Washington Update Archive
WASHINGTON UPDATE
Feburary 9, 2009
*** H-2B Reform Legislation Reintroduced
U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) have introduced S. 388 - the Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act of 2009, that will protect small and seasonal businesses by providing an exemption for returning seasonal workers. NAR supports this legislation because many resort and second home areas, such as ski and beach resorts, rely on these workers to ensure their continued operation. NAR has sent a letter supporting this bill.
The Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act of 2009 will:
>Extend the H-2B Returning Worker Exemption that expired on September 20, 2007 for an additional three years;
>Revise the "three year qualifying period" to include H-2R workers, in addition to H-2B workers, and;
>Ensure that employers can only fill the positions with H-2B and H-2R workers only when no American workers are available to fill them.
Seasonal workers are crucial for the success of many small and seasonal businesses across the country. Over the past several years, the seasonal worker visa program has come under increasing stress with the number of applicants reaching statutory caps earlier in the year. This year, the cap was reached on January 7th. Because of this, businesses whose peak seasons come later in the year may be unable to get the workers they need to keep their businesses going.
*** GAO Releases Report on Costs of the Border Fence
The US Government Accountability Office has released a report that examined the costs of constructing fencing along the southern border of the United States. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, required DHS to complete construction by December 31, 2008, of either 370 miles or other mileage determined by the Secretary, of reinforced fencing along the southwest border wherever the Secretary determines it would be most practical and effective in deterring smugglers and aliens attempting illegal entry.
To summarize, the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) had completed about 73 miles of primary Secure Border Initiative (SBI) fencing costing approximately $198 million as of September 30, 2007, and about 215 miles of fencing costing about $625 million as of October 31, 2008. Seventy-one of the miles completed as of September 30, 2007, were pedestrian fencing completed at costs ranging from $400,000 to $4.8 million per mile and averaging $2.8 million per mile. CBP had also finished about 2 miles of vehicle fencing at a cost of $2.8 million. Pedestrian fencing accounted for 140 of the miles that CBP had completed as of October 31, 2008, with costs ranging from $400,000 to $15.1 million per mile for an average of $3.9 million per mile. Seventy-five of the miles were vehicle fencing and costs ranged from $200,000 to $1.8 million per mile, averaging $1.0 million per mile. The per mile costs to build the fencing varied considerably because of the type of fencing, topography, materials used, land acquisition costs, and labor costs, among other things.
Read the full report here: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09244r.pdf
*** NAR, FEMA Team Up to Develop Flood Brochures
NAR and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have teamed up to produce informational brochures on flood insurance and the National Flood Insurance program that are tailored to Realtors and the real estate industry. One document is designed for Realtors to clarify what should be known about flood and flood risk and how to talk about it with potential homebuyers. A second document is designed to be provided to the homebuyer by Realtors and serves as a checklist for the homebuyer to ensure their new investment is adequately protected. Here is a link to this information:
http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/flood+brochures+for+members
*** NAR To Host Webinar on Complying With the New Lead Paint Rule
NAR is hosting its third webinar on complying with EPA's new lead paint renovation and repair rule. This rule was finalized in April of 2008, and some compliance deadlines will begin late 2009. NAR is also developing a dvd of this information that will be available to all members. Here is a link to register for the webinar:https://realtors.webex.com/realtors/onstage/g.php?d=925940325&t=a
*** RLI Hosts Second Annual Land Conference
The Realtors Land Institute is hosting the Second Annual Land Conference, March 26-27, in Nashville, TN. This is a unique event for real estate professionals who are committed to our most precious resource: the land.The conference offers superior education on the trends and issues facing today's land professionals. Accredited Land Consultants (ALCs), designation candidates, RLI members at large, and those real estate professionals aspiring to be a part of the land profession should plan on attending. Here's the link to register: http://www.rliland.com/NationalLandConference.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For past legislative news updates from Washington, D.C., that impact Resort and RLI, please click below:
