 (a roughly 26% decrease from FY2025)
• Community Project Funding (earmarks): $1.049 billion for 912 water and wastewater infrastructure projects requested by 292 members. $559,237,373 is drawn from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and $489,670,627 is drawn from Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, reducing the overall general SRF funds by roughly 75%. While the industry will be building these projects, the use of earmarks is detrimental to the long-term sustainability of the two SRF programs.
While a decrease from FY2025 levels, these proposed FY2026 SRF resources are significantly higher than the levels sought in the President's FY26 Budget Request unveiled in February, which reduced the SRFs to zero.
The House Appropriations subcommittee held its 8-5 vote on the bill the next day on July 15, sending it to the full committee. NUCA expects this fight, as it did last year, to be fought in the Senate to restore SRF levels to at least FY2025 numbers. NUCA and our industry allies continue to press Congress on the importance of increasing SRF appropriations, which have remained flat for several years.
The July 15 markup vote can be viewed here.
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Senate Appropriations Committee Understands Critical Infrastructure
Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee's markup of their version of the Interior/Environment appropriations act occurred July 24, with Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) leading the bill's approval on a vote of 26-2.
Under the Senate's bill, EPA will be receiving $8.6 billion, of which, $2.8 billion will be allocated to the State Revolving Clean and Drinking Water funds. That funding is split between $1,638,861,000 to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and $1,126,101,000 to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The percentage diverted to earmarks is considerably less, with $349,668,000 from the Clean Water SRF and $247,569,000 from the Drinking Water SRF.
This funding level would remain essentially flat from FY24 and FY25, during which about $2.8 billion was allocated each year to the combined SRFs. This is a dramatic improvement over the President's proposed budget from earlier this year which called for sweeping cuts to the SRFs. Similarly, this bill allocates more funding than its House counterpart, which only provided $2.1 billion to the combined SRFs.
The full Senate is the next stop for this bill. It will have to be combined with the House's version before the fiscal year runs out on Sept. 30.
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2025 Washington Summit: Highlights and News
NUCA's annual Washington Summit once again delivered real results for our association and our industry. Our 106 attendees discussed our several top issues in 120 meetings with House and Senate lawmakers and staffers.
Those our attendees met with in Congress were very open to the association's legislative goals, and we expected this year's Summit to deliver dividends into the session ahead. We were very happy that our work in May and from previous Summits delivered a big win for our workforce development goals in early July (see above).
At Summit, many offices pledged to work with industry on streamlining and reforming the permitting process, as well as providing support for our industry’s
workforce development efforts. We urged Congress to fully fund our industry's two State Revolving Fund programs for FY2026, but work remains ahead in both the House and Senate. Congress began its hearings on FY2026 appropriations this month (see accompanying article).
To help attendees with their own follow-up meetings with lawmakers or their staff, the several Summit fact sheets will remain available at wedigamerica.org, under "Issues."
Relationship building remains a key goal for our Summit series over the past several years, and we encourage our attendees to remain in touch with the offices they met with throughout the year. National staff is here to help facilitate that process, so please do not hesitate to include Zack Perconti (Zackp@nuca.com), NUCA Vice President of Government Affairs, in your correspondence.
Thank you for your attendance at this year's Summit. We hope all members – returning Summit veterans and first-timers alike – will mark your calendars and come back to Capitol Hill next May for the 2026 Washington Summit. Our event dates are scheduled to be May 18-20, 2026, with Capitol Hill Day scheduled for Wednesday, May 20. More information will be announced later this fall about the hotel and event schedule.
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Trump Administration Regulatory Actions Continue:
Speed Limiter Regs Withdrawn, Climate Change and Diversity Regs Scrapped, Independent Contractor Rule Abandoned
The Trump Administration has over the last two months announced several regulatory changes affecting the U.S. construction industry:
USDOT Withdraws Speed Limiter Rulemaking, Climate and Diversity Regs Voided
Late on June 27, the USDOT announced that the Trump Administration will be withdrawing the speed limiter rulemaking proposed by FMCSA in 2022. NUCA supported this change ordered by USDOT Sec. Sean Duffy, arguing that this mandate would affect every commercial truck weighing over 26,000 pounds and create unsafe conditions on roads through speed differentials between cars and trucks. It would have also slowed freight movement across the nation, increasing road congestion and costs. More here.
Sec. Duffy also stated in a July 2 letter to state and local governments that his federal agency will not enforce any Biden-era regulations on climate change and diversity. DOT will no longer enforce any provisions dealing with climate change; greenhouse gas emissions; racial justice; environmental justice; the Justice40 initiative; or diversity, equity and inclusion. Duffy made the announcement to recipients of federal grants for roads, bridges, transit and other projects, writing "Grantees were forced to comply with directives that were not based in any statute or regulation."
USDOL Says Independent Contractor Standard Will Not Be Enforced
Finally, the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division issued a memo to staff May 1 telling them not to enforce the Biden administration’s independent contractor standard, and reverted enforcement resources back to the 2019 guidelines issued by the first Trump Administration. While the Biden era rule remains in effect, the change is specific to the department's enforcement priorities. The Trump USDOL said it is taking another look at the regulation but has not yet started the process to rescind it.
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DOD Simplifies NEPA Reviews
The U.S. Dept. of Defense announced June 30 that the department will be simplifying its NEPA review process. The changes will slash the time and cost associated with the NEPA process, enabling faster construction in the defense industrial base and of military construction projects, according to the DOD release.
In addition to the DOD, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, the Interior, Energy and Transportation have all updated their respective NEPA implementing procedures, the White House said in a news release from the same day. The move is part of a government-wide deregulatory effort from the Trump administration to speed up infrastructure construction.
The White House release detailing the DOD process also stated that the department will implement deadlines and page limits on environmental reviews required under recent amendments to NEPA, in order to expedite infrastructure development and reduce costs. It will also provide clarification that NEPA does not apply to every action that a federal agency takes, but only to federal actions where the agency has sufficient control and discretion to take environmental effects into account. And the department will ensure these new processes will create categorical exclusions and adopt other agencies’ categorical exclusions to minimize repetitive NEPA analyses.
Since resuming office, President Trump has taken a series of steps to overhaul the federal permit process and speed up construction projects.
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Senate EPW Committee Begins Road Forward on Surface Transpo Bill
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing July 16 about the upcoming surface transportation bill, which will succeed the 2021 infrastructure law. This multiyear bill, following the $1.2 trillion 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) set to expire next year, will allocate significant funds for highways, bridges, transit, and rail, with an emphasis on addressing Highway Trust Fund (HTF) solvency, projected to be depleted by 2028.
Key funding priorities include maintaining or increasing IIJA-level investments for highway and bridge repairs, with some lawmakers proposing a $2 billion increase for 2025-2030. Innovative financing, such as EV fees, are also being considered to bolster the Highway Trust Fund without raising the gas tax, unchanged since 1993. Other changes may include streamlining federal permitting to expedite projects.
EPW Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has stated previously that she wants to have the draft bill ready by year’s end. The existing law expires in fall 2026.
Conversations continue around a possible vehicle for the reauthorization of the EPA State Revolving Fund programs, which may be bundled in to Surface Transportation reauthorization.
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OSHA Announces Penalty Reductions For Small Businesses
OSHA announced July 14 that it will be reducing penalties up to 70% for small businesses who are working in good faith to comply with its regulations.
"All employers should be offered the opportunity to comply with regulations that help maintain a safe working environment,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “Small employers who are working in good faith to comply with complex federal laws should not face the same penalties as large employers with abundant resources."
The new policy, outlined in the Penalties and Debt Collection section of OSHA’s Field Operations Manual, increases penalty reductions for small employers, making it easier for small businesses to invest resources in compliance and hazard abatement. Additionally, the updated policy expands the penalty reduction for employers without a history of serious, willful, repeat, or failure-to-abate OSHA violations.
The agency's new guidance also includes a 15% penalty reduction for employers who immediately take steps to correct a hazard. The new policies are effective immediately, wrote OHSA.
More here.
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Update: OSHA Heat Safety Proposed Rule
OSHA concluded its informal public hearings on their proposed heat injury rule on July 2. NUCA and our coalition partner Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) still have significant concerns with several components OSHA has included in the proposal. We stated in our January 2025 comment letter that OSHA is not affording smaller employers with the flexibility CISC members requested during the rule's earlier August 2024 rulemaking process.
OSHA’s proposed standard will affect about 36 million employees in both indoor and outdoor settings. The rule applies to all employers and activates when the heat index hits 80°F for more than 15 minutes during any 60-minute period. At 90°F, the “high heat trigger” introduces additional requirements. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found nearly 480 workers died from exposure to environmental heat from 2011-2022, an average of 40 fatalities per year.
OSHA's post-hearing comment period remains open until Sept. 30, 2025.
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Advocacy 2025: Become A Strong Voice For Your Industry
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Next NUCA Government Affairs Committee Meeting
The next in-person NUCA Government Affairs Committee meeting will take place at the 2025 NUCA Fall Leadership Conference, Oct. 22-24, in Denver, Colorado. All NUCA members are welcome to attend.
Committee members can participate in the monthly online meetings. Please email the Government Affairs office or NUCA's Zack Perconti for more information about these meetings and their logon details at zackp@nuca.com.
NUCA is also in the process of formalizing its State and Local Government Affairs Committee, which met on July 29 to approve the committee’s organizational documents and path forward over the next few months. If you are interested in representing this committee, please contact your Chapter Executive Director, the Committee Chair, Kurt Brna (kurt@byrdunderground.com), and Zack Perconti to learn more. If you are an at-large member and are interested in representing your state, please contact Kurt and Zack directly.
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NUCA's Government Affairs Webinar Series: Summer 2025 Washington Update
Our department is introducing a new webinar series for NUCA members updating them on Washington's actions that could affect you and our industry's business members. Our inaugural "Summer 2025 Washington Update" webinar was held on July 16.
The hour-long presentation was led by NUCA government affairs vice president Zack Perconti, covering a broad variety of current topics, including an update on the "One Big Beautiful Bill" budget reconciliation legislation described earlier. Zack also discussed the fall legislative outlook for the industry and took members’ questions.
Future webinars will take place around once a month when Congress is in session, and will be announced in our bi-weekly NUCA at Work e-newsletter. The July 16 presentation can be viewed here or on NUCA's YouTube channel.
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Seeking Information on ICE Immigration Actions Affecting Utility Construction
NUCA would be very interested in hearing from members who have experienced since January 2025 any Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) administrative compliance requests or even jobsite raids.
Most of the ICE activity NUCA's governmental affairs office has noted in the media are directed to residential construction jobsites, but we have noted a few domestic manufacturers were also the subject of an enforcement action that was reported to have taken place in the mid-Atlantic area. The significant increase in the OBBB for ICE enforcement resources may be a precursor to increased activity in the months ahead. NUCA is in the process of drafting a compliance sheet for members and is awaiting legal sign-off of the document.
If you have any information you would like to share, please email NUCA's Zack Perconti at zackp@nuca.com. Anything shared will NUCA staff be kept confidential.
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#WeDigAmerica | #NUCA2025
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NUCA Thanks Our Many National Partners For Their Generous Support Of NUCA's Washington Summit & Advocacy Programs
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Elections and NUCA/PAC: Going Strong Since 1976
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Get involved! NUCA's Political Action Committee, NUCA/PAC, continues to be your strong voice on Capitol Hill - supporting pro-infrastructure policies, and defending your business against harmful laws and regulations that can affect your bottom line.
NUCA/PAC enables the American utility construction industry to approach vital public policy issues by helping to elect like-minded Members of Congress.
Get engaged in the process by authorizing NUCA/PAC to share information with you and your employees. Federal law requires NUCA/PAC to first obtain your written permission to solicit your voluntary contributions.
Please click here for the online NUCA/PAC authorization form. (You will need you NUCA member logon. If you do not have it, please contact NUCA's Lauren Hensley at lauren@nuca.com or 703-358-9300.)
NUCA/PAC was strongly involved in the 2024 election--let's make our industry's PAC the strongest it can be in future election cycles with your help.
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NUCA Choice: Our Industry's Choice For Commercial Insurance Coverage
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NUCA Choice delivers to NUCA members commercial insurance options for auto, crime, property, general liability, marine, surety, umbrella and workers' compensation.
NUCA Choice is offered in partnership with FCCI Insurance Group and is offered to all NUCA members where FCCI writes business. Members can also consult with FCCI's local risk control team and use the FCCI Risk Solutions Network, a cloud-based platform to help participants stay compliant, manage risks and educate employees to build a safer workforce.
To find out more about NUCA Choice and how it can help your bottom line in 2025, go to NUCAChoice.com to find a FCCI agent in your area.
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First Session, 119th Congress Schedule
The August recess has kicked off in Washington. The House left town to go on recess July 25, with the Senate set to follow at the end of the month. Both chambers will be back to work on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and will remain in session (with the exception of the week of Sept. 22) until Nov. 7.
NUCA expects that the State Revolving Fund reauthorization legislation will be introduced this fall or early spring, with action taking place alongside the larger surface transportation bill seeking action by Sept. 30, 2026. The House and Senate are looking to at least advance a version of their Surface Transportation bill out of committee by the end of the year.
NUCA's government affairs program remains committed to our member's needs of providing excellent value for their investment through our many legislative goals for 2025. We are exploring every opportunity the new Congress and Administration presents to increase the business success of each of our contractor and supplier members.
The 2025 Congressional calendar can be downloaded from here.
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NUCA Official Letters To Congress & Federal Agencies
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July 23, 2025 – NUCA Coalition to Appropriations Committee: SRF FY2026 Appropriations June 28, 2025 – NUCA Coalition to Finance Committees: Support Business Tax Provisions in Reconciliation Bill
June 5, 2025 – NUCA Coalition to Senate Finance: EV User Fee for Highway Trust Fund
All formal NUCA correspondence with Congress and federal regulatory agencies can be found and read at nuca.com/comments.
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Sign Up For NUCA Muster Advocacy Alerts
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Get involved! Did you use our Muster system this month to let Congress know your opinion of their legislative priorities? If you're a NUCA member, your Washington government affairs team wants you to be part of our Capitol Hill advocacy program! NUCA urges you to sign up to receive our Muster advocacy alerts. These emails will alert you to pending legislative action where your opinion can make a difference.
It's easy to sign up via the link below. Use your personal home address if you can do so, since our online Muster advocacy program finds your members of Congress via your voter registration address. But business addresses work just as well to receive our alerts.
I'm a NUCA member and I want to receive NUCA's Advocacy Alerts!
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Join NUCA's Government Affairs Committee!
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Get involved! If you enjoy analyzing politics and find the inner workings of Congress and our industry's legislative program interesting or useful to your business, why not take the next step and join NUCA's Government Affairs Committee? Membership is open to all NUCA members, and we welcome the active participation of those seeking to make a difference in their industry, and to help shape NUCA's official policies on legislation.
Help shape the legislative and advocacy program of your association. Contact NUCA's Vice President of Government Affairs Zack Perconti to get started today.
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The House's Cannon HOB subsurface
infrastructure being rebuilt, 2019. Photos: AoC.
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The Colorado Chapter of NUCA
