During live appearances on CNBC鈥檚 鈥淪quawk Box鈥� Jan. 8 and Fox Business Network鈥檚 鈥淰arney & Co.鈥� Jan. 5, 老牛影视President and CEO Mike Bellaman told viewers that while the construction industry is booming, the challenge going forward is finding skilled labor, especially if Congress passes a wide-ranging, trillion dollar bill meant to address the country鈥檚 aging infrastructure.

On Jan. 5, the Department of Labor鈥檚 (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register on the expansion of Association Health Plans (AHPs).听According to a DOL press release, the proposed rule would increase access for small businesses to offer employment-based health insurance through AHPs and give access to 11 million small business employees/sole proprietors and their families who do not have employer-sponsored insurance.听

Effective Jan. 2, the U.S. Department of Labor increased civil monetary penalties for violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and regulations.听According to the OSHA website, the maximum penalty for other-than-serious, serious and failure to abate violations is now $12,934, and the maximum penalty for willful or repeat violations is $129,336.

George R. Nash Jr., director of preconstruction for Branch & Associates in Herndon, Va., began his one-year term as chair of 老牛影视on Jan. 1, 2018. He leads the 21,000-plus member association鈥檚 executive committee and board of directors, guides its national initiatives and serves as its spokesperson.

F.L. Crane & Sons Inc. of Fulton, Miss., a member of ABC鈥檚 Mississippi Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC. The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.

Over the last year, the Trump administration has taken major steps to roll back burdensome rules and regulations issued by the Obama administration. In his first two months in office, President Trump signed Executive Order 13777, 鈥淓nforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,鈥� and Executive Order 13771, 鈥淩educing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,鈥� which create regulatory reform task forces to remove burdensome regulations and prevent agencies from issuing unnecessary regulations with a so-called 鈥渙ne in, two out鈥� policy.听

On Dec. 14, the Trump administration released its Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The agenda lists upcoming rulemakings and other regulatory actions from each agency that the administration expects to release through the end of the year and in 2018.听

On Dec. 19, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued several fact sheets that provide guidance on the respirable crystalline silica standard for construction. The fact sheets include an overview of the silica standard as well as provide information to help employers comply.听

The National Labor Relations Board recently issued听decisions that are favorable to the employer community. On Dec. 14, the Board听overruled both the 2015 decision in Browning-Ferris听Industries as well as the Lutheran听Heritage Village-Livonia case. On Dec. 15, the Board overruled the decision听in Specialty Healthcare, which allowed for the formation of so-called 'micro鈥櫶齜argaining units.

On Dec. 18, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced in a press release that they will continue accepting 2016 OSHA Form 300A data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) until midnight on Dec. 31, 2017. OSHA will not take enforcement action against those employers who submit their reports after the Dec. 15, 2017 deadline but before Dec. 31, 2017 final entry date. Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the ITA will no longer accept the 2016 data.