Legislative Update for August 2021

Prepared by Augustine Verrengia PE, Government Affairs Committee Chair

UPCOMING EVENTS: CECON 2021 Legislative Panel

One of the most exciting events at the upcoming CECON conference is always the Legislative Panel. The ASCE Texas Section is especially excited to host this panel this year as we continue the process of returning to in-person events. This year the Legislative Panel is scheduled for Thursday, September 16 and will be moderated by ASCE National President Dr. Jean Louis Briaud. We will have a full slate of both State Representatives and State Senators from across Texas to answer questions related to sustainability, infrastructure and general topics concerning the Civil Engineering community. More details will be provided as the event is finalized. Feel free to submit any suggested questions that you would like us to ask the legislators to [email protected].

CALL TO ACTION: INVEST in America Act

The INVEST in America Act is comprehensive legislation that would modernize our roads, bridges, transit, rail, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and so much more. The transformational bill would move our country away from the status quo and would lay the groundwork for an infrastructure package for the modern era.

The INVEST in America Act will authorize $343 Billion for road, bridges, and highways, a 54% increase over current funding. It also includes $109 Billion for Transit, $95 Billion for Rail, $32 Billion for Amtrak, $8.3 Billion for carbon-reducing steps and $6.2 Billion for a focus on resiliency.  To continue maintaining and building our nation’s infrastructure and to not fall further behind, we are urging Congress to pass legislation.

If you are already part of ASCE’s Key Contact program, please take the time to reach out to your members of Congress to urge the reauthorization of the FAST Act. If you are not already a member of the please consider registering and becoming part of this group that actively influences the policy process at the state and federal levels. Here is a link to get involved (www.asce.org/keycontacts)

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Lastly, we are always looking for ASCE members to join in our efforts, so if you or someone you know would be interested in being part of the Government Affairs Committee, do not hesitate to reach out to the committee at [email protected].